Luke as the Author of Acts
How important is it that we accurately identify the author of Acts? Is the subject of authorship merely of historical interest, or would you argue that there are implications for interpretation and/or the role that the text plays in the formation of Christian...The Historicity of Jesus
It would be difficult to address the topic of a historical Jesus without first providing a very brief synopsis of the history of scholarship often called the quests, which are the quests to identify the real Jesus of history. Darrell Bock explains that the first quest...A Basic Understanding the Gospels
With regards to my current level of knowledge of the Gospels, I would not say that I am highly confident in my understanding. Dr. Rusty Small mentioned in this week’s video that Paul receives much more attention than the Gospels especially in Protestantism. I...Narrative Criticism
A literary-theological reading of Scripture, which is often referred to as narrative criticism, focuses primarily on the text. Although possibly surprising to the modern layperson, for several centuries, biblical scholars have not focused on the text as much as the...Pseudepigraphy
The accusation that a significant portion of ancient Christian writings consist of forgeries has led to a longstanding debate among modern scholars. David Brakke insists that a minimum of ten of the New Testament books are forgeries because they are writings with...Messianic Expectations of Ancient Jews
It is not uncommon to hear modern psychologists refer to a diagnosis called the messiah complex disorder. The ancient historian, Josephus, documented several individuals who would possibly fit the modern malady where selflessness is manifested in extreme narcissism...Jews and Hellenism in Scripture
The ultimate result of the conquests of Alexander the Great went far beyond the expansion of geographical boundaries and invaded the core of culture and society through the process of Hellenization. Leonard Greenspoon succinctly defines Hellenism as “the spread...Jewish Religious Thought
After reading the primary sources pertaining to the first-century Jewish groups, I agree with Derek Dodson and Katherine Smith’s assertion that it is misleading to suggest that first-century Judaism promoted a legalistic perspective of religion. It appears that...Biblical Household Codes
The instructions related to slaves, women, and children in the New Testament might be characterized by the concept of mutual submission in Christ. The authors of the New Testament were certainly products of their time, while simultaneously promoting a strong...Virtue and Biblical Exegesis
In some ways, engaging the topic of virtue in a Christian context seems simple and obvious, so obvious that Christians should not encounter much disagreement and may even question its relevance. However, when the news headlines feature Christian rock-stars such as...Spiritual Interpretation of the Bible
Although an argument may be made that all spiritual meaning should be excluded from biblical interpretation in favor of a literal meaning, I do not. Accordingly, the following post presupposes the validity of spiritual interpretation, and I will yield arguments to the...Path to Learn Biblical Languages
Discussion Board 1: Question 3My previous experience in the formal study of biblical languages aligns with the typical language progression of a Master of Divinity program. First, I took two semesters of beginning Greek. The course followed William Mounce’s...Text Driven Preaching
Question 1: Text-Driven PreachingWhen discussing doctrinal fidelity, Ned Matthews (pp. 87-92) explains that a text-driven man will be less likely to dilute the gospel for fear of the consequences and less likely to shape the message to assure popularity. Provide at...How Did Apostles Interpret the Bible?
Regarding the concept of Abner Chou’s prophetic hermeneutic, an important question is how the New Testament apostles interpreted the Old Testament prophets. Did the apostles shift the meaning of the prophets, or did the apostles find a fuller meaning (sensus...Bible Interpretation: Historical Context
To begin, I want to thank all the participants for such great questions. I do agree with Osborne that the historical background provides a three-dimensional aspect to a sermon or any biblical teaching. The question posed regarding the dangers on delivering a message...Dialectical Bible Interpretation
Although John O’Keefe and R. R. Reno explore the dialectical strategies of the Church Fathers in combination with lexical and associative strategies that often inform the development of typological and allegorical readings, the question at hand is much more...Hermeneutical Virtues
Discussion Board 3: Hermeneutical VirtuesAndreas Köstenberger and Richard Patterson’s book, Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, provides twelve interpretive virtues in the spirit of 1 Peter 1:3-11.[1] Powerfully, Peter explains that whoever lacks these...Why Bible Translations are Different
Arguments regarding which version of the Bible is considered the best translation have been occurring for centuries. However, students may not understand that legitimate reasons exist, which explain the differences between Bible translations. By understanding and...The Pastor Theologian
The vision of the pastor theologian is to bridge the divide between the practice of ministry and the theory of academia by encouraging pastors to become adept theologians. Because systematic theology revolves around the concerns of the church, it is not unreasonable...
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