Jonah is a popular book, but it is so much more than flannel-graphs and cartoons of vegetables slapping each other with fish. There is deep and profound theology in Jonah that is lost when it is viewed as only a children’s story. While there are many things I learned from Jonah, I want to share
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Narrated History and the Problem of Violence in the Book of Joshua
In this excerpt from Joshua: Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary, David Firth explains how the purpose and genre help explain the issues of violence in the book of Joshua. The book of Joshua stands at an important point of transition both in the life of Israel and within the canon that reflects on that life. Appreciation
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Need a Reminder of God’s True Story? Read 2 Peter.
In this excerpt from Living in God’s True Story, Donald L. Morcom shows how 2 Peter acts as an important reminder for Christians as they face challenges to their faith. All of us live our lives according to a particular story that helps us make sense of the world and our experiences in it, and
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The Essential Ingredients of Wisdom
In this excerpt from Walking in God’s Wisdom, Benjamin T. Quinn lays out five essential ingredients of biblical wisdom. One of my favorite questions to ask people is, “How would you define wisdom?” It is an interesting question as I’ve never met anyone—Christian or not—who was uninterested in wisdom. In fact, many cultures and world religions
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A Guided Tour of Corinth
In this excerpt from Transformed in Christ, Ron Elsdon and William Olhausen provide some insight into the history and culture of Corinth. Many cities, past and present, have reputations, including the Greek city of Corinth. But was its reputation deserved? Two of Paul’s letters usually command more attention than the others. In the case of
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Context is King: Get a Focused View of the Biblical Text in this New Commentary
When studying a given passage in the Bible, it can sometimes be difficult to get your bearings. Taking a verse out of context is a major no-no, so understanding how that piece fits into the larger picture is an important interpretive step. The Lexham Context Commentary helps you do exactly that — see the “forest”
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What Can Biblical Studies Learn from Martin Luther?
In this excerpt from the introduction to Always Reforming, Channing L. Crisler outlines Martin Luther’s approach to reading and interpreting scripture, and how his hermeneutic can inform scholarship today. “Comfort yourself with the Word of God, the pre-eminent consolation.” In this way, Martin Luther consoled a father and husband suffering the loss of both his
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Signs of the Messiah: An Interview with Andreas Köstenberger
John’s Gospel is written to inspire faith in Jesus. In Signs of the Messiah, Andreas J. Köstenberger—veteran New Testament scholar and expert on the Gospel of John—guides readers through John and highlights its plot and message. By keeping the Gospel’s big picture in view, readers will see Jesus’ mighty signs and be compelled to trust
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The Death and Resurrection Motifs of Joseph’s Narrative
In this excerpt from Figuring Resurrection, Jeffrey Pulse explains how death-and-resurrection motifs play a critical role in understanding Joseph’s story in the book of Genesis. Many scholars over the centuries have engaged with Joseph and his story, and their efforts have often borne useful fruit. One aspect of Joseph’s story, however, has been somewhat neglected.
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Who Was the “Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”?
Formally, like all the Gospels, John’s Gospel is anonymous. Unlike the New Testament letters, it doesn’t start out by saying, for example, “I, the apostle John, wrote this Gospel.” That’s because a Gospel is not person-to-person or person-to-group communication like an epistle is. Rather, as Richard Bauckham and others have argued in The Gospels for
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