Biblical studies

Review: Enabling Grace

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Cover image of "Enabling Grace" by Susan Mathew

Enabling Grace

Enabling Grace, Susan Mathew. Langham Global Library (ISBN: 9781839732782) 2025.

Summary: A disability reading of Paul’s letters focusing on 2 Corinthians 12:7b–10, asserting the grace of God amidst human weakness.

In recent years the church has begun to recognize the importance of welcoming and supporting those with disabilities. In the U.S., it is estimated that 28.7 percent of our people have some form of disability. The reality is that that at some point in our lives, most of us will have some form of disability. In all our communities, this group represents a significant part of our mission field.

Much of the writing has focused on what churches can do to accommodate persons with disabilities. Increasing thought is also being given to how we support families of those with disabilities. For most of us, when asked for the biblical grounds for such work, we might appeal to both the Great Commandments to love God and neighbor and the Great Commission to make disciples of all the nations and those within them.

But how does God regard, and how ought we regard those with disabilities? Dr. Susan Mathew is uniquely equipped to address these questions. She not only has a doctorate in biblical studies and teaches New Testament at Faith Theological Seminary in Kerala, India. She is the parent of a son, Jyothish, with cerebral palsy. As she sought to address the needs of her son, she recognized many other families in Kerala with children with special needs. This led to founding the Deepti Special School and Rehabilitation Centre, which she directs. Thus, she combines biblical scholarship and extensive personal experience in this book.

Her focus is on select letters of the Apostle Paul, his use of the language of weakness including his “thorn in the flesh.” She considers how God works in human weakness and how the body of Christ may honor its weakest members. Mathew begins by addressing definitions and models of disability. She also identifies the passage in 1 and 2 Corinthians she will discuss. She lists the words used, with a focus on asthenia or “weakness.” Before turning to more detailed examination of relevant passages, she discusses disability in antiquity. Sadly, the fate of infants with disability was abandonment and death. In Judaism, disabilities excluded people from temple service. Many viewed disabilities as the result of sin or God’s curse.

Then chapter three considers God’s choice of the weak and foolish, described in 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:7. God works through the ultimate expression of weakness, the foolishness of the cross to subvert society’s norms and worldly wisdom. God identifies with and choose the weak as objects of his grace. Chapter four then turns to Paul’s teaching on gifts and the interdependence of the body of Christ. Among the gifted are those with disabilities, revealing God’s power working through human weakness. This calls for mutual concern and the honor of the less honorable. Above and over all is the love of 1 Corinthians 13. Chapter four also deals with 1 Corinthians 15 and the resurrection of the body. In this is both continuity and discontinuity, most notably, the transformation of all weakness and disability.

But what hope is there for the suffering and affliction caused by disabilities in this life? Chapter five turns to this question, looking at 2 Corinthians 1:3-10 and 12:7-10. Mathew considers the role of patient endurance, our partnership in suffering, and the comfort we have in Christ. Then she turns to an in depth study of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh.” She explores what this may have been, Paul’s prayer and how Christ met him in weakness.

The final chapters unpack all this. Chapter 6 recounts the author’s personal story and her experience of God’s power in her Christian community. In the final chapter, she explores what a holistic theology of grace means in the context of disability, including how Paul’s disability deepened his understanding of enabling grace.

This book is a good beginning toward a theology of disability. Coupled with the author’s personal testimony, it speaks powerfully of God’s enabling grace for persons with disabilities. And it calls us to be communities of mutual care and interdependence, recognizing the grace and gifts of God on those with disabilities.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Matthew

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Cover image of "Matthew" by Darrell L Bock and Timothy D. Sprankle

Matthew

Matthew (Kerux Commentaries), Darrell L. Bock and Timothy D. Sprankle. Kregel Ministry (ISBN: 9780825458255) 2025.

Summary: A Kerux Commentary combining exegesis of Matthew with communication insights for teaching and preaching.

The Kerux Commentary series is designed for pastors and teachers. First, an accomplished exegetical scholar unpacks the literary structure and theme of a text, offering a brief expository overview, verse-by verse discussion of the text, and a theological summary of the text. Then, a skilled preacher focuses in on a “Big Idea” from the exegesis, offers contemporary connections and creative ideas for presentation. This part concludes with a succinct preaching outline and discussion questions. In the case of this volume, New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock (Dallas Theological Seminary) combines with Timothy D. Sprankle, senior pastor at Leesburg Grace Brethren Church in Northern Indiana.

Like most commentaries, this offers an introductory section. Reflecting its conservative character, it favors Matthean authorship, written for an audience of churches near Judea, and a date prior to the fall of the temple. It notes the prophetic claims of Matthew, which the commentary traces, suggesting an apologetic purpose. Unlike proposals that Matthew draws on Mark and is the source for Luke, this commentary accepts the more traditional proposal of Matthew’s dependence on Mark, a shared source with Luke (some form of the hypothetical Q?) and unique materials to which Matthew had access.

A few highlights from this lengthy commentary. The birth narrative (2:1-23) recognizes God’s providential leading and protection. The temptation passage (4:1-11) highlights Israel’s wilderness history and Jesus qualification to reverse Adam’s sin. Within the Sermon on the Mount, the discussion of 5:21-48 highlights the love that goes beyond the law, that righteousness is about more than being right. The commentary on 8:1-9:38 highlights the three triads of miracles and how they reveal his authority and call for a choice.

Then, as opposition intensifies, Jesus turns to parables (13:1-58). Specifically, disciples are distinguished as those who listen, discovering the power and preciousness of the kingdom. However, opposition continues to intensify as Jesus extends God’s compassion in 15:1-16:12. Then, I appreciated particularly the contrast drawn in the commentary on 19:3-30 between the humility of children and the obstacles wealth create to knowing God.

Finally, we turn to the Passion narratives in Matthew. I loved how the authors connected the healing of the blind in Jericho with the Triumphal entry (20:29-21:11). The commentary shows the intensifying opposition, how Jesus met every challenge. The commentary on the Olivet Discourse (24:1-25:46) both reflects and an awareness of Matthew’s original audience, and the contemporary need to be watchful and about the work of the kingdom. The trial and death narratives focus on Jesus innocence and messianic identity.

The exegetical commentary emphasizes readability over extended discussions of minutiae with lots of Greek text and footnotes. Yet, the engagement with scholarship shows in references to other scholars and the concluding bibliography. Also, sidebars on other Jewish sources relating to a particular text offer good background. However, I found the preaching material less helpful. Although it suggests helpful directions in contemporary application of the text, I thought it could become a substitute for prayer for reflection and exegesis of one’s congregation or audience. Nevertheless, the suggestions of visual media and other creative actions helpful in breaking out of preaching ruts.

In sum, I think many pastors will find this a solid and accessible resource for study, preaching and teaching.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: The Fourth Synoptic Gospel

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Cover image of "The Fourth Synoptic Gospel" by Mark Goodacre

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel

The Fourth Synoptic Gospel, Mark Goodacre. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802875136) 2025.

Summary: Maintains that John knew of and used Matthew, Mark, and Luke in composing his gospel.

Two things a first time reader of the New Testament will notice: the similarities of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and how different John’s gospel is from these. As it turns out, biblical scholars also noticed this and most over the last hundred years have concluded that John’s account is independent of the other three, commonly known as the Synoptic Gospels. It is generally believed that Matthew and Luke drew much of their material from Mark as well as using sharing a common source known as “Q.” Today, more are questioning the “Q” hypothesis since no “Q” document has ever been found.

Mark Goodacre, as his title suggests, believes John knew of the other three gospels and used them in his composition of John. First, he begins his case by noting the numerous instances of verbal agreement between John and the Synoptics. He sets passages side by side showing agreement in both Greek and English texts. Then he observes the parallel ordering of a number of events between John and the Synoptics.. From this, he argues, based on linguistic analysis, that John’s drew from Mark as mediated through Matthew and Luke.

In addition, John’s selectivity actually presupposes that not only he, but his readers, were familiar with the other gospels. He doesn’t include material that his readers were already familiar with. At other times, John recounts the same incidents but uses direct speech, putting Synoptic narrative on the characters lips.

Another question scholars raise is whether the Beloved Disciple of the gospel is John the son of Zebedee, as traditionally believed. Goodacre considers the various arguments for who the Beloved Disciple might be if not John the son of Zebedee. Goodacre agrees with the textual pointers to John, yet also that he is “an idealized witness to the key events of the earliest Christian tradition.”

Finally, Goodacre argues that while expressed in distinct language, John’s Christology is consistent with Synoptic Christology. He uses fourteen terms for Jesus in common with the Synoptics. The “I am’s” find precedence in Jesus statement in walking on water (Matthew 14:27//Mark 6:50). The seven “I am sayings all use imagery found in the Synoptics.

I found the evidence of verbal agreement most persuasive for his argument. A shared oral tradition alone would likely have been marked by less agreement. I also found the argument of John’s presupposition of the other gospels credible for explaining the differences. Lastly, I appreciated the discussion of Christology and how John’s is consistent with the others. However, I would like more discussion of the differences, particularly in discourses, that we find in John. Perhaps that’s another book!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: The Authority of the Septuagint

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Cover image of "The Authority of the Septuagint," Gregory R. Lanier and William A. Ross, eds.

The Authority of the Septuagint

The Authority of the Septuagint, Gregory R. Lanier and William A. Ross, eds. IVP Academic (ISBN: 9781514009727) 2025.

Summary: A multi-perspectival approach to the question of the authority of the Greek Old Testament, or Septuagint.

Alexander the Great ruled between 335 and 323 BC. During this time he brought the eastern Mediterranean, the Near East, Egypt and former Persian territories all the way to India. Greece supplanted Persia as the great power. After his death, several rulers divided this kingdom. However, the lingua franca of this empire was Greek. Alexandrian Jews, responding to this reality, translated into Greek the Hebrews scriptures, beginning with the Pentateuch, and eventually the rest of what we would call the Old Testament. Legend has it that a team of seventy (or seventy-two) were responsible for this translation, hence its name, Septuagint.

Today, biblical translations of the Old Testament are based, on the Hebrew Masoretic text, a tradition that traces back to Jerome. Yet, the question remains of the authority of the Greek Old Testament. Why so? First of all, the New Testament writers, who wrote in Greek, often but not always quote from the Septuagint. This, along with the growing collection of documents that would form the New Testament, were the scriptures of Greek-speaking churches. Likewise, the early church fathers often quoted these scriptures. They functioned as a source of authority for early churches. And for the Eastern Orthodox churches, they still do.

One of the problems that arise is that there are differences between some of the Greek texts used in the New Testament and the Hebrew text. Contemporary translators often note in footnotes these differences and other places where alternate readings of the Septuagint may shed light on the meaning of a text. Finally, the authority of this translation raises questions about the authority of all our translations. As we quote those translations, in what sense may we say, “thus saith the Lord”?

This volume brings together the contributions of a variety of scholars in different fields to address the contemporary relevance and authority of the Septuagint in both academy and church. To begin, Greg Lanier addresses the question of canon, arguing that the Septuagint originally did not include apocryphal books but only the three current divisions of Hebrew scripture: the law, prophets, and writings. Then William A. Ross traces the somewhat complex history of Jewish scriptures, how they were passed down and translated.

Thomas Keane studies the citations of scripture in the New Testament and the variations and concludes that the sources they had available, and their rhetorical purposes shaped their usage. While not furnishing a conclusive basis for the authority of the Septuagint, it revealed that they considered the Hebrew scriptures in whatever form they had access to them as authoritative in practice. Following this, patristic scholar Edmon L. Gallagher surveys the debates about the status of the Septuagint between Augustine, Origen, and Jerome. He the gist of this discussion was that the Septuagint provided a generally reliable though imperfect rendering of the Hebrew, reflecting the conviction that God communicates through translations.

The discussion then turns to how Reformation and post-Reformation scholars treated the Septuagint. Early on, the Septuagint was set aside for the supremacy of the Masoretic Text. Subsequent scholars recognized that there were places where the Septuagint might correct the Hebrew text. A couple of excurses explore the importance of an Old Testament “kept pure in all ages” as a confessional position.

Then Daniel J. Trier and Joshua McQuaid take a systematic theology approach. They begin by acknowledging the lack of attention by systematic theologians to the authority of the Septuagint. They note that divine authority typically involves creaturely mediation. In addition, they note how our finitude and fallenness helps explain our lack of direct access to original autographs of the text. Finally, they explore how textual traditions and Spirit illuminated interpretations minister the magisterial authority of scripture through translations. James Prothro considers a Catholic perspective through history, noting the significant common ground that exists.

Myrto Theocharous’ concluding chapter offers a synthesis of the book. He notes a general consensus (though not shared by the Eastern Church) that the Septuagint has a derivative authority, along with other translation efforts. However, in its origins as a Greek translation by Jews, it is useful in textual criticism, and may occasionally offer superior renderings to the Masoretic Text. Some scholars offer alternate wording, describing the authority as ministerial or functional.

I thought the book a thorough exploration of a question I’d not previously considered. Essentially, the argument seemed to be that the authority of the Septuagint is on a par with our modern translations. The Trier and McQuaid essay reminded me of God’s gracious providence. He ministers his saving gospel through translations. Even though we lack original autographs, God works through the critical editions of the Hebrew and Greek text we have. God spoke through whatever sources New Testament writers had available. God ministered to countless numbers through the Septuagint. And it continues to be a gift for Old Testament scholars.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings

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Cover image of "Israel's Scriptures in Early Christian Writings" edited by Matthias Henze and David Lincicum

Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings

Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christian Writings, edited by Matthias Henze and David Lincicum. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802874443) 2023.

Summary: How Jewish scriptures were used in the New Testament and in other early Christian writings.

The Jewish scriptures were the only “Bible” of the New Testament writers and important for other early Christian writers along with the coalescing collection of texts that make up our New Testament. But what constituted “Jewish scripture” particularly for first and second century CE writers? What materials were particularly important and how did writers appropriate these materials? It is with all these questions that this major reference work of essays concerns itself.

In the Introduction, the editors set up a fourfold system for classifying use of the Old Testament: marked citation, unmarked citation, verbal allusion, and conceptual allusion. Contributors use this system with a high degree of consistency throughout the volume. Then, the remainder of the book consists of five sections of essays, on each of which I will comment briefly.

Contexts

The section begins by asking “what were the “scriptures” in Jesus time?” This is important because no “canon” existed of these scriptures. The following six chapters consider the reuse of scripture in the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, in early Jewish literature, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Philo and the Alexandrian tradition, and in Josephus.

Israel’s Scriptures in the New Testament

Seventeen chapters make up this section, a major portion of the book. The writers consider every New Testament book. However, this is not in commentary form. Rather essayists note the uses of scripture under the four categories noted above. It is interesting, for example, to note the number of texts Matthew cites whereas the bulk of John’s use is allusions. Likewise, it is interesting to see how Paul’s use of scripture varies from letter to letter.

Themes and Topics From Scriptures in the New Testament

Here, eight chapters consider the use of Jewish scripture under the topics of God, Messiah, Holy Spirit, Covenant, Law, Wisdom, Liturgy and Prayer, and Eschatology. Of the essays in this section, I especially valued the one on Messiah. It demonstrated both a coherent messianism, and yet no monolithic “messianic idea.”

Tracing Israel’s Scriptures

This part of the work studies four books that make up a major part of the New Testament use of Jewish scripture: Deuteronomy, Isaiah, the Psalms, and Daniel. Each chapter explores the uses of the book throughout the New Testament. Then the final chapter considers key persons from the Jewish scriptures throughout the New Testament: Abraham, Moses, David, Jacob, Joseph, and Elijah. The essay also considers lesser known female figures including Eve, Hagar, Sarah, Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.

Israel’s Scriptures in Early Christianity Outside the New Testament

Finally, the editors offer a helpful extension of this study beyond the horizon of the New Testament. Essays include studies of the use of Jewish scriptures in the apocryphal gospels and apocalypses, in Adversus Judaeos literature, in Marcion and the critical tradition. It was fascinating, in Adversus Judaeos, to see how Christian writers used scripture as a key source of authority as they engaged Jewish opponents to their message. The concluding essay is wonderful icing on the cake in the form of looking at the use of Israel’s scripture in early pictorial art.

Concluding Comments

I appreciated the breadth of this work not only in the consistent use of the four-fold classification but also in keeping each essay at a manageable length, important in such a long work. Yet for all that, the depth of scholarship, evident in citations and bibliography, is impressive. I suspect, unlike this reviewer, most readers won’t read this straight through. Rather, it serves as a helpful reference work, whether for addressing the Jewish scriptural background to the New Testament, for exegesis of particular books, or for biblical themes. And if you are concerned with the relationship of the two testaments, this is an absolute must read.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Under Her Wings

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Cover image of "Under Her Wings" by Jennifer Houston McNeel

Under Her Wings

Under Her Wings, Jennifer Houston McNeel. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802885081) 2025.

Summary: A comprehensive study of the mothers mentioned in the New Testament as well as references to motherhood.

What is one topic in biblical studies for which there is significant material but little scholarship? Jennifer Houston McNeel contends that mothers and motherhood is one of those. Some has to do with the space mothers are given in male-written and dominated texts. And then there is the historic dominance of men in preaching and scholarship. This book is an important step in redressing this imbalance. McNeel undertakes a comprehensive study of the mothers who appear in the pages of the New Testament as well as the references, often metaphorical, to motherhood.

She begins by setting the context of mothers in the Old Testament and in Jewish and Greco-Roman culture. The genealogies of scripture emphasize families and every named person, mostly men, had a mother! But the society was patriarchal, though free women had opportunities to manage their households. At the same time, childbirth was perilous, and the purview of midwives and female family and friends. While male metaphors dominate God talk, female images also are used.

Then McNeel turns to the birth narratives, beginning with the four unusual mothers who appear in Matthew’s genealogy. None are conventional. Nor is Mary in Matthew and McNeel likens Joseph to Uriah, the righteous Hittite. He marries her despite the scandal. In Matthew, she is silent. But this is hardly the case in Luke. She engages Gabriel and gives assent, if not consent (McNeel explores the ambiguities in her submission to God’s will). McNeel not only explores the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth but has a fascinating section on Mary as Jesus’ teacher. But how does one mother a grown-up Messiah? McNeel’s next chapter considers John’s portrayal of their relationship at the wedding at Cana and at the cross.

Having considered Mary’s motherhood, the next chapters turn to other mothers in the gospels. First McNeel looks at the accounts of four mothers in crisis: Simon’s mother-in-law, the mother of Jairus daughter, the Syro-Phoenician woman, and the widow at Nain. The one thing in common beyond the urgency of their crises was that none of them are named. These were good mothers, but not all mothers are good. McNeel treats the cases of three mothers which range from ambiguous to evil: the mother of the man born blind who protects her own interests, the mother of James and John, who promotes the interests of her sons (and perhaps herself), and Herodias who exposes her daughter to horror to gain revenge upon John the Baptist. Scripture gives us both exemplars and cautionary tales of motherhood.

Before moving on from the gospels, McNeels considers the metaphors of motherhood associated with Jesus. He speaks of himself as a mother hen. There are allusions to Proverbs Mother Wisdom in his call for people to come to him in Matthew 11:28-30 and he is the logos. Likewise, Jesus uses the imagery of birth to describe the new life he brings. When Jesus speaks of rivers of living water springing from him, the word Jesus uses, koilia, can mean either stomach or womb. Water and blood flow from his side as he gives birth to the church.

Acts is dealt with briefly, because the only references are to Mary, the mother of Jesus, Mary, the mother of John Mark, and the unnamed mother of Timothy. McNeel sees Acts as an interlude in the story of mothers, to become more prominent in the early church. In the undisputed letters of Paul, McNeel finds actual mothers sidelined. Women are co-workers in the gospel mission, playing prominent roles in many situations. But we don’t learn if they were mothers.. However, she observes Paul using a number of metaphors of motherhood. He uses birth pang imagery for the end times and speaks of creation groaning as if in labor. Then he speaks of his own birth and apostleship as untimely. He describes himself tenderly as a nursing mother with the Thessalonians. But he chides the Corinthians for needing milk rather than solid food.

McNeel treats the controversial material material in the pastorals as part of the non-authentic Pauline letters, written at a later time, reflecting the transitional issues facing the church. Meanwhile she notes the commending of Lois, Eunice, and others. She addresses different options for understanding women being saved through childhood, acknowledging problems with all but opting for a straightforward reading of the text, albeit not in individual terms.

McNeel treats Hebrews and the general epistles together, focusing on the faith of Sarah, Rahab, and unnamed mothers. Revelation presents us with the contrast of the virgin and the whore, which may smack of patriarchal norms. Yet Revelation anticipates a new creation where all oppression ends.

The concluding chapter summarizes themes running through this study: new life, suffering, identity, caregiving, and influence. Not only are mothers important in the biblical story, but motherhood images are at the heart of the gospel. This challenges us to combat androcentrism in biblical interpretation.

While I might take issue with some of the author’s ideas about Pauline authorship, overall I deeply appreciated the approach to the study of mothers which foregrounded these women in a helpful way for me. The fact that many women are nameless, in comparison to men, is disturbing. It reminds me that while scripture is both inspired and authoritative, it is also a human document. As a male reader, this book challenges me to notice the portrayals of women. It challenges me to question but also to appreciate. Particularly as a Protestant, we give Mary short shrift. It was illuminating to consider her as the childhood teacher of Jesus. And it was a gift to think of the motherhood images of Jesus, to be “under her wings,” as it were.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: How Did They Read the Prophets?

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Cover image of "How Did They Read the Prophets? by Michael B. Shepherd

How Did They Read the Prophets?

How Did They Read the Prophets?, Michael B. Shepherd. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802885418) 2025.

Summary: A study of Hebrew and Greek interpretations of the canonical prophets including Christian readings.

The author of this book observes in his introduction that the Bible has always been an interpreted book. Later texts interpret earlier ones. For example, 1 and 2 Chronicles interpret earlier histories of the kings of Israel and Judah. Michael B. Shepherd observes that this interpretive work continued in the scribal work on Hebrew and Greek texts of the Old Testament, in subsequent commentaries, including those discovered at Qumran, and by the new Testament writers.

In this book, Shepherd focuses on the prophets of the canonical Old Testament. He adopts the assumption and methods of James Kugel in his study of the books of Moses. Kugel contends ancient readers adhered to four assumptions: 1) the Bible is fundamentally cryptic; 2) the bible is one grat book of instruction and this a relevant text; 3) Scripture is perfect and perfectly harmonious; and 4) Scripture is of divine origin and inspiration. He looks at the ancient extant texts, including the Old Greek, the Masoretic (Hebrew) text, and the Septuagint. Shepherd also considers other early extant texts and targums as well as New Testament readings of relevant texts.

Shepherd applies this method to the prophets, offering chapters on Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the Twelve. Rather than offer a traditional commentary, Shepherd focuses on texts cited in the New Testament. He traces the various renderings of texts in different sources as well as how New Testament writers appropriated the text. Shepherd shows how these interpretations “prepared the way” for New Testament readings.

Shepherd’s concluding chapter, “Prophets as Exegetes” opens with some fascinating conclusions about the intersection pf prophets, scribes, and exegesis:

“The older conception of a scribe as a mere copyist has given way to a newer, more accurate view of scribes as exegetes and composers. The older view of prophets as preachers of oral messages has been complemented by an awareness that the concept of a prophet developed in such a way that the scribe became the new prophet. The result has been a greater appreciation for the role of scribal prophets in the interpretation and production of biblical texts. The prophet is essentially redefined within biblical literature itself as someone who exegetes biblical texts and then produces biblical texts on the basis of that exegesis” (p. 114).

Shepherd then unpacks the implications for the formation of the prophetic canon alongside the Five Books of Moses as well as for the “New Testament Prophets.”

For pastors, the chapters on the prophets are most helpful when one is studying a particular biblical text. I suspect access to Bible software that includes the various sources he references is helpful, but not necessary. For me, the concluding chapter was worth the price of admission as a discussion of canonical formation.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: Interpreting Jesus

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Cover image of "Interpreting Jesus" by Dale C. Allison Jr.

Interpreting Jesus

Interpreting Jesus, Dale C. Allison Jr. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (ISBN: 9780802879196) 2025.

Summary: Six essays on Jesus addressing eschatology, Moses, miracles, women with Jesus, memory, and methods of attestation.

In 2010, after completing Constructing Jesus, Dale C. Allison Jr. told his wife, “Honey, I’m done with Jesus” to which she replied, “He’ll be glad to hear that.” In the Preface to this book, he confesses, “But I was wrong. I have been unable to stay away. What he thinks now I do not know.” I cannot speak for Jesus, but I’m glad he didn’t stay away. I found each of the six essays here thought-provoking, the work of a careful scholar not afraid to engage prevailing scholarship with fresh ideas.

The first essay explores the indications that Jesus believed the “last things” were imminent and that the latter days had begun. Yet his followers had to deal with delay beyond what they expected (and we all the more). However, Allison notes the indications as Jesus nears Jerusalem and faces not only unreceptiveness but imminent death, that he foresaw some form of interim period before his triumphal return. He cites the parables of the bridegroom’s delay and the master’s delay as examples. And he looks at examples of contingency in Jewish literature and allows for the possibility of the delay being contingent on the occurrence of certain events.

The next essay explores how Jesus’ life may be seen as a type of fulfillment or enactment of Moses. He does this by way of noting some of the parallels between Moses and Simeon Stylites and exploring how these map onto Jesus. Allison follows this with what I thought one of the most important essays that took exception in some ways to the radical skepticism of Jesus scholarship of the miracle accounts. He allows, with scholars like Michael Licona, that historical investigation does not require on to a priori rule out the miracle accounts. He notes credible contemporary testimony documented both in Catholicism and scholars like Craig Keener. Should the possibility of credible testimony to the miraculous be ruled out for the accounts of scripture?

The Chosen introduces the idea of women being included in the company of Jesus, sometimes traveling with Jesus and the male disciples. While Allison does not interact with this portrayal, his next essay discusses the biblical accounts. He notes the support women gave, and their presence in various accounts. Allison also notes Jesus teaching on the lustful look and other issues relating to men and women. He seems to be reluctant to allow for women as a permanent part of an itinerating band, while allowing for them to accompany a larger group to Jerusalem for feasts.

But how reliable are the memories of the eyewitnesses? Allison’s next essay addresses the question of the reliability of memory. He particularly has in view Richard Bauckham’s strong defense of the eyewitness accounts of the life of Jesus. He considers the case of Peter and Mark and how the literature on memory leads him to bring a measure of caution in weighing their accounts. While not dismissing Bauckham, he raises the question of whether all memories are equally reliable. May some be more reliable than others?

The final essay is a deep dive into the criteria and methodologies used in historical Jesus scholarship. The question is what may we most confidently attribute to Jesus? For example, scholars consider themes that have multiple attestation as more likely to be authentic. They discredit independent sources. Likewise, there is the criteria of dissimilarity. That is, scholars credit Jesus with saying things found nowhere else. Allison explores a number of exceptions to this methodology.

I must confess that as a non-professional, I knew of Allison but have not read his prior works. While evangelicals may not agree with all his conclusions, his careful scholarship also offers encouragement. What struck me about these essays was a sense of even-handed fairness and an openness to modify his own views. I appreciated his engagement with scholars like Michael Licona, Craig Keener, and Richard Bauckham. And I appreciated his candor in wrestling with questions any of us who have studied the gospels at length have wrestled with.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.

Review: The Message of the Psalms

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Cover image of "The Message of the Psalms" by Walter Brueggemann

The Message of the Psalms

The Message of the Psalms, Walter Brueggemann. Augsburg Fortress. (ISBN: 9780806621203) 1985.

Summary: Provides a framework of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation as a rubric for reading the Psalms.

A number of studies of the Psalms focus on particular genres to classify the Psalms. For example, they identify psalms of praise, of lament, or kingship psalms and others. They identify the format of each of these psalms. Walter Brueggemann does something very different in this work. He identifies three broad categories with five or six subtypes each. The categories are psalms of orientation, disorientation, and new orientation. They trace a movement from a sense of well-being rooted in creation and reflected in a stable sense of God’s provision, to seasons of anguish, suffering, loss and God’s “distance,” and finally in the emergence from despair into a transformed experience of God’s light on the other side of darkness.

For each of these categories, Brueggemann begins with a brief section explicating the category. Then, under each of the subcategories, Brueggemann walks us through representative Psalms. This is best read with the Psalms at hand, allowing you to follow Brueggemann’s explanations. This also helps you see the distinctive forms of each kind of psalm.

Psalms of Orientation include songs of creation, songs of Torah, wisdom psalms, songs or retribution, and occasions of well being. Then Psalms of Disorientation include personal laments, communal laments, two problem psalms (88, 109), two psalms where God is the speaker (50, 81), and a group of “seven psalms” (he focuses on 32, 51, 143, 130). He concludes Psalms of Disorientation with a “After the Deluge–Thou” on Psalms 49, 90, and 73. Finally, Psalms of New Orientation include personal and community thanksgiving, the once and future king, thanksgiving generalized to confidence, and hymns of praise.

Several emphases stood out to me. Firstly, he highlights lament at a time when this is absent in much of worship. Secondly, in the psalms where God speaks, he drives home the idea that when we fail to honor God (the first tablet of the commandments) we will also neglect the second tablet of our neighbor relations. Brueggemann roots his vision of justice in the proper fear of the Lord. Finally, he concludes his book by arguing that theodicy underlies this schema that shapes both our worship of God and our ordering of society (i.e. we cannot worship a God we claim is good and just and tolerate unjust evil in our society).

But the greatest strength of this work is that it traces an arc, or perhaps a spiral of spiritual life captured in the Psalms. Spiritual life is not static. We move from confident faith to anguished questions and doubts and hopefully emerge to a greater depth of love and trust. And we do this over and over again through our lives. Orientation, disorientation, and new orientation gives us a not only a rubric for the Psalms. It connects to and gives meaning to our experience of life.

Review: Old Testament Wisdom & Poetry

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Cover image of "Old Testament Wisdom & Poetry" by Norah Whipple Caudill

Old Testament Wisdom & Poetry (Scripture Connections), Norah Whipple Caudill. B & H Academic (ISBN: 9781087746449) 2025

Summary: Introduces the six books: outlines, author, date, message, biblical connections and application.

B & H Academic has launched a new series of introductory texts for the Bible that serve well as either a main or supplemental text in college courses but also are accessible enough for an adult education course. This volume covers six wisdom and poetry books: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, and Lamentations.

First, the author sets the books in the context of the whole Old Testament in both Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Then she discusses some basics of Hebrew poetry, focusing on parallelism and the use of acrostics and a discussion of what is meant by “Wisdom” literature. One striking observation is of the “terse” lines in much of this poetry.

Caudill follows this rubric for each of the six books:

  • Outline
  • Author, Date, and Message. Include key background information.
  • Interpretive overview. By sections or genres, how interpreters have approached the book and key passages.
  • Biblical connections. This focuses on how these books either allude to or are alluded to in other parts of the Bible. For example, parallels between Job and the suffering servant in Isaiah are considered.
  • Gospel connections. Quotes or illusions in the New testament are noted. For instance, Caudill includes a chart listing all the Psalms used in the New Testament.
  • Ancient connections. These appear as occasional sidebars, offering examples of similar literature in other ancient Near East cultures. For example, Caudill sets Egyptian Harper songs alongside passages on life and death in Ecclesiastes. These parallels underscore not only similarities but distinctives.
  • Life connections. Here, the focus is on how each book is relevant for life and faith today. Lamentations models expressing grief and anger in honest prayer as well as coming along others in their suffering.
  • Interactive questions help review chapter content as well as interaction with that content with others.
  • Where to find more. Offers resources for further reading and research.

Here are a few of the interesting things I noted. Caudill proposes an exilic or post exilic date for Job, even though the setting is in the time of the patriarchs. She notes terms and grammatical features present in late biblical Hebrew to support this. As do many, she takes a genre approach to Psalms. She also calls attention to the numerous acrostic psalms.. Caudill highlights how the idea of lessons from a father to a son in Proverbs concerning wisdom is a feature in literature from several cultures. She also calls attention to the various types of sayings in Proverbs.

She argues against Solomonic authorship for both Song of Songs and Ecclesiastes. One of the sidebars for Ecclesiastes considers all the questions Qohelet asks — some of the most profound questions philosophers ask. For Song of Songs, Caudill lays out different interpretive approaches to the song. She also includes a sketch of a goddess statue which explains Song 4:4. Finally, she highlights the interesting acrostic structure used in Lamentations.

The text is highly accessible for lay audiences but reflects contemporary scholarship. Hebrew is transliterated, except in instances where the writer is calling attention to acrostic patterns. The interactive questions help with both mastery and application of content. The biblical and gospel connections raise student awareness of the intertextual character of scripture. The concise format and reasonable price are also plusses. In sum, this is a marvelous introduction to these six books that will help every student of scripture better understand what they are reading.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.