Teaching through Storytelling

While my task in preaching or teaching is to proclaim God's Word, I am seeing greater value in using stories to explain, illustrate, and apply that Word. This Faculty Focus article provides help with that even though it is not specifically aimed at preaching or teaching the Bible. Don't miss the link in the article for other resources.

Psalm 130

I am working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 130 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps130.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_130.pdf

Psalm 130 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/215

Mark Throntveit commentary: https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/ordinary-10-2/commentary-on-psalm-130

Doug Bratt’s commentary: https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2015-06-22/psalm-130-2

Witherington on Romans

Ben Witherington is teaching through Romans via video. This series is an overview rather than a detailed exposition. Here is a link to to the first video.

Child Sacrifice

Daniel Vainstub has a sobering but good examination of child sacrifice to Molekh (also spelled  Molech) here.

The Best Books on Ecclesiology

Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen identifies what he thinks are the sixteen best books on Ecclesiology here.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Michael Avioz, Legal Exegesis of Scripture in the Works of Josephus (T&T Clark)
David M. Miller

Blaine Charette and Robby Waddell, eds., Spirit and Story: Pentecostal Readings of Scripture, Essays in Honour of John Christopher Thomas (Sheffield Phoenix)
Alaine Thomson Buchanan

Tucker Ferda, Daniel Frayer-Griggs, and Nathan C. Johnson, eds., “To Recover What Has Been Lost”: Essays on Eschatology, Intertextuality, and Reception History in Honor of Dale C. Allison Jr. (Brill)
William R. G. Loader

John Frederick, The Ethics of the Enactment and Reception of Cruciform Love: A Comparative Lexical, Conceptual, Exegetical, and Theological Study of Colossians 3:1–17 (Mohr Siebeck)
Philip J. Lowe

Drew N. Grumbles, YHWH Is There: Ezekiel’s Temple Vision as a Type (Wipf & Stock)
Andrea K. Di Giovanni

Christoph Heilig, The Apostle and the Empire: Paul’s Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome (Eerdmans)
Vien V. Nguyen

Jean-Baptiste Humbert, Alain Chambon, and Jolanta Mlynarczyk, The Archaeology of Qumran: Reassessment of the Interpretation; Peripheral Constructions of the Site; Qumran Terracotta Oil Lamps (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht)
Alan H. Cadwallader

Douglas E. Oakman, The Radical Jesus, the Bible, and the Great Transformation (Cascade)
Christopher B. Zeichmann

John D. Schwandt, An Introduction to Biblical Greek: A Grammar with Exercises (Lexham)
David H. Warren

Pieter G. R. de Villiers and Annette B. Merz, eds., Power in the New Testament (Peeters)
Clarissa Breu

Free eBook: Colossians

Wipf and Stock is offering a free eBook copy of Colossians: A Short Exegetical and Pastoral Commentary by Anthony Thiselton. The offer is valid until May17. Here are the instructions to get your copy.

1. Click on this link.
2. Click "ADD TO CART" on the eBook option.
3. Use the code "THISELTON24"
4. Upon checkout completion, you will receive a confirmation email with instructions of how to download your free eBook.

Steve Walton on a ""Narrative" Reading of John 7:37-39

You can watch the video and see the script here. I would call this more of a dramatic reading but such approaches can be effective at times.

A Cartoonist's Guide to Acts

Luther Seminary is offering the free ebook, A Cartoonist's Guide to Acts, you can this graphic novel in exchange for your name and email here.

Recent Acts Commentaries (2019-2024)

Nijay Gupta offers a good but incomplete list here.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Hector Avalos, The Reality of Religious Violence: From Biblical to Modern Times (Sheffield Phoenix)
Samantha J. Scott

Cilliers Breytenbach, The Gospel according to Mark as Episodic Narrative (Brill)
Nicholas A. Elder

L. Juliana Claassens, Christl M. Maier, and Funlola Ọlọjẹde, eds., Transgression and Transformation: Feminist, Postcolonial and Queer Biblical Interpretation as Creative Interventions (T&T Clark)
Corrine Carvalho

Ryan P. Juza, The New Testament and the Future of the Cosmos (Pickwick)
William Horst

Cotton Mather; Jan Stievermann, ed., Hebrews–Revelation, vol. 10 of Biblia Americana: America’s First Bible Commentary (Mohr Siebeck)
Rebecca Skaggs

Sara Parks, Gender in the Rhetoric of Jesus: Women in Q (Lexington/Fortress Academic)
Olegs Andrejevs

Hector M. Patmore and Josef Lössl, eds., Demons in Early Judaism and Christianity: Characters and Characteristics (Brill)
Tyler A. Stewart

Ben Zion Rosenfeld and Haim Perlmutter, Social Stratification of the Jewish Population of Roman Palestine in the Period of the Mishnah, 70–250 CE (Brill)
Joshua Schwartz

Michael E. W. Thompson, Isaiah 1–39: A Commentary (Cascade)
Jeffery M. Leonard

Andrew C. Witt, A Voice without End: The Role of David in Psalms 3–14 (Eisenbrauns)
Bradley C. Gregory