Daily Gleanings: Greek New Testament (2 August 2019)

Zondervan’s “Critical Introductions” series volume on 1–2 Thessalonians, by Nijay Gupta, is now available. Nijay comments,

About seven years ago, Mike Bird approached me with this project. He inspired me to do two things: (1) research and write this volume on the level of something in the Anchor-Yale reference series and (2) read every academic writing on 1-2 Thess in English written after 1984 (and the most importance works in German and French). Bottom line: this is not your grandparents’ critical introduction.

For more information on the volume, see Nijay’s original post. To get a sense of the approach Nijay took to writing the book, see his interview in my “Pro Tips for Busy Writers” series.


KoineGreek.com has released videos for Mark 1–7. The subtitles are given in Greek according to Robinson and Pierpont’s text. The narration is according to Randall Buth’s pronunciation system. Thus far, I’ve just watched the video for Mark 1 and found it quite interesting. I especially enjoyed the camera angle in the shot of John the Baptist being ἐνδεδυμένος τρίχας καμήλου. 🙂

HT: Peter Gurry

Price and House, “Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology”

Price and House, "Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology" coverDue out this November is Randall Price and Wayne House’s Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology. According to the book’s blurb,

The Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology includes an introduction to the field of archaeology for readers who might not be familiar with the methods, practices, and importance of this area of study. Included in this section is an annotated bibliography of important biblical archaeological reports, books, and journal articles for further study. The rest of the handbook is devoted to a book-by-book (Genesis through Revelation) presentation of the most significant archaeological discoveries that enhance our understanding of the biblical text, including a section on the intertestamental period.

For more information or to pre-order, see Zondervan’s website, Amazon, or other booksellers.

Ministry and graduate school

Jake Mailhot discusses “how to juggle ministry while attending seminary.” The post takes its cues from Danny Zacharias and Ben Forrest’s Surviving and Thriving in Seminary (Lexham, 2017).

Mailhot aggregates several lines of advice, but one particularly key piece is the anecdote that

A mentor of Ben’s recalled writing in his Bible as a young seminary student, “I’d rather burn out for the Lord than rust out!” Reflecting on that memory nearly fifty years later, he regretted such a perspective and encouraged all who were in the room to do neither! Burning out and rusting out are both ways to ruin one’s legacy. Neither one is the calling that God has placed on the leaders of his church. Rather, as a seminarian you are called to live in the tension between studying and ministering.

Whether specifically in seminary, another form of higher education, or another place of heavy demands, trying to learn to live well with this tension requires healthy boundaries for those various demands. And as a help in maintaining those boundaries, it can often be useful to recognize the “opportunity cost” of saying “yes” to a commitment when there are—as there always are—finite resources with which to fulfill that commitment. A “yes” to Netflix or a given “one more” ministry opportunity will, by definition, be a “no” to something else like time in study or with one’s family. That tension probably never disappears, but it does need to be navigated as wide-eyed as possible to avoid the blindness of “Lord, did we not …?” (Matt 7:22–23).

For the balance of Mailhot’s reflections, see his original post. For Zacharias and Forrest’s volume, see Lexham Press or Logos Bible Software. For some reflections about developing healthy boundaries, see Henry Cloud’s Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life (Zondervan, 1992).

Bird, ed., Four Views on the Apostle Paul

Bird, ed., "Four Views on the Apostle Paul"
Michael Bird, ed.

The folks at Zondervan sponsored this year’s Institute for Biblical Research meeting reception. In addition to the deserts there, they very kindly provided attending members with a copy of the recent (2012) Counterpoints volume on Paul, edited by Michael Bird. According to the publisher’s description:

The apostle Paul was a vital force in the development of Christianity. Paul’s historical and religious context affects the theological interpretation of Paul’s writings, no small issue in the whole of Christian theology.

Recent years have seen much controversy about the apostle Paul, his religious and social context, and its effects on his theology. In the helpful Counterpoints format, four leading scholars present their views on the best framework for describing Paul’s theological perspective, including his view of salvation, the significance of Christ, and his vision for the churches.

Contributors and views include:

  • Reformed View: Thomas R. Schreiner
  • Catholic View: Luke Timothy Johnson
  • Post-New Perspective View: Douglas Campbell
  • Jewish View: Mark D. Nanos

Like other titles in the Counterpoints: Bible and Theology collection, Four Views on the Apostle Paul gives theology students the tools they need to draw informed conclusions on debated issues.

General editor and New Testament scholar Michael F. Bird covers foundational issues and provides helpful summaries in his introduction and conclusion. New Testament scholars, pastors, and students of Christian history and theology will find Four Views on the Apostle Paul an indispensable introduction to ongoing debates on the apostle Paul’s life and teaching.

Zondervan to LiveStream 2012 ETS Plenaries

Zondervan Publishing House Logo
From the latest Zondervan academic update:

If you can’t make it to ETS, however, there is now a next-best option. We are sponsoring live webcasts of all plenary speakers, including E. Calvin Beisner, Russell Moore, Richard Bauckham, and Douglas Moo. Visit www.LiveStream.com/ZondervanAcademic to RSVP and get reminders.

Particulars about the plenary sessions, including scheduling, can be found by searching for “plenary session” in the “session information and indexes” program section PDF available via the ETS website.