Exegesis and Theology

And another interesting offering from Zondervan [catalog, p. 48]

Three prominent scholars — Darrell L. Bock, Walter C. Kaiser, and Peter Enns — detail their positions on how the Old Testament relates to the New Testament, a topic of significant interest today. This includes substantial discussion of instances where the New Testament authors discern the fulfillment of a prophetic element in the Old Testament text. The book also incorporates questions about the nature of fulfillment and typology as aspects of this seminal issue.

Here’s another interesting offering from Zondervan [catalog, p. 40]

The Biblical Theology of the New Testament (BTNT) series aims at providing textbooks in the areas of New Testament theology, interpretation, and exegesis at the highest level of academic excellence. A multivolume work, its eight volumes will cover the entire New Testament and include Matthean, Markan, Lukan, Johannine, and Pauline theologies as well as works on the theology of Hebrews;
Peter, Jude, and James; and the Book of Revelation. Each volume is written by a recognized expert in the field who has written one or several major commentaries or monographs on the subject. This exciting new series is designed both for use in the classroom and seeks to make a significant contribution to the burgeoning field of biblical studies.

The theology of Matthew—Michael J. Wilkins
The theology of Mark—David E. Garland
The theology of Luke & Acts—Darrell L. Bock
The theology of John—Andreas J. Köstenberger
The theology of Paul—Douglas J. Moo
The theology of Hebrews—George H. Guthrie
The theology of Peter, James, and Jude—Thomas R. Schreiner
The theology of Revelation—Andreas J. Köstenberger and Alan S. Bandy

Here’s another forthcoming work form Zondervan that looks good:

The Bible among Other Myths
Unique Revelation or Just Ancient Literature?
John N. Oswalt

Sixty years ago, biblical scholars typically maintained that Israel’s religion was unique, that it stood in marked contrast to the faiths of its ancient Near Eastern neighbors. But nowadays it is widely affirmed that Israelite religion mirrors that of other West Semitic societies. What accounts for this radical change, and what are its implications for our understanding of the Old Testament?

Dr. John N. Oswalt says theological and philosophical convictions account for this new attitude among scholars, rather than a revision to the data itself. Its roots lie in the Western world’s increasing hostility to the idea of revelation. Revelation, which presupposes a reality that transcends the world of the senses, is objectionable to people because it assumes the existence of a realm over which they have no control.

Oswalt makes a detailed comparison of the Old Testament and the other ancient Near Eastern religions. While not advocating a “the Bible says it, and I believe it, and that settles it” point of view, he asserts convincingly that the Bible’s historical claims cannot be disassociated from its theological claims.

This thought provoking book supplies a necessary corrective to rejecting the Old Testament’s testimony about a transcendent God who breaks into time and space and reveals himself in and through human activity. Instructors will find it to be an ideal supplemental textbook for courses covering the Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern backgrounds.

[see 2008 catalog, p. 16]

Zondervan announced today the availability of their Fall Academic Catalog.

Once of the more interesting features the description of the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament [see p. 6-7 of the catalog].

“This generation has been blessed with an abundance of excellent
commentaries. The key question to ask is, what are you looking for in
a commentary? This commentary series might be for you if
• you have taken Greek and would like a commentary that would
help you apply what you have learned without assuming you are
a well-trained scholar;
• you would find it useful to see a concise, one- or two- sentence
statement of what the commentator thinks the main point of
each passage is;
• you would like help interpreting the words of Scripture without
getting bogged down in scholarly issues that seem irrelevant to
the life of the church;
• you would like to see a visual representation (a graphical display)
of the flow of thought in each passage;
• you would like expert guidance from solid Evangelical scholars
who set out to explain the meaning of the original text in the
clearest way possible and to help you navigate through the main
interpretive issues;
• you want to benefit from the results of the latest and best scholarly
studies and historical information that helps to illuminate
the meaning of the text;
• you would find it useful to see a brief summary of the key theological
insights that can be gleaned from each passage and some
discussion of the relevance of these for Christians today.”

Key Features and Distinctives
• A graphical display of each passage enables the reader to grasp quickly and accurately the main idea of the
text, its development, and supporting ideas.
• “Theology in Application” section follows the commentary proper and reflects on the overall theological
message of the passage and its function in the biblical book and biblical theology as a whole. Further, discussion
of how the passage should be understood and applied in the church today is also included.
• Identification and discussion of the main idea of each passage occurs in the graphical display, the introduction
to the passage, and the “Theology in Application” section. Few commentaries do this consistently.
• Responsible interaction with the Greek text ensures that the commentary remains understandable to pastors,
teachers, and students.
• Scholarly, yet accessible. Though certainly familiar with the best scholarly literature on their book, contributors
only present the most important findings when appropriate for their church-serving readers.

List of ZECNT Volumes
Matthew—Grant R. Osborne
Mark—Mark L. Strauss
Luke—David E. Garland
John—I . Howard Marshall
Acts—Eckhard J. Schnabel
Romans—Frank Thielman
1 Corinthians—Paul Gardner
2 Corinthians—Bruce W. Winter
Galatians—Thomas R. Schreiner
Ephesians—Clinton E. Arnold
Philippians—George H. Guthrie
Colossians & Philemon—David W. Pao
1 & 2 Thessalonians—Gary S. Shogren
1 &2 Timothy and Titus—Gregory K. Beale
Hebrews—Douglas J. Moo
James—Craig L. Blomberg & Mariam J. Kamell
1 Peter—Michael J. Wilkins
2 Peter & Jude—Robert W. Yarbrough
1–3 John—Karen H. Jobes
Revelation—Buist M. Fanning II

Based on the author several of these look to be worth getting. Schreiner on Galatians (along with proposed commentaries by Carson [PNTC] and Moo [BECNT]) should be good. I’ve liked most everything I’ve read by Theilman so far. Moo on Hebews is also exciting. And Fanning on Revelation means a new dispensationalist treatment of that book (does anyone know if he is Traditional or Progressive?).

Today I received my Readers Hebrew Bible. As I was looking through it I was struck that my home contains not only multiple Bibles (I have a Bible I use for church, a Bible I use for devotions, Bibles I use at work, and a Bible I use for chapel), and not only multiple translations of God’s Word, but also multiple copies of Scripture in the original languages.

Surely many Christians in the western world have contemplated this blessing many times. It is a blessing worth thinking about, and blessing worth thanking the Lord for.