Two of my mentors are teaming up for a one-day conference in Ontario next month. Details here.

“Writing a book about the Bible is like building a sandcastle in front of the Matterhorn.”

That arresting analogy is the opening line to N. T. Wright’s The Last Word: Beyond the Bible Wars to a New Understanding of the Authority of Scripture. (Incidentally, it’s not the best sandcastle. Watch D. A. Carson knock it over [pp. 45–62].)

D. A. Carson, “Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: The Possibility of Systematic Theology,” in Scripture and Truth (ed. D. A. Carson and John D. Woodbridge; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1983), 81–82:

A 5,000-piece puzzle of “Neuschwanstein and Surroundings”

I am not saying that the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle of five thousand pieces and that all the five thousand pieces are provided, so that with time and thought the entire picture may be completed. Rather, I am suggesting that the Bible is like a jigsaw puzzle that provides five thousand pieces along with the assurance that these pieces all belong to the same puzzle, even though ninety-five thousand pieces (the relative figures are unimportant for my analogy) are missing. Most of the pieces that are provided, the instructions insist, fit together rather nicely; but there are a lot of gaping holes, a lot of edges that cry out to be completed, and some clusters of pieces that seem to be on their own. Nevertheless, the assurance that all of the pieces do belong to one puzzle is helpful, for that makes it possible to develop the systematic theology, even though the systematic theology is not going to be completed until we receive more pieces from the One who made it. And meanwhile, even some systematicians who believe that all the pieces belong to the same puzzle are not very adept puzzle players but sometimes force pieces into slots where they don’t really belong. The picture gets distorted somewhat, but it remains basically recognizable.

This book should be available in about one month (click the image to enlarge the back cover, spine, and front cover):

Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message. By D. A. Carson and Douglas J. Moo. Edited by Andrew David Naselli. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.

• This 160-page book abridges Carson and Moo’s 781-page An Introduction to the New Testament (2nd ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).
• You can pre-order it from Amazon and WTS Books.
• WTS Books includes a PDF with some sample pages (including the TOC).

Coming July 2010:

D. A. Carson. Collected Writings on Scripture. Wheaton: Crossway, 2010.

It reprints and slightly updates five essays and five reviews:

1. Approaching the Bible
2. Recent Developments in the Doctrine of Scripture
3. Unity and Diversity in the New Testament: The Possibility of Systematic Theology
4. Redaction Criticism: On the Legitimacy and Illegitimacy of a Literary Tool
5. Is the Doctrine of Claritas Scripturae Still Relevant Today?
6. Three Books on the Bible: A Critical Review
7. Three More Books on the Bible: A Critical Review
8. Review of Jeffrey L. Sheler, Is the Bible True?
9. Review of Alan G. Padgett and Patrick R. Keifert, eds., But Is It All True?
10. Review of Roland Boer, Rescuing the Bible

D. A. Carson’s next book comes out this month: Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus (Wheaton: Crossway, 2010).

It’s based on five sermons that Carson preached in December 2008:

1. The Ironies of the Cross (Matthew 27:27–51a)
2. The Center of the Whole Bible (Romans 3:21–26)
3. The Strange Triumph of a Slaughtered Lamb (Revelation 12)
4. A Miracle Full of Surprises (John 11:1–53)
5. Doubting the Resurrection of Jesus (John 20:24–31)

Over the past month or so, I’ve read over 300 books and articles (often only parts of them) about the book of Job for a dissertation chapter I just drafted. Here are three of the most edifying and accessible resources:

1. D. A. Carson. “Job: Mystery and Faith.” Pages 135–57 in How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006. [Amazon | WTS Books]

Penetrating insight, pastoral warmth.

2. Layton Talbert. Beyond Suffering: Discovering the Message of Job. Greenville, SC: Bob Jones University Press, 2007. [Amazon]

See my review.

3. Derek Kidner. “The Book of Job: A World Well Managed?” and “Job in Academic Discussion.” Pages 56–89 in The Wisdom of Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes: An Introduction to Wisdom Literature. Downers Grove: IVP, 1985. [Amazon | WTS Books]

Pithy.

Reflecting on Job 16–17, D. A. Carson observes,

There is a way of using theology and theological arguments that wounds rather than heals. This is not the fault of theology and theological arguments; it is the fault of the “miserable comforter” who fastens on an inappropriate fragment of truth, or whose timing is off, or whose attitude is condescending, or whose application is insensitive, or whose true theology is couched in such culture-laden clichés that they grate rather than comfort. In times of extraordinary stress and loss, I have sometimes received great encouragement and wisdom from other believers; I have also sometimes received extraordinary blows from them, without any recognition on their part that that was what they were delivering. Miserable comforters were they all.

Such experiences, of course, drive me to wonder when I have wrongly handled the Word and caused similar pain. It is not that there is never a place for administering the kind of scriptural admonition that rightly induces pain: justified discipline is godly (Heb. 12:5–11). The tragic fact, however, is that when we cause pain by our application of theology to someone else, we naturally assume the pain owes everything to the obtuseness of the other party. It may, it may—but at the very least we ought to examine ourselves, our attitudes, and our arguments very closely lest we simultaneously delude ourselves and oppress others.

–D. A. Carson, For the Love of God: A Daily Companion for Discovering the Riches of God’s Word (vol. 2; Wheaton: Crossway, 1999), entry for February 17. (This book is available for free as a PDF from TGC.)

I compiled lists of what to say and not to say to people who are suffering in an address on the logical and emotional problems of evil. Abbreviated forms of those two lists occur at the end of this four-page essay. Would you add anything to those lists?

This 160-page book abridges Carson and Moo’s An Introduction to the New Testament (2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005).

I’ll be blogging occasionally for The Gospel Coalition blog (RSS | email), and I’ll post future announcements about new D. A. Carson MP3s over there from now on.

For example, I just posted about Carson’s sermon on 3 John that he preached at my church last Sunday morning.

I just uploaded seven MP3s to the D. A. Carson archive. These are from the New Horizon conference held in Northern Ireland on July 18–24, 2009.

He preached a six-part series entitled “Enjoying God”:

• Part 1: Share Your Master’s Happiness (Matt 25:14-30) | MP3 | 43:01 min. | July 19, 2009
• Part 2: Rejoice to Suffer for the Name (Acts 5:41) | MP3 | 51:57 min. | July 20, 2009
• Part 3: He Loved Me and Gave Himself for Me (Gal 2:11-21) | MP3 | 56:33 min. | July 21, 2009
• Part 4: Rejoice in the Lord Always (Phil 4:4-20) | MP3 | 1:01:47 min. | July 22, 2009
• Part 5: Joy in the Triumph of Grace in Others (3 John) | MP3 | 1:03:33 min. | July 23, 2009
• Part 6: The Unqualified Joy of the God-Centered New Heaven and New Earth (Rev 21:1-22:5) | MP3 | 58:20 min. | July 24, 2009

And he gave a seminar:

• Proclaiming the Gospel and Performing Deeds of Mercy | MP3 | 59:14 min. | July 24, 2009

Cf. my summary of a similar lecture: “Carson on the Gospel and Social Action.”

Is antinomy a good word to describe the relationship between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility? It depends what you mean by antinomy.

D. A. Carson, How Long, O Lord? Reflections on Suffering and Evil (2d ed.; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2006), 201n13:

Owing to the popularity of the little book by J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, it has become common to designate the two truths, that God is utterly sovereign and human beings are morally responsible, as an antinomy. [Cf. my summary and outline of Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God.] But there is some confusion over the term, and a comment may help.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, an antinomy is: (1) “a contradiction in a law, or between two equally binding laws”; (2) “a contradictory law, statute, or principle; an authoritative contradiction”—and here an illustration is drawn from Jeremy Taylor, who in 1649 wrote that certain signs of grace “are direct antinomies to the lusts of the flesh”; (3) “a contradiction between conclusions which seem equally logical, reasonable, or necessary; a paradox; intellectual contrariness”—and this last meaning OED attributes to Kant.

Packer means none of these things. Continue Reading »

I recently uploaded a new MP3 to the D. A. Carson archive:

The Parable of the Good Samaritan Like 10:25-37 | MP3 | 63:45 min. | September 3, 2009 | preached at Fox Valley Bible Church

I just uploaded four new MP3s to the D. A. Carson archive. These are from the Evangelical Ministry Assembly conference held in London on June 24–26, 2009.

Carson preached a three-part series entitled “Prayer and Mission”:

• Part 1: Prayer Changes Things—Or Does It? (Exodus 32:1-14) | MP3 | June 24, 2009
• Part 2: Steady Prayer, Desperate Prayer, Private Prayer, Public Prayer (Exodus 32:15-35) | MP3 | June 25, 2009
• Part 3: Pray in Line with the Mind of God (Ephesians 3:14-21) | MP3 | June 26, 2009

Carson also was also interviewed for nearly fifty minutes by a lively British interviewer. The questions in the first sixteen minutes are personal, and the rest deal with various issues.

• Q & A at EMA | MP3 | June 26, 2009

I recently prepared a master Scripture index for the New Studies in Biblical Theology series edited by D. A. Carson. I combined the Scripture indexes into a single spreadsheet and placed an asterisk by each page number where there is a discussion rather than merely a reference or brief comment. This is an especially valuable resource for those who are working on individual texts and would like to consult substantive discussions in the NSBT series.

See the NSBT page hosted by The Gospel Coalition for the following:

1. more information on how to use the master Scripture index (i.e., a massive Excel spreadsheet)
2. Carson’s two-paragraph introduction to the NSBT series
3. Carson’s introduction to each voulme in the NSBT series

Below are the volumes in the series thus far:

1. David Peterson, Possessed by God: A New Testament Theology of Sanctification and Holiness (1995).

[Amazon | WTSBooks]

Continue Reading »

I recently compiled a comprehensive bibliography of D. A. Carson’s publications so that it could be hosted on Carson’s page at The Gospel Coalition’s site.

How the Bibliography Is Organized

The publications are listed chronologically under five categories by the date they were first published:

1. Books (currently 50 listed)
2. Articles (currently 237 listed)
3. Reviews (currently 112 listed)
4. Lyrics
5. Edited Series

Some of the books and articles are linked to Amazon.com, and others are linked to PDFs available for free on TGC site. Further, most of the articles and reviews are also linked to PDFs.

Note: (1) The PDFs may not be uploaded to other sites without written permission from the copyright holders. (2) I plan to continue updating the bibliography, so please let me know if you spot any errors such as typos or omissions.

Benefits of the Carson PDFs hosted by TGC

1. Number: The bibliography of Carson’s publications currently links to about 350 PDFs hosted on TGC site. The vast majority of them have not been available online previously. Continue Reading »

I just uploaded a new MP3 to the D. A. Carson archive:

“The Rich Man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31) | MP3 | preached on May 17, 2009 at College Church in Wheaton, IL

Now available as a 17-page PDF:

D. A. Carson. “The Scholar as Pastor.” A lightly edited manuscript that is the second part of a two-part address by John Piper and D. A. Carson entitled The Pastor as Scholar and the Scholar as Pastor. April 23, 2009 at Park Community Church in Chicago.

Audio and video is available from The Gospel Coalition.

Last week I uploaded some new MP3s to the D. A. Carson archive:

• Interview at New Word Alive | MP3 | 4/3/2009

• Psalm 2:7 and 2 Samuel 7:14 in Hebrews 1 | MP3 | 4/24/2009
• Psalm 95 in Hebrews 3–4 | MP3 | 4/25/2009
• Genesis 14 and Psalm 110 in Hebrews 7 | MP3 | 4/25/2009

I mentioned previously that I live-blogged this event.

Audio and video is now avaiable on DG’s site:

1. John Piper, “The Pastor as Scholar” (MP3 | video | manuscript)
2. D. A. Carson, “The Scholar as Pastor” (MP3 | video | manuscript forthcoming)
3. Q&A (MP3 | video)