Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Andy Naselli

Theology That Wounds Rather Than Heals

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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?

Jesus Storybook Bible Deluxe Edition

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A guest post by Jenni Naselli

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Our family was recently delighted to obtain The Jesus Storybook Bible, Deluxe Edition . Here’s what Andy and I wrote last year about this book in our review of theology books for kids:

Sally Lloyd-Jones. The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name. Illustrated by Jago. Grand Rapids: ZonderKidz, 2007. 352 pp. $16.99.

This is the most well written children’s book we have read. It brilliantly summarizes the Bible storyline from creation to the consummation, and it emphasizes Jesus and the gospel as the key to understanding the Bible’s storyline. The subtitle captures exactly what the book does: at the end of each story, Lloyd-Jones points ahead to the story’s fulfillment in Christ (though the pointing-ahead theme seems slightly stretched for some of the stories). Lloyd-Jones acknowledges that she has “liberally borrowed” from her pastor, Tim Keller, “whose teaching informs every story” (p. 7). She skillfully crafts words that are captivating, making it hard to stop reading. Some readers may become so entrenched in the story that they will find themselves wishing that it is true (perhaps forgetting that this well written story is not a fairy tale) and then rejoicing that it is! The illustrations are simple, creative, and almost fanciful.

The deluxe edition enhances this excellent Bible-story book by adding the complete book on three audio CDs. We’ve already thoroughly enjoyed listening to several of the stories together as a family. The tracks are divided by story, and each story is approximately four minutes long—perfect for a young child’s shorter attention span. The stories are each read by British actor David Suchet.  Our family loves audiobooks, and we’re thrilled now to have The Jesus Storybook Bible audiobook!

Bruce Ware on (1) God and (2) Parenting

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Bruce Ware preached two superb sermons at my church on Sunday:

1. The morning sermon was on God, primarily as described in Isaiah 40–46: “‘There Is No One Besides Me: Biblical Foundations for the Centrality of God.” Towards the end he insightfully and clearly explains a very hard text: Isaiah 45:7.

2. The evening sermon was on parenting: “How to Bring Big Truths about God to the Young Hearts of Our Children” (outline included). There’s lots of wisdom here to supplement Ware’s Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God, which Jenni and I reviewed last year.

Logos 4

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My favorite Bible software just got better: Logos Bible Software 4.0 launches today!

If you already use the Libronix Digital Library System, then you’ve probably been using Logos 3. How does Logos 4 improve Logos 3? To name just three …

  1. It syncs with iPhones. If you use a Logos 4 base package (Windows or Mac), you can access most of the your books on your iPhone at no additional charge.
  2. It’s more efficient. It’s more intuitive; it’s much faster (as in Google-search fast); and it can accommodate multiple monitors.
  3. It’s better looking. Here’s a sample screen shot (click to enlarge):

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Learn more at Logos.com/4 and the Logos blog. Then if you have more questions (e.g., about upgrading), comment on the Logos blog or contact Logos by email or phone.

Note: There’s one notable hitch in the transition from Logos 3 to Logos 4. If you’ve marked up your books in Logos 3 (e.g., adding notes or highlighting), then those markings will not transfer to Logos 4 right away. But Bob Pritchett, President of Logos Bible Software, assured me last week that markings will transfer from Logos 3 to Logos 4 in about two weeks. New markings in Logos 4 will integrate with old markings in Logos 3. (Logos 3 and Logos 4 can run side by side without any issues.)

Regions on the Run

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Several of my friends have profited immensely from studying at Jerusalem College University, where they diligently study the land of the Bible with maps prepared by James M. Monson. I recently learned from his son, John Monson (an OT professor at TEDS), about this new edition:

James M. Monson with Steven P. Lancaster. Regions on the Run: Introductory Map Studies in the Land of the Bible. 3rd ed. Rockford, IL: Biblical Backgrounds, 2009. 40 pp.

This superb overview is also available in a three-product bundle.

From Monson’s website:

The land of the Bible is the “playing board of biblical history.” Much of the Bible’s most compelling teaching is embedded in events played out on this board.

Luther on Idolatry and Trust

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Martin Luther’s Large Catechism begins with a shrewd reflection on the first commandment:

“You are to have no other gods.”

That is, you are to regard me alone as your God. What does this mean, and how is it to be understood? What does “to have a god” mean, or what is God?

Answer: A “god” is the term for that to which we are to look for all good and in which we are to find refuge in all need. Therefore, to have a god is nothing else than to trust and believe in that one with your whole heart. As I have often said, it is the trust and faith of the heart alone that make both God and an idol. If your faith and trust are right, then your God is the true one. Conversely, where your trust is false and wrong, there you do not have the true God. For these two belong together, faith and God. Anything on which your heart relies and depends, I say, that is really your God.

—Martin Luther, Large Catechism, “[The First Part: The Ten Commandments],” The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (ed. Robert Kolb and Timothy J. Wengert; trans. Charles Arand, et al.; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2000), 386.

Luther proceeds to elaborate further on the relationship between idolatry and trust (386–92). You can read it via Google Books.

Two New 5-Volume Sets from Zondervan

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Zondervan has recently completed two full-color, five-volume reference works, and they look superb.

1. Revised Bible Encyclopedia

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Merrill C. Tenney, ed. Moisés Silva, revision editor. The Zondervan Encyclopedia of the Bible. Revised ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 5,616 pp. $279.99 retail.

Tenney edited the first edition in 1975: the Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible. “The present revised edition,” edited by Moisés Silva, a first-class biblical scholar, “seeks to preserve the original contributions as much as possible while at the same time updating the material to serve a new generation” (p. v).

Some features:

  • over 250 international contributors
  • over 7,500 articles on the Bible’s history, literature, and theology
  • nearly 2,000 colorful maps, illustrations, charts, and graphs

The introduction explains what’s new:

  • “Hundreds of brief new articles have been added.”
  • “Some twenty new in-depth articles have been commissioned, including ‘Apologetics’ (William Edgar), ‘Cartography, Biblical’ (Barry J. Beitzel), ‘Ebla’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Deuteronomic History’ (J. Alan Groves), ‘Ethics in the Old Testament’ (Alexander Cheung), ‘God, Biblical Doctrine of’ (John M. Frame), ‘Land, Theology of’ (Carl G. Rasmussen), ‘Pseudonymity’ (Stanley Porter), ‘Type, Typology’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Union with Christ’ (Richard B. Gaffin, Jr.), ‘Warrior, Divine’ (Tremper Longman III), ‘Wars, Jewish’ (J. Julius Scott, Jr.).”
  • “Various existing articles have been totally rewritten (e.g., ‘Greek Language,’ ‘Septuagint’).”
  • “Others have received substantive updating, such as ‘Archaeology’ (Richard S. Hess), ‘Biblical Criticism’ (Grant R. Osborne), ‘Dead Sea Scrolls’ (Martin G. Abegg, Jr.), ‘Versions of the Bible, English’ (Mark L. Strauss).”
  • “All other articles have been carefully reviewed and, when necessary, corrected; frequently, new material has been added alerting the reader to developments in the field.”
  • “Special effort has been expended to make bibliographic references more current. Many hundreds of new titles have been included, with emphasis on publications from 1990 through 2007.”
  • “All biblical quotations, unless otherwise noted, come from the NIV.”
  • “A special effort has been made to bring about greater consistency among the articles” in both format (e.g., “a standard outline system”) and content. “Except in the case of articles that bear a new signature, all differences between the original and revised editions of this work are the responsibility of the revising editor.”

The target audience for this encyclopedia is wide: families, pastors, teachers, and students, both libraries and individual study.

2. OT Backgrounds Commentary

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John H. Walton, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Old Testament. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2009. 2,928 pp. $249.95 retail.

Walton’s OT set is the counterpart to Clint Arnold’s NT set:

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Clinton E. Arnold, ed. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: New Testament. 4 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002. 1,924 pp. $159.95 retail.

Some features of the OT set:

  • thirty international authors
  • commentary on the entire OT in light of archeology, history, geography, and manners and customs
  • over 2,000 photographs, drawings, maps, diagrams, and charts
  • 12,000 endnotes

The target audience for this set is also wide. It’s definitely geared more for laypeople than Bible scholars.

Here are the books (in the order listed in the series) and commentators:

  1. Genesis: John H. Walton
  2. Exodus: Bruce Wells
  3. Leviticus: Roy E. Gane
  4. Numbers: R. Dennis Cole
  5. Deuteronomy: Eugene E. Carpenter
  6. Joshua: Richard S. Hess
  7. Judges: Daniel I. Block
  8. Ruth: Dale W. Manor
  9. 1 Samuel: V. Philips Long
  10. 2 Samuel: V. Philips Long
  11. 1 Kings: John Monson
  12. 2 Kings: Iain Provan
  13. 1 Chronicles: Simon Sherwin
  14. 2 Chronicles: Frederick J. Mabie
  15. Ezra and Nehemiah: Edwin M. Yamauchi
  16. Esther: Anthony Tomasino
  17. Isaiah: David W. Baker
  18. Jeremiah: Steven Voth
  19. Lamentations: Paul W. Ferris Jr.
  20. Ezekiel: Daniel Bodi
  21. Daniel: Ernest C. Lucas
  22. Hosea: J. Glen Taylor
  23. Joel: Mark W. Chavalas
  24. Amos: Philip S. Johnston
  25. Obadiah: Alan R. Millard
  26. Jonah: John H. Walton
  27. Micah: Daniel M. Master
  28. Nahum: Alan R. Millard
  29. Habakkuk: Victor H. Matthews
  30. Zephaniah: Mark W. Chavalas
  31. Haggai: Kenneth G. Hoglund
  32. Zechariah: Kenneth G. Hoglund and John H. Walton
  33. Malachi: Andrew E. Hill
  34. Job: Izak Cornelius
  35. Psalms: John W. Hilber
  36. Proverbs: Tremper Longman III
  37. Ecclesiastes: Duane Garrett
  38. Song of Songs: Duane Garrett