Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Con Campbell’s Second Book on Verbal Aspect Released in Carson’s SBG Series

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Last August I posted on “Con Campbell’s Book on Verbal Aspect Released in Carson’s SBG Series.” His second volume, a companion to the first, is now hot off the press:

Constantine R. Campbell, Verbal Aspect and Non-Indicative Verbs: Further Soundings in the Greek of the New Testament (ed. D. A. Carson; Studies in Biblical Greek 15; New York: Lang, 2008), xiv + 155 pp.

Carson writes in the series editor’s preface,

One of the self-imposed limitations of Dr Campbell’s earlier volume in this series, Verbal Aspect, the Indicative Mood, and Narrative: Soundings in the Greek of the New Testament, was the restriction of the analysis to verbs in the indicative mood found in narrative settings. The book you now hold in your hand plugs part of that gap: Dr Campbell now does for the non-indicative verbs what he earlier did for the indicative. His approach is similar: judicious soundings, careful examination of the context, thoughtful translation—all couched in highly readable prose. The two volumes belong together, and together they establish one of the most credible (and certainly accessible) analyses of verbal aspect in the Greek of the New Testament. The issues are complex and frequently subtle, so inevitably grammarians will differ in their assessments of some elements of Dr Campbell’s presentation. Nevertheless this contribution is strong evidence (if more evidence is needed) that verbal aspect theory has come of age and cannot responsibly be ignored by New Testament scholars (pp. xi–xii).

Endorsements on the back cover are by Peter T. O’Brien (Campbell’s colleague at Moore Theological College) and Rodney J. Decker.

Related: Andrew David Naselli, “A Brief Introduction to Verbal Aspect in New Testament Greek,” Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 12 (2007): 17–28.

Mike Bullmore MP3s on 1 Cor 7

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My pastor, Dr. Mike Bullmore, is currently preaching through 1 Corinthians, and this morning he finished a sensitive, insightful, pastorally wise exposition of chapter 7.

  1. Marriage in God’s World (April 13, 2008)
  2. A Oneness That Glorifies God (1 Cor 7:1–7) (April 20, 2008)
  3. Glorifying God in Challenging Marital Situations (1 Cor 7:8–16, 39–40) (April 27, 2008)
  4. To Marry or Not to Marry: Singleness and the Glory of God (Part 1) (May 4, 2008)
  5. To Marry or Not to Marry (Part 2) (May 18, 2008)

Today’s sermon (#5 above) is particularly outstanding. Its target audience is older teenagers and their parents, but it is especially applicable to singles in their 20s, 30s, 40s, etc. Bullmore gives two reminders followed by five statements summarizing biblical priorities in preparing for marriage. Highly recommended!

Mike Bullmore’s preaching is like a combination of John Piper and C. J. Mahaney! More of his MP3s are available here, here, and here.

Charging the Mound: A Lesson in Hermeneutics

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My good friend Phil Gons was sitting just a couple rows directly behind home plate in Seattle on May 8 for the Mariners-Rangers game when 6′ 8” Richie Sexson charged the mound and the benches cleared. If all you saw was a replay of the pitch prior to his charging the mound, you might wonder why he did that; the fastball was right down the middle (although eye level). This video at MLB.com serves as a good lesson in biblical hermeneutics: context, context, context!

Collin Hansen Discusses “Young, Restless, Reformed”

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On April 24, 2008, Dr. Doug Sweeney and Collin Hansen discussed Hansen’s Young, Restless, Reformed: A Journalist’s Journey with the New Calvinists (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008). An MP3 of this discussion, sponsored by the Henry Center, is now available from the Henry Center’s media archive (MP3 | video).

I reviewed Hansen’s book in March for the forthcoming issue of Themelios (more on that later). Highly recommended!

“Logos in the Classroom”

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Dale Pritchett, Senior Vice President of Logos Bible Software, argues in “Logos in the Classroom” (PDF | MP3) that Bible colleges and seminaries are on the threshold of transitioning from print resources to electronic ones. This parallels other technological advances, e.g., from slide rule to calculator to computer or from records to cassette tapes to CDs to MP3s.

Logos Bible SoftwareHere are some excerpts:

  • “Last year Logos sold more than 5.2 million digital books. We have 9,000 books now available, and our goal is to release 2,000 additional titles every year.”
  • “We are, in reality, an extension—in some cases a replacement—for the bricks and mortar Bible college or seminary library. We have become the world’s largest producer of digital Bibles and academic Bible reference works. We have become an affordable alternative for standard, unabridged books representing more than 100 different publishers. We have become the tool of choice for writers and researchers. . . . We’re a useful resource for distance education and remote campuses. We’re a supplement for classroom demonstration. We are a fully linked, interactive seminary library on a notebook computer. We are, in short, the future today. And we’re totally digital right now. And that’s a good thing because the digital revolution is almost 30 years old.”

Cf. my two reviews of Logos products:

  1. Scholar’s Gold
  2. PNTC, BECNT, and NIGTC (three NT commentary series)

HT: Phil Gons

D. A. Carson: “The Wrath of God”

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Baker just published a collection of essays by theological heavyweights:

McCormack, Bruce L., ed. Engaging the Doctrine of God: Contemporary Protestant Perspectives. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2008.

Here are the contributors (corresponding to their chapter number):McCormack

  1. David F. Wright
  2. N. T. Wright
  3. D. A. Carson
  4. Paul Helm
  5. Oliver D. Crisp
  6. John Webster
  7. Henri A. Blocher
  8. Pierre Berthoud
  9. Stephen N. Williams
  10. Bruce L. McCormack
  11. Donald Macleod

Check out the Table of Contents in this ten-page PDF of the front matter and preface.

D. A. Carson’s essay “The Wrath of God” (pp. 37–63) is a must-read. Here’s just the skeleton of his argument:

[Read more…] about D. A. Carson: “The Wrath of God”

T4G 2008 MP3s

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All of the MP3s for the general sessions and panel discussions are now available for free downloads. Brief bios of the speakers are available here.

I’d recommend listening to these in order:

  1. Ligon Duncan: Sound Doctrine: Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry
  2. Panel Discussion 1: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  3. Thabiti Anyabwile: Bearing the Image: Identity, the Work of Christ, and the Church
  4. Panel Discussion 2: Anyabwile, Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  5. John MacArthur: The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability
  6. Mark Dever: Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology
  7. Panel Discussion 3: Dever, Duncan, MacArthur, Mahaney, Mohler
  8. R.C. Sproul: The Curse Motif of the Atonement
  9. Panel Discussion 4: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler, Sproul
  10. Albert Mohler: Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution
  11. Panel Discussion 5: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler
  12. John Piper: How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice
  13. Panel Discussion 6: Dever, Duncan, Mahaney, Mohler, Piper
  14. C.J. Mahaney: Sustaining a Pastor’s Soul

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