Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

15 Accessible Books by Historian Paul Maier

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maierPaul L. Maier (b. 1930) is a Lutheran scholar on the history of Christianity. He is Emeritus Professor of Ancient History at Western Michigan University, where he taught for 53 years (1958–2011). I highly recommend his work. Here are some of his more accessible works.

8 Books on the History of Early Christianity

Pilate

Pontius Pilate: A Novel. 3rd ed. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2014. This “documentary novel” depicts the New Testament world in a relatively entertaining way. Reading this genre engages a different part of your brain and encourages you to envision the world of the New Testament more vividly. It makes you think and feel in ways that are virtually impossible by reading only encyclopedia-type summaries of the New Testament’s historical-cultural context. This book is so valuable that I require students to read it for a graduate course I teach called “New Testament Background and Message.” Maier writes from Pontius Pilate’s vantage point, starting with Pilate’s political life in Rome and appointment as prefect in Judea (AD 26) and continuing through the murder of Jesus (which Maier calculates as 33), the death of Tiberius (37), the assassination of Caligula (41), and the beginning of the reign of Claudius (41–54). The overall plot and every proper name in the book are historically accurate, and Maier fills in this factual skeleton with colorful fictional details. He reconstructs many events from the Gospels and Acts from the viewpoint of an educated, unbelieving Roman prefect. [Read more…] about 15 Accessible Books by Historian Paul Maier

Ask Pastor John

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apjI just caught up listening to all the Ask Pastor John episodes (900+ now). John Piper and the host, Tony Reinke, serve us well. I benefit especially from the well-reasoned rubber-meets-the-road practical theology.

Here’s a sampling of 13 episodes that stand out:

  1. Choosing a Seminary (Episode 89) [Cf. What, how, and why we teach.]
  2. On Ghostwriters (Episode 129)
  3. Bible Memory as Ministry to Others (Episode 131) [Cf. Why and How to Memorize an Entire Book of the Bible.]
  4. Should Christians Use the Pill? (Episode 230) [Cf. Should Christians Use Contraceptives?]
  5. Tattoos in Biblical Perspective (240)
  6. Six Reasons to Skip Tattoos (241) [Cf. “Should you get a tattoo,” in Conscience, pp. 73–75.]
  7. Ghostwriting and Research Assistants (Episode 245)
  8. Pornography and Resisting the Power of Temptation (Episode 291) [Cf. The Best Book on Sexual Purity.]
  9. Should Christians Watch ‘Game of Thrones’? (Episode 368) [Cf. Piper’s article.]
  10. How John Piper Writes Books (Episode 582) [Cf. “Window into Piper’s Writing,” a 6-minute DG video with shots of Piper’s home and study—embedded below.]
  11. How Do You Use Your iPhone and iPad in Christian Growth? (Episode 828)
  12. Ten Principles for Personal Productivity (Episode 839) [Cf. posts I’ve tagged as “work.”]
  13. A Short History of Bible Clutter (Episode 888; Paauw—not Piper) [Cf. Re 3 Unusual Tips for Better Bible Reading.]

https://vimeo.com/168993041

Are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Only for Churches?

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baptismThat’s question 4 in this book:

John S. Hammett. 40 Questions about Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. 40 Questions. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2015.

(I love the 40 Questions series. It’s clear, concise, and thoughtful.)

So it is proper to baptize a child in, say, a bathtub in a family’s private home? Or to observe the Lord’s Supper when hanging out with a few Christian friends at the beach? Or for a Christian school to practice baptism or the Lord’s Supper in chapel? Here’s how Hammett concludes his answer to the question “Are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Only for Churches?” (p. 44, formatting added): [Read more…] about Are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper Only for Churches?

Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9–15

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womenCrossway recently released this book’s third edition:

Andreas J. Köstenberger and Thomas R. Schreiner, eds. Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9–15. 3rd ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016.

In 2009 I reviewed the book’s second edition. [Read more…] about Women in the Church: An Interpretation and Application of 1 Timothy 2:9–15

When people are skittish over complementarianism, apologizing for it, I know they are probably thinking about authority in a wrong way.

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deverBelow is an insightful excerpt from Mark Dever, Discipling: How to Help Others Follow Jesus, 9Marks (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016), 101–3. I bolded the most punchy paragraph and underlined the sentence that made me laugh out loud. So true.

7. Encourage Godly Authority [Read more…] about When people are skittish over complementarianism, apologizing for it, I know they are probably thinking about authority in a wrong way.

Don Carson on How Knowing the Bible Does Not Automatically Make You More Holy

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worshipD. A. Carson, “I Am the Truth,” in The God We Worship: Adoring the One Who Pursues, Redeems, and Changes His People, ed. Jonathan L. Master (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2016), 157–58:

Knowledge of the Word does not sanctify us by mere education. I have now lived long enough and have belonged to enough professional biblical societies that there are not many front-rank New Testament scholars in the world whom I have not met. Some of them are very brilliant minds indeed. [Read more…] about Don Carson on How Knowing the Bible Does Not Automatically Make You More Holy