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Andy Naselli

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hermeneutics

Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views

September 3, 2012 by Andy Naselli

Another helpful debate-book:

Stanley E. Porter and Beth M. Stovell, eds. Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views.  Spectrum Multiview Books. Downers Grove: IVP, 2012. 224 pp. 20-page sample PDF.

It’s not a typical debate-book format because the five views are not mutually exclusive. They overlap. Thus, Craig Blomberg writes,

As I suspected when I saw the lineup of contributors and viewpoints for this book, I found much more to agree with than to disagree with in these chapters. As I noted in my position essay, I do not wish to argue for a historical-critical/grammatical approach to the exclusion of all other approaches but for the historical-critical/grammatical approach as the necessary foundation for these other approaches. Various comments each of the other four contributions makes suggest that they either agree or should agree with this assertion, if they are consistent with what they have written. I can happily support much of what each additional perspective contributes on top of this foundation, although there are a few places where I must demur. (p. 133) [Read more…] about Biblical Hermeneutics: Five Views

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: Craig Blomberg, hermeneutics

Progressive Covenantalism: A Via Media between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism

August 24, 2012 by Andy Naselli

gentry-wellumLast week I finished plowing through this ambitious 848-page book:

Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum. Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants. Wheaton: Crossway, 2012.

The book argues for a via media between covenant theology and dispensationalism that the authors call progressive covenantalism (similar to new covenant theology).

Wellum and Gentry routinely distinguish their view from each of the two major systems in a distinctive way: [Read more…] about Progressive Covenantalism: A Via Media between Covenant Theology and Dispensationalism

Filed Under: Biblical Theology Tagged With: baptism, dispensationalism, hermeneutics, OT in the NT, Stephen Wellum

How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens

February 8, 2012 by Andy Naselli

I’ve been dipping in and out of this book for the last few weeks, and I’m impressed:

Michael Williams. How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012.

It’s concisely lists four items for each book of the Bible:

  1. “the overarching theme”
  2. “how that theme ultimately finds its focus in Jesus Christ” and “how this focus in Christ is subsequently elaborated upon in the New Testament” (i.e., “The Jesus Lens”)
  3. “what that fulfillment in Christ must necessarily entail for believers” (i.e., “Contemporary Implications”)
  4. “ways to communicate those entailments to others effectively” (i.e., “Hook Questions”). (p. 10)

Williams adds,

Available spring of 2012! The course from which this book arose will be available online to visitors at https://www.calvinseminary.edu/continuingEd/openCourse.php. Enjoy a video presentation of the details of each biblical book with music, images, author narration, and in-depth analysis. (p. 10)

[Read more…] about How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: hermeneutics

A Book with Lots of Endorsements

December 26, 2011 by Andy Naselli

This new book has fourteen pages of endorsements (counting the back cover):

Andreas J. Köstenberger and Richard D. Patterson. Invitation to Biblical Interpretation: Exploring the Hermeneutical Triad of History, Literature, and Theology. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011. 891 pp.

Fourteen pages of endorsements. You can view thirteen of those pages here in a 77-page sample PDF.

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: hermeneutics

Reading the Bible without Chapter and Verse Numbers

September 28, 2011 by Andy Naselli

[I]t is important to remember that the Reformers did not break the epistles down into verses in the way that we do (verses were not invented until about 1550, after Luther’s death!) and were struck by the force of their overall argument more than perhaps we tend to be. To appreciate them it is useful to read the epistles straight through, without paying too much attention to the internal divisions, and feel the impact.

—Gerald Bray

Related:

  1. Review of Christopher R. Smith, The Beauty Behind the Mask: Rediscovering the Books of the Bible. Themelios 34 (2009): 109–10.
  2. Review of The Books of the Bible. Themelios 34 (2009): 108–9.
  3. Review of The Story: Read the Bible as One Seamless Story from Beginning to End. Themelios 34 (2009): 106–7.

Video:

 

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: hermeneutics

Two Ways to Read the Bible

September 16, 2011 by Andy Naselli

Mike Bullmore, The Gospel and Scripture: How to Read the Bible  (The Gospel Coalition Booklets; Wheaton: Crossway, 2011), 16–17 (formatting added):

The Bible is endlessly interesting because it is God’s story, and God by nature is himself endlessly interesting. . . .

There are actually many methods of reading the Bible, and because the Bible is inexhaustible, many methods can prove fruitful. However, we are not so much concerned here with what might be called “methods” as we are with what we can call “approaches.” Two main approaches to the Bible usefully unlock its treasure, which is the gospel.

  1. Reading the Bible as Continuous Narrative (or History) . . . .
  2. Reading the Bible as a Compendium of God-Inspired Perspectives (or Theology) . . . .

Whichever of these two ways the Bible is read, its message is the same. [Read more…] about Two Ways to Read the Bible

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: hermeneutics, Mike Bullmore

Mirror Reading

May 30, 2011 by Andy Naselli

Several years ago I took a class from an expert in Second Temple Judaism who made this argument on the first day of class:

The biblical text is always reacting against a certain set of assumptions, beliefs, or presuppositions, so when interpreting any biblical text, you must always ask, “What is this reacting against in its context?”

I raised my hand and asked follow-up questions to make sure I understood the argument correctly.

I wasn’t convinced then, and I’m not convinced now.

Here’s what three other New Testament scholars have written about this:

1. Bob Stein

Robert H. Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing by the Rules (2nd ed.; Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 205–6:

The Danger of a Mirror Reading of the Epistles

It is immediately apparent in reading the Epistles that their occasional nature assists the reader in reconstructing the situation in life for which they were written. [Read more…] about Mirror Reading

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: complementarianism, Doug Moo, hermeneutics

Interpreting the Pauline Epistles

April 25, 2011 by Andy Naselli

A good book just got better:

Thomas R. Schreiner. Interpreting the Pauline Epistles. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011.

From the preface to the 2nd edition (p. ix, line breaks added):

It is tempting to enlarge the book significantly, but I believe the book has continued to be read because of its brevity. Hence, the purpose of the revision is to update the book where necessary, especially in terms of bibliography.

The book has not changed dramatically, for I am still convinced that the substance of what I wrote some twenty years ago is correct. Nevertheless, the entire book has been revised, and there are some significant additions.

The original edition presented the diagrams in Greek but not in English, and thus English has been added to enable readers to understand diagramming conventions.

The most valuable chapter in this book—or at least the one that most strongly influenced me—is “Tracing the Argument” (pp. 97–124). It revolutionized how I read Paul.

Update: That chapter is available as a PDF (though it’s from the first edition, not the second).

Update on 3/31/2017: In my latest attempt to explain how to interpret and apply the Bible, I include a chapter on argument diagrams with a focus on phrasing (pp. 121–61).

Filed Under: Exegesis Tagged With: hermeneutics, Tom Schreiner

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God's Will and Making Decisions

How to Read a Book: Advice for Christian Readers

Predestination: An Introduction

Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Tracing the Argument of 1 Corinthians: A Phrase Diagram

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1433580349/?tag=andynaselli-20

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40 Questions about Biblical Theology

1 Corinthians in Romans–Galatians (ESV Expository Commentary)

How Can I Love Church Members with Different Politics?

Three Views on Israel and the Church: Perspectives on Romans 9–11

That Little Voice in Your Head: Learning about Your Conscience

How to Understand and Apply the New Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology

No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It's Harmful

Conscience: What It Is, How to Train It, and Loving Those Who Differ

NIV Zondervan Study Bible

Perspectives on the Extent of the Atonement

From Typology to Doxology: Paul’s Use of Isaiah and Job in Romans 11:34–35

Four Views on the Spectrum of Evangelicalism

Let God and Let God? A Survey and Analysis of Keswick Theology

Introducing the New Testament: A Short Guide to Its History and Message

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