Koinonia

Extra-Curricular Activities 05.25.13

How to Engage and Study Doctrine in the Local Church

How can we engage and study doctrine in the local church? Hear insights from Michael Horton, J. D. Greear, Justin Buzzard, and moderator Kevin DeYoung in this video – the Zondervan Panel from the 2013 Gospel Coalition National Conference.

[Image from Vimeo.com]

Gary Manning - No Stone Left Unturned: Solving a Minor Mystery 

“it turns out that, while the Greek word for stone (λίθος) is common, the phrase ‘stone upon stone’ (λίθος ἐπὶ λίθον) is rare. It is only found in Jesus’ Temple saying and in Haggai 2:15. When tracking the use of the OT in the NT, the rarer a word or phrase is, the more likely that it is an intentional allusion.”

Tim Gombis - Evangelicals & the Bible, Part 4 [and Part 5]

“I was struck that some students weren’t necessarily trying to understand notions in Scripture and integrate them with aspects of lives. Their first concern was to know what to say in conversations or debates with others.”

David Neff with Jamie Smith - You Can't Think Your Way to God 

“The core of the person is what he or she loves, and that is bound up with what they worship—that insight recalibrates the radar for cultural analysis. The rituals and practices that form our loves spill out well beyond the sanctuary. Many secular liturgies are trying to get us to love some other kingdom and some other gods.”

Roger Olson - Where the Devil is Satan (in Contemporary Christianity)?

“We are, it seems to me, extremely uncomfortable with believing in Satan or demons—except perhaps as personifications of the evil that humans do. But it seems to me that’s very difficult to do while attempting to take the New Testament seriously. Satan is all over in it; he’s a major player, a significant character in the narrative.” 

Sharon Hodde Miller - The Seminary Gender Gap

“not every woman is called to seminary—no more than every man is called. But if we believe that theological education is an important way to train leaders and guard the integrity of Christian belief, then the skewed gender ratio at evangelical seminaries should give us pause.”

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Extra-Curricular Activities is a weekly roundup of stories on biblical interpretation, theology, and issues where faith and culture meet. We found each story interesting, thought-provoking, challenging, or useful in some way – but we don't necessarily agree with or endorse every point in every story. 

If you have any comments on these stories, we welcome you to share them here. We hope you enjoy!

- The Editors of Koinonia Blog

And the winners are...?

Congrats to Chris Nyland and Chuck Mellen, who were randomly selected as this week’s winners! Chris and Chuck will each receive a copy of From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya by Ruth Tucker.

Thank you to everyone who participated this week. If you would like to learn more about From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya you can read an excerpt here, and it is available for purchase here or at your favorite bookstore.

What Has the Nile To Do With the Withywindle? Reading Isaiah Attentively

Guest post by Emily Varner of AcademicPS.com.

When my devotional Bible reading landed me in the book of Isaiah, I decided to take the opportunity to read it alongside the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Isaiah. Since the material on Isaiah now exists on its own—separated from its grouping in the hefty hardcover volume that covers multiple books—it finally seemed like the right format for helping me slow down and pay better historical attention to the text without feeling like I was preparing a research paper.

This exercise has startled me, not merely with nuggets of understanding about Isaiah, but through conviction about how lazy my Bible reading has become. Rather than dig deeper into textual elements I didn't understand, I had perfected the skill of skimming over them.

Prophetic literature in particular can start to feel like the Lord of the Rings books—especially their longer poetic portions—except that finding a foothold through prophetic literature can prove even more challenging than keying into the next plot element of a great story. And readers miss so much in the process. I don't regret much allowing the words of Tom Bombadil wash over me, to be forgotten as soon as I read them. But applying this reading strategy to the Bible is a setup for trouble.

On one hand, I will gladly promote glossing over as a preferable error to asserting mistaken assumptions about a text. But reading Scripture in this default mode for too long stunted my ability to understand Isaiah's profound message about God's ways and work long ago: God simultaneously aligned with the military conquests of pagan nations while calling God's chosen people to hope, to difference, and to submission to God's ways and will.

And though I still have questions about exegeting prophetic literature in relation to the future, failing to consult historical background resources undoubtedly brings overly ahistorical, apocalyptic, or futuristic visions of God's word rushing into the void. Be very frightened when your Bible reading suggests an interpretation with little relevance to people in much different political, economic, and cultural circumstances than your own. I knew this much, but had been avoiding the cure.

Wednesday Giveaway - From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya

This week's giveaway is a classic text on missions history, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya. 

In this book author Ruth Tucker guides readers through the 2,000-year story of Christian missions by focusing on the real life examples of missionaries throughout history.

Her biographical approach to history means we see these men and women as fallible and human, in their failures as well as their successes. 

This second edition emphasizes missions in the modern era, including chapters focused on the Muslim world, Third World missions, and a comparison of missions in Korea and Japan. It also contains new graphics, photographs, and both a general and an “illustration” index where readers can easily locate particular missionaries, stories, or incidents.

From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya is a compelling and informative book, and an important resource for missionaries, mission agencies, students, and all who are concerned about the spreading of the gospel throughout the world.

To enter the giveaway, comment below with your answer to this question: Is there a missionary whose story you find particularly fascinating or inspirational?

Also, a bonus entry is available if you comment a second time letting us know that you shared a link to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog.

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*If you are reading this via Facebook, email, or RSS, please visit the blog to enter. Two winners will be determined by Random Integer Generator. Giveaway ends midnight Thursday EDT. Due to the cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to contestants in the US.*

Is the subjunctive “shall” or “might”? - John 3:16 (Monday with Mounce 188)

I was asked about the subjunctive in John 3:16. The concern was that the NIV/NLT reads “shall,” which makes it a promise of salvation. His contention is that the subjunctive makes it a “condition of salvation” and it should be translated as “may,” and the Greek grammar does not “allow” the translation “shall.”

First of all, let’s have a little humility. To say that two major translations mistranslate a famous verse, choosing a translation that the Greek does not “allow,” is quite a claim.

Is it possible for two major translations to make a major mistake? Sure. I think that translating οὕτως in John 3:16 as “so” is precisely that. But is it possible that two major translations violate Greek grammar in the same verse? Highly unlikely.

Please people. Be very careful before claiming that major translations have chosen a translation that the Greek (or Hebrew) does not allow. You may disagree. You may not like it. But to claim that the translators violate Greek grammar requires too much hubris.

The NIV reads, “For God so loved the world that (ὥστε) he gave his one and only Son, that (ἵνα) whoever believes in him shall not perish (ἀπόληται) but have (ἔχῃ) eternal life.”

Why are ἀπόληται and ἔχῃ in the subjunctive?

Extra-Curricular Activities 05.18.13

Roger Olson - Is the Bible Unclear? A Guide for the Perplexed

“I don’t think the Bible is all that unclear if read and studied properly, that is, reasonably–recognizing the Bible for what it is… not a source book of propositional answers to curious questions but a complex narrative written and compiled by human authors led by but not over ridden by the Holy Spirit.”

Michael Kruger - The Difference Between Original Autographs and Original Texts

“Generally speaking, we can have confidence that the words we read are the words of the original authors. ”

[Image from The Archaeological Study Bible]

Ben Witherington - The Love Commandment in the NT, Part Two

“Sometimes we talk about whole-heartedly loving God, and while that is a good thing, Jesus had something far more profound in mind.”

Thaddeus Williams - The Secret to Becoming Irrelevent: Spend All Your Time Trying to Be Relevant

“In Derrick’s own words, ‘Whatever the world can do, Christians can do ten years later and worse...' The big irony was how so many of these Christian endeavors were aimed precisely at being relevant to guys like Derrick. The harder the church tried to be relevant, the more irrelevant she became.” 

Ecclesia and Ethics – An Interview with Mariam Kamell

Extra-Curricular Activities is a weekly roundup of stories on biblical interpretation, theology, and issues where faith and culture meet. We found each story interesting, thought-provoking, challenging, or useful in some way – but we don't necessarily agree with or endorse every point in every story.

If you have any comments on these stories, we welcome you to share them here. We hope you enjoy!

- The Editors of Koinonia Blog

And the winners are...?

Congrats to Bryan and Kathy, who were randomly selected as this week’s winners and will each receive a copy of Show Them No Mercy. 

You can read an excerpt from this Counterpoints book here, and it is available for purchase here or at your favorite bookstore.

Just in Time for Pentecost - the Acts Commentaries eBook Sale!

“The experience of Pentecost is the key that unlocks the book of Acts.” -Ajith Fernando, NIV Application Commentary: Acts With the church's commemoration of Pentecost Sunday just around the corner (May 19, 2013), we're thinking about Pentecost and its significance. We're also excited to present a great deal on Acts eBook commentaries from Zondervan. For a limited time, get the eBook commentaries below for only $7.99 each! You may know the Pentecost event in Acts 2 marks the fulfillment of Christ's promise of the Holy Spirit. As Fernando notes, the Pentecost event signals "that we as believers have a new power for ministry," and it signals "the breaking of barriers that have separated the human race since Babel." So, as Fernando notes, it's appropriate that the Acts 2 event takes place in Jerusalem during the Jewish harvest festival of Pentecost – when people from the ends of the earth were gathered together! (The term Pentecost is derived from the Greek, pentecoste [fiftieth], a harvest festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after the Passover.) The assortment of commentaries below on Acts, John-Acts, and Luke-Acts will help you in your personal study, preaching, and teaching. And, since you'll save up to 77%, now is the perfect opportunity to add these eBooks to your digital library. Sale ends Monday, May 27 (2013)
	NIV Application Commentary: Acts by Ajith Fernando Special Price: $7.99 | Was: $24.99 This NIV Application Commentary will help you with both halves of the interpretive task: discover the ancient messages of Acts, and how it speaks powerfully today. Buy now: Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Find More Retailers
	Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: John - Acts General Editor: Clinton E. Arnold. Authored by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Clinton E. Arnold. Special Price: $7.99 | Was: $28.99 Brimming with lavish, full-color photos and graphics, this eBook will snap the world of the New Testament into gripping immediacy. Walk through John and Acts, verse by verse. Buy now: Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Find More Retailers
	The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Revised Edition: Luke - Acts General Editors: Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland. Authored by Walter L. Liefeld and David W. Pao, Robert H. Mounce, and Richard N. Longenecker. Special Price: $7.99 | Was: $35.99 This revision of the Gold Medallion Award-winning commentary series is up to date in its discussion of theological and critical issues and thoroughly evangelical in its viewpoint. The thoroughly revised features consist of a comprehensive introduction, a detailed outline, insightful exposition of passages and verses, overviews of sections of Scripture to illumine the big picture, and much more. Buy now: Amazon | Apple | Barnes & Noble | ChristianBook.com | Find More Retailers

Enter your email address, get a FREE 49-page excerpt from Eckhard Schnabel's Zondervan Exegetical Commentary of the New Testament: Acts!

You will also receive Academic Update, the free monthly email newsletter on academic resources from Zondervan. You may unsubscribe at any time.

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Wednesday Giveaway - Show Them No Mercy

In this week’s giveaway, Show Them No Mercy, four contributors discuss evangelical views on genocide in the Old Testament.

These difficult passages are often seen as in tension with other Biblical texts, especially when contrasted with Jesus’ teachings in the New Testament. And while the challenge such accounts pose, ethically, theologically, and hermeneutically, are significant, all four contributors affirm those accounts as the word of God, and so are committed to wrestling with that tension.

In typical Counterpoints format, this book explores four distinct views about the Old Testament command of God to exterminate the Canaanite population, as well as what that implies about continuity between the Old and New Testaments.

Those four points of view are: 

* Strong Discontinuity - C . S. Cowles

* Moderate Discontinuity -Eugene H. Merrill

* Spiritual Continuity - Tremper Longman III

* Eschatological Continuity - Daniel L. Gard

To enter the giveaway, comment below and tell us why you would be interested in winning Show Them No Mercy. 

Also, a bonus entry is available if you comment a second time letting us know that you shared a link to this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter, or your blog.

_________________               

*If you are reading this via Facebook, email, or RSS, please visit the blog to enter. Two winners will be determined by Random Integer Generator. Giveaway ends midnight Thursday EDT. Due to the cost of international shipping, this giveaway is only open to contestants in the US.*

The Imperfect and Aktionsart (Monday with Mounce 187)

I am beginning to think that the imperfect is perhaps one of the more subtle tenses, and one whose full significance is most often overlooked.

Sunday school last week was on Mark 8:14-21. Jesus just finished the Feeding of the 4,000, and as they are traveling across the lake he says, “’Be careful,’ Jesus warned (διεστέλλετο) them. ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod’” (NIV; cf. also NLT).

διεστέλλετο is imperfect, but there is no way someone would understand this from “warned,” which sounds more like an aorist. Other translations include “cautioned” (ESV, NRSV), “commanded” (HCSB), “ordered” (NET), and “charged” (KJV).

France comments, “The imperfect tense of διεστέλλετο suggests that Jesus’ warning against the Pharisees and Herod is not an isolated and unprovoked exclamation, as might at first appear, but rather a summary of a more extended discourse” (315).

I haven’t discussed the concept of “Aktionsart” in previous blogs, but maybe here is a good opportunity to say something. Wallace comments, “aspect and time constitute the ‘ontological meaning’ or unaffected meaning of a given tense in the indicative” (514). It is a meaning that never actually occurs but is only theoretical.

Meaning is communicated in more ways than time and aspect, and when we see a verb in a certain tense with a certain aspect, there are other factors that determine its meaning. This is Aktionsart.