Exegesis with Bock and Fanning

by | Dec 11, 2006 | Biblical Studies, Bookreviews, Uncategorized

I have recently been reading through Darrell L. Bock and Buist M. Fanning’s text Interpreting the New Testament Text. I am about half way through the book and have thoroughly enjoyed it. While not formally called a festschrift, the book is written in honor of long time New Testament professor Harold Hoehner. I will be writing a more lengthly and formal review of it later, but just to note, this looks like a very well-rounded, read and practically helpful text book on New Testament exegesis. I have thoroughly enjoyed the detail of chapters on the definition of exegesis, textual criticism and grammatical analysis. The chapter I have most benefited from and enjoyed thus far is that on “Sentence Diagramming, Clausal Layouts, and Exegetical Outlining: Tracing the Argument,” written by Jay Smith. In my experience over the past ten years, such diagramming (especially structural and block diagramming) is the single most important disciplines one can employ in finding and tracing the author’s main point and intention n a given NT text. I have also been reminded that exegesis is not really exegesis if one is not personally delving consistently and deeply into the Greek New Testament. The book has put me on a course to strengthen my Greek exegetical skills and pay closer attention in my weekly exegetical sessions in my sermon preparation. I can remember the days of using the word “exegesis” without any working knowledge of Greek or Hebrew. How foolish. I have been made even more aware of how foolish I can still be to throw the term around with even the small amount of training I...

Adrian and Grudem 3

by | Dec 8, 2006 | Interviews, Uncategorized

Here is part 3 of Adrian’s interview with Wayne Grudem – this time on the complementarian issue and evangelical feminism. Adrian’s Blog: INTERVIEW – Wayne Grudem, Part Three – Evangelical Feminism: A New Path to...

Driscoll’s Dress

by | Oct 26, 2006 | Uncategorized

Dear Abby: Can I wear my swim trunks to church? | TheResurgence The issue of how we dress when we go to church is second in its verbal volatility only to that of “shall we sing with or without a drum set in the sanctuary.” Mark Driscoll, a modern day seeker sensitive Calvinist mega church pastor, has commented on the subject of how we should dress in church. Through a quick read of his bullet-point responses, Pastor Driscoll is quite clear that he is very concerned about how people look on Sunday. His comments suggest that dressing formally at church is neither Christ-like nor is it a result of a pure heart of worship before the Lord. For example, Driscoll states: If God is our Father and the church is our family, should we view going to church services as a formal event or a family event? Could I not equally ask, “If God is the sovereign, most-high King of the universe and the church is his most valuable and prized treasure, should we view going to church services as informal pep-rally or banal sporting event? Driscoll further asks: Is the church building somehow a magical sacred space like the Old Testament Temple? Or is it simply a place where God’s people gather that is no more and no less sacred than the homes they live in, now that the Spirit has been released from the Holy of Holies into the whole earth? Again, I would ask, “Is he suggesting that the gathered church is not a sacred place and that the Holy Spirit’s presence is not in any...