Ridley Hall, Cambridge

Resources: Biblical Studies Bulletin 7

Vol 7: Mar 1998

Three of the Best

Each issue we invite someone to pick three books that have been most influential in their reading and study of the Bible. This issue, it's the turn of Revd Dr Derek Tidball, Principal of London Bible College...

Chris Wright, Living as the People of God, (IVP) was extremely helpful in unlocking how one approaches Old Testament ethics and applies it to the contemporary world.

Secondly, I would mention Gerd Theissen, The Social Setting of Pauline Christianity, (T&T Clark). In this collection of essays he gives us major hermeneutical tools for handling 1 Corinthians from a sociological perspective. He thus sets 1 Corinthians in a real life context rather than implying that every member of the church was a budding Oxbridge theology graduate who was only concerned with abstruse ideas. Theissen's work is an early example of a whole field of sociological approaches to the New Testament which help us to unlock some of the real life realities in our interpretation of it.

Thirdly, and most recently, I would point to Tom Wright's Jesus and the Victory of God. It is written with scholarly thoroughness but is extremely readable and even entertaining. It helps us to eavesdrop on the conversations being held by New Testament scholars about Jesus and reaches some commonsensical conclusions.

I am very conscious of my sins of omission. The name of Walter Brueggemann really ought to be in there somewhere as one of the most fertile Old Testament writers and someone who is a great stimulus for any preacher.

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Comments on Commentaries

An assessment of commentaries on a book of the Old & New Testament to keep you up to date with what will help in preaching and teaching in the local church.

Old Testament: Job

Commentaries on the book of Job come in all shapes and sizes; I shall mention three: massive, medium and modest.

a. Massive: Indispensable for serious study, but not for the faint-hearted is EDhorme's A Commentary on the Book of Job (French edition 1926! Trans. by H. Knight, Nelson, 1967). Don't be fooled by the datethis is magnificent work. A fine example of humane Jewish scholarship is R Gordis's The Book of Job (New York, 1978). Still more recent is David Cline's contribution to the Word series (on Job 1-20; 1989). It is admittedly eccentric at points (for example, by advocating a 'vegetarian' reading), but no reader can ignore it. Volume 2 is still awaited.

b. Medium: J E Hartley's The Book of Job (NICOT, 1986) is clear, readable and thorough. N C Habel's The Book of Job in the Old Testament Library series (SCM, 1985) is a marvellous commentary, sensitive to literary as well as theological aspect. MHPope's volume in the Anchor Bible (1973) provides useful material on the thought background to the book of Job.

c. Modest: F I Anderson's commentary in the Tyndale series (1976) is well argued and packs much learning into a small space. J C L Gibson's Daily Study Bible on Job (1985) is a hard-hitting and penetrating theological study. D Thomas's The Storm Breaks (Evangelical Press, 1995) is a useful study, especially for sermon preparation.

Those who want to sample some of the major commentaries will find extracts from these in R B Zuck (ed), Sitting with Job: Selected Studies on the Book of Job (Baker, 1992). For those with limited time and resources a combination of Habel and Thomas would be useful. If desperate, try How does God Treat His Friends? (Christian Focus, 1995) byer, Bob Fyall.

New Testament: 2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians reveals more about the character and ministry of Paul than any other epistle, yet it bristles with interpretative problems. For example, were 6.14-7.1 and chapters 10-13 part of the original text, or is the letter composite? Who were the offending brother and the opponents Paul writes about? Why is the letter so full of boasting, and is Paul being manipulative? Fortunately, help is available, although for a number of introductory issues there is no scholarly consensus. In writing my own 'potted' exposition for Bible Reading Fellowship (see News in Brief, below), I used the following works.

Although written 25 years ago, C K Barrett's volume in the Black's NT series is still one of the best for its clarity and exegetical insight. He thinks 10-13 belonged to a subsequent letter and that Paul's opponents were Judaizers. Victor Furnish's book in the Anchor Bible Series (1984) gives us a mine of information. He too separates 10-13 from the rest of the letter, as does Ralph Martin, whose Word Biblical Commentary (1986) is informative but slightly more difficult to use because of the series' format.

For very detailed exegesis of the Greek text, Margaret Thrall's contribution to the International Critical Commentary (2 vols; 1994 & forthcoming) will be a standard, although the earlier volume in the series by Alfred Plummer (1915) which Thrall replaces is still worthwhile. An Australian Anglican bishop, Paul Barnett has just produced a volume in the New International Commentary on the New Testament (1997), replacing an earlier one by P E Hughes. Barnett defends the integrity of the letter, and some readers will know his perspective from his more popular exposition in the Bible Speaks Today series (1988).

Several more affordable commentaries and expositions are available. Colin Kruse's Tyndale NT Commentary (IVP, 1987) offers concise, straightforward exegesis; he takes 10-13 to be a subsequent letter. Less conservative and more critical of Paul are Ernest Best (Interpretation series; John Knox Press, 1987) and Nigel Watson (Epworth commentaries, 1993), both of whom take 6.14-7.1 and chapters 10-13 to be originally separate. Linda Belleville (IVP New Testament Commentary) writes well and offers insights and illustrations from a thoughtful evangelical perspective. I haven't been impressed by many others in this new IVP series, but Belleville will be helpful to preachers. Like Barnett, she argues for the unity of the letter.

I also found helpful two works that are not commentaries. Frances Young and David Ford's Meaning and Truth in 2 Corinthians (SPCK, 1987) explore how the letter can speak to us despite our uncertainty about background issues; for the preacher who has time to delve, this book offers many insights. Larry Kreitzer (1996) has produced a helpful introduction to critical issues for serious students in his book for the Sheffield NT Guides series.

If I could only have three of these books in my library, I'd take Barrett, Furnish and Belleville.

News in Brief

• Every ten years or so the bishops in the Anglican Communion gather to confer at Lambeth. This summer they will be studying together the text of 2 Corinthians, and they are encouraging congregations to ponder with them the message of that letter. To that end, the Bible Reading Fellowship asked me to write Transforming Grace, a short book offering six weeks of daily study notes and questions for thought on 2 Corinthians. It will appear in print in April at a cost of £4.95, and could be used by individuals or by study groups.
• Cassell has just begun a Biblical Studies Series of paperbacks, the first of which is by Steve Moyise (Vice Principal of the St Albans and Oxford Ministry Course). His Introduction to Biblical Studies ( £9.99; ISBN 0-304-70091-6) looks to be a clear, fair and manageable introduction helpful for lay readers and those who wish to pursue serious and critical (in the best sense of the word) study of the Scriptures. The book is succinct (104 pages of text) and raises many important issues in a friendly and non-threatening way.
• David Aune's first volume on the book of Revelation (chapters 1-5) in the ICC series is now available. Although we had expected great things, preachers will be disappointed in this volume, which focuses more on the textual tradition than on its meaning.
• More useful is James Dunn's Theology of Paul (T & T Clark), which is now out.

Letters to the Editor

Norman Hillyer writes from Sherborne:

Ian Paul in BSB 6 asks for examples of using words from Greek as helpful illustrations in a teaching context. When Eph 2:10 defines Christians as God's workmanship, the Greek word is poiema, ancestor of the English poem, which suggests that believers are intended to live lives of beauty, rhythm and meaning.

Thanks for that. One of the best resources for insights from Greek words remains William Barclay's Daily Study Bible, and his New Testament Words is a classic.

In addition to offering some kind and encouraging words, Clifford Booth writes from Harrogate to supplement the survey of works on Isaiah in our last issue. He mentions J. Sawyer's The Fifth Gospel (Cambridge, 1996), J. Oswalt's volume in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament (1986), and a second volume by H. Wildberger now available, as well as forthcoming contributions by Francis Anderson in the New International Biblical Commentary series and John Goldingay in the International Critical Commentary series (on ch 40-55). Thanks!

Humour: Out of Context

Richard Martin from Dewsbury writes:

I thought people would be keen to hear that ice-cream jokes, so long the domain of OT studies (e.g. Walls of Jericho, Lion of Judah) have now reached NT scholars too. The US theologian J. Cone has, allegedly, pointed out that when Jesus taught, ice cream was common in rural areas. Hence when the shepherd goes after the lost sheep in Luke 15, he leaves his 99 in the wilderness. It is not clear if it melted, though certainly the disciples on another occasion were flaked out (Luke 23.45).

Apologies to non-UK readers. Apologies also to UK readers.

Computer Corner

• Anyone can search the online catalogue of Tyndale House, a fine library for biblical research. The interface still has some bugs, but give it a try at http://www.tyndale.cam.ac.uk
• Version 3 of Accordance for the Mac is now available. Although expensive, this is the most powerful and easy to use software available on any platform for biblical research. A demo and details are available from their new website: http://www.oaksoft.com

Illustrations for your Church Magazine

The Problem

You know the scene: you're working desperately to produce your newsletter or church magazine on time. You look at your material and realise that it's all text it's shouting for something to break it up, to grab your readers' attention. We're living in a visual, multimedia age: you need a picture. But you're not an artist. You've seen the clip art packages in your local Christian bookshop, but they're expensive, and how can you tell if they're any good anyway? Where can you turn?

Solution One

I've found two solutions that I have no hesitations about recommending. The first, which is by far the best, is a company called Christian Computer Art (CCA) in Cambridge. Uniquely (to my knowledge) amongst clip art vendors, CCA are willing to let you try-before-you-buyand they're definitely worth trying! For the price of a phone call they'll send you a free sample disk or a trial CD ROM. The sample disk you get to keep; the CD ROM you pay for if you like it or send back if you don't. I've paid for mine and have no regrets. But it gets better: damage a CD in any way within two years of purchase and CCA will replace it free of charge.

Material is available for most platforms (Mac, PC, Acorn and others) in scaleable vector or bitmap images, black & white or colour, and is arranged topically (Christmas, Easter, Harvest, etc) on the disks for ease of use. As well as general illustrations there are maps, diagrams, borders, illuminated letters, symbols, cover pages laid-out ready for use, and the full set of line drawings from the Good News Bible. All, as you'd expect, with royalties paid for church and school use. Technical support (though if you're a Mac user you're unlikely to need it) is, again, just a phone call away.

Solution Two

My second solution has been the cover disks of the many and various computer magazines on the shelves at most newsagents. At the moment they seem to be trying to out-do one another in giving away clip art samplers. Several recent issues of MacFormat have each included 100 images from the new IMSI 150,000 Premium Image Collection, whilst the Christmas 1997 issue of PC Review included a bonus CD Galaxy of Clip Art 10,000. For around £5, there's not much to lose even if they prove a letdown, but by the time you've bought a few, you could have bought a CCA CD...

Contact: Christian Computer Art, 33 Bramley Way, Hardwick, Cambridge CB3 7XD (tel 01954-210009). Prices (not including VAT) are £34 per CD (£24 if buying two or more); each CD contains the equivalent of 45 floppies. Floppy disks with clip art are £5.90, or £4.90 when buying 5 or more.

Phil Groom

Phil Groom is the Editor of The Harefield Month, published by St Mary's Church, Harefield, and of Soundings, the newsletter of the Residential Boat Owners' Association. Believe it or not, Phil has no connection with CCA...

Grove Biblical Series

This month's booklet is Paul and the Historical Jesus by David Wenham. It is clear from public discussion in the last couple of years that the accusation that Paul invented Christianity, instead of following the simple piety of Jesus, is alive and well. This can confirm a sense for some Christians on reading the New Testament that Paul's theology has a different 'feel' to it compared with Jesus' teaching.

This booklet addresses the issue head-on. David looks at the elements of such arguments, and relates them to the New Testament texts. In discovering some illuminating parallels between the stories about Jesus and his ministry and the writings of Paul, he not only shows the New Testament to have a coherent approach, but also shows Paul to be a significant witness to the Jesus tradition.

David Wenham teaches New Testament at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, and has written on the subject of Jesus and Paul at length.