Ridley Hall, Cambridge

Resources: Biblical Studies Bulletin 8

Vol 8: June 1998

Review: The Book of God

When Walter Wangerin's retelling of the Biblical story first appeared two years ago in hardback, I was intrigued by the reviews but too poor to buy it. I'm still too poor, but last week I found it in Blackwell's, newly published in paperback by Lion at £7.99. I started reading and couldn't put it down.

The Book of God, subtitled 'The Bible as a Novel', is not a translation or even a loose paraphrase. It omits altogether most of the non-narrative material in the Bible, plus, surprisingly, the book of Acts. Those who want another version for Bible study will not find it here. What they will find is an illuminating, gripping read that will motivate them to go back to the full text and look at it again more closely.

Wangerin succeeds in weaving the stories of the Old Testament and the Gospels into one continuous story, which enables him to drive home themes like the covenant with subtle but compelling force. He begins with the call of Abram and Sarai. I thought Wangerin had given up on the early chapters of Genesis, until he craftily brought in creation, fall and Noah through Ezra's reading of the text to the people returned from exile.

Despite his creative 'redaction' in shaping and recombining the traditions, Wangerin is remarkably faithful to the emphases of the Bible. He does not twist and distort the material to fit a foreign agenda, nor does he sanitize the terrible, dark side of some of the Old Testament accounts. He is a pastor and a preacher, and through his faithfulness we are brought face to face with the realities of human nature and of the sovereign, compassionate God with whom we have to do.

This is a book to read, and one to put in the hands of others who might never otherwise open the covers of a Bible. It could also help us preachers discover how to tell the stories of our faith afresh.

The Editor

Letters to the Editor

Professor Jonathan Richards from Merthyr Tydfil writes,

I am a GP and was amazed to discover that the Greek root for forgiveness is paresis. Patients with a paresis have lost function or mobility, are paralysed. I have found it a useful reflection to compare today's meaning with the need for/effects of forgiveness. It is also a useful way into 'forgiveness as healing'.

Thanks for the illustration. Keep those cards and emails coming...

Dear Dr Thompson,

In the last issue of BSB you mentioned a recent book you have written on 2Corinthians. Can you say more?

A. Sheimlas Ploog

Happy to oblige:

As many readers will know, the bishops gathering at Lambeth in July will be studying 2 Corinthians in small groups each day of the conference. Last November, Bishop Simon Barrington-Ward (ex-Coventry) asked me to write a study guide that clergy and lay people could use to look closely at the message of the epistle prior to the beginning of conference. He wanted a format that would provide daily material for group or individual study over a six week period, with questions for thought and discussion.

Transforming Grace (Bible Reading Fellowship; ISBN 1 84101 000 6) is the result. This 125-page book is essentially a potted commentary with over 130 questions designed to help people reflect on how 2 Corinthians relates to their lives today. Although commissioned for Lambeth, it would be suitable for Lent and other study courses year-round. It can be purchased from book stores, the Bible Reading Fellowship, or ordered direct from Grove Books Ltd for £4.99, postpaid.

The Editor

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.

OT: Micah

Micah is a fine example of classical prophecy and contains some of the best known passages in the OT. It has also been subjected to intense historical-critical scrutiny, and this too is reflected in the commentaries.

For example, H. W. Wolff (Continental Commentaries, Fortress, 1990) has written a volume reflecting magisterial scholarship, but it is difficult to escape his concern to trace in detail the layers of editing in the book. Another commentator who finds relatively little belonging to Micah himself is J. L. Mays (Old Testament Library, SCM, 1976). Mays is more readable, however, providing much theological food for thought. Something of an antidote is D. L. Hillers (Hermeneia, Fortress, 1984), who finds detection of multiple sources and editors to be too speculative to be 'interesting'. Unfortunately, text critics are the main beneficiaries of his writing.

The historical Micah is a much more solid figure for the more conservative commentators. L. C. Allen is a fine scholar with a lively style; he takes the time to indicate the broader relevance of the text (The Books of Joel, Obadiah, Jonah and Micah, NICOT, Eerdmans, 1976). B. K. Waltke has produced a briefer commentary (Tyndale, IVP, 1988) and a longer one (in The Minor Prophets Vol. 2, ed. T. E. McComiskey, Baker, 1993). The latter includes theological and expository comment, as well as extensive notes on the Hebrew text.

Micah is included in commentaries on some or all of the minor prophets. The danger is that these are sometimes too brief to be satisfying, as is probably the case for R. L. Smith (Micah-Malachi, Word, 1984) and J. Limburg (Hosea-Micah, Interpretation, John Knox, 1988). Worth using to accompany daily reading are W. P. Brown (Obadiah through Malachi, Westminster Bible Companion, Westminster John Knox, 1997) and D. J. Simundson, (in New Interpreter's Bible, Vol. 7, Abingdon, 1996), both of whom take moderate critical stances.

For penetrating theological and practical comment, Calvin is always worth consulting. But I would like to single out two recent commentaries that keep in view the theologian and the preacher. The Mexican context of J. I. Alfaro (Justice and Loyalty, International Theological Commentary, Eerdmans, 1989) gives him an ethical passion that does more justice to Micah than the cooler scholars. E. Achtemeier (Hosea-Micah, New International Biblical Commentary, Hendrickson, 1996) relates the text to broader theological themes and the NT, and is very good value. So I recommend Achtemeier or Alfaro, with Waltke or Mays for more detail.

Revd Dr Philip Jenson, Trinity College, Bristol

[Ed.: Philip himself is producing a commentary on Micah for the New Century Bible series. Watch for it to appear sometime next year]

NT: 1 Corinthians

Although study of 1 Corinthians is a big growth area this has not been reflected in a rash of commentaries. Of the older commentaries the heavier ones have stood the test of time rather better. C. K. Barrett's work (Black's NT commentaries, A & C Black, 1968) is still a standard starting point for those wanting a sensible middle-of-the-road orientation. The Anchor Bible commentary by W.F. Orr and J. A. Walther (Doubleday, 1976) is a bit shorter and less useful. H. Conzelmann (Hermeneia, Fortress, 1975) provides a continental perspective but can be hard going.

Worth dipping into (but not much more) are a string of lighter weight and older works: F. F. Bruce (New Century Bible 1971), F. W. Grosheide (New International Commentary on the NT, Eerdmans, 1953), R. A. Harrisville (Augsburg commentary on the NT, Augsburg, 1987), D. Prior (Bible Speaks Today, IVP, 1985), J. S. Ruef (Pelican NT commentaries, Penguin, 1971), and C. H. Talbert (Reading the NT, SPCK, 1987).

J. Murphy-O'Connor (NT Message, Liturgical Press, 1991) provides a short, recent Roman Catholic contribution. As an introduction to recent scholarly developments, J. D. G. Dunn's NT guide (1 Corinthians, Sheffield Academic Press, 1995) is a very helpful summary.

The standard and still the best commentary by far remains G. D. Fee (New International Commentary on the NT, Eerdmans/Paternoster, 1987). It is long, detailed, keeps the Greek out of the main text and makes sound judgements on the exegetical issues. If you are going to buy one commentary for reference, this is it.

Of more recent commentaries, C. Blomberg's (NIV Application commentary, Zondervan, 1994) is introductoryperhaps useful as a model for how to explain a 'foreign' text to a congregation, but not for study. S. J. Kistemaker (Baker, 1996) is better, and B. Witherington (Conflict and Community in Corinth, Eerdmans/Paternoster, 1994) is very strong on the social background, including lots of primary source material. R. B. Hays gives us the best recent offering (Interpretation, John Knox, 1997), which is an excellent complement to Fee. Aimed at preachers (no footnotes in sight!), he takes exegetical problems en passant and is strong on the flow of argument and theological meaning of the text.

Rumoured for several years has been a massive contribution from A. C. Thiselton, but don't put off buying Fee and Hays before it appears.

Dr. Mark Bonnington, Cranmer Hall, Durham

Humour: Out of Context

According to the Internet, the following are real answers given on a Bible knowledge test. You be the judge. Readers who are easily offended may want to skip to the next item...

1. Noah's wife was Joan of Ark.
2. Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day and a ball of fire by night.
3. Moses went to the top of Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Commandments.
4. The seventh commandment is "Thou shalt not admit adultery."
5. Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
6. The people who followed Jesus were called the 12 Decibels.
7. Salome danced in seven veils in front of King Harrod's.
8. Paul preached acrimony, which is another name for marriage.

Tell your neighbour to go out and buy Margaret Killingray's Encouraging Biblical Literacy (Biblical series, no. 6).

A 'New' Chronology of Paul

The University of Tübingen in Germany has experienced something of a revolution in New Testament studies in the last two decades, producing a stream of books that question the deeply sceptical tradition of previous generations of biblical scholars there. In particular, works by Martin Hengel, Peter Stuhlmacher and Rainer Riesner have shown a new confidence in the general reliability of historical traditions in the Gospels and Acts.

Riesner's latest English book, Paul's Early Period: Chronology, Mission Strategy, Theology (Eerdmans, 1998), offers the most authoritative study of Pauline chronology to date. Many will not have the time or inclination to plow through the detailed case he builds, but his conclusions may be of interest.

Unlike Gerd Lüdemann, Robert Jewett and others, Riesner finds Acts to interlock remarkably well with information from ancient historians and with the data in Paul's letters. To be sure, Riesner is no fundamentalist. He grapples with problems such as relating Paul's Jerusalem visit in Gal 2 to the visits in Acts 11 and Acts 15. He surprisingly favours the view that Galatians was written to the churches in southern Galatia (those founded in Acts 13-14), and leaves open the possibility that Sir William Ramsay and F. F. Bruce were right to identify Gal 2 with Acts 11. To my knowledge, he is the first respected German scholar to do so. He also concludes that the 'we' sections in Acts were written by Luke as an eyewitnessagain, contra the great majority of German scholars.

The outline of his chronology is as follows:

Crucifixion of Jesus 30 Paul in Thessalonica 49/50
Conversion of Paul 31/32 Paul in Corinth 50
Paul in Jerusalem 33/34 Paul before Gallio 51
Paul in Syria-Cilicia 34-42 Paul in Ephesus 52-55
Paul in Antioch 42/44 Paul in Troas, Macedonia, Corinth 55-57
1st missionary journey 45-47 Paul in Jerusalem 57
Paul in Antioch 48 Imprisoned in Caesarea 57-59 Jerusalem Council 48 On to Rome 59
Paul in Macedonia 49

Whether Riesner manages to persuade any fellow German scholars remains to be seen, but we are in his debt for a thorough, well-researched and defended case, and a useful critique of more sceptical studies.

Computer Corner

• Preachers on the prowl for material may find something helpful at http://www.bible.org
  The site features sermons, lessons, illustrations, humour, etc. from a group of scholars and pastors trained at Dallas Theological Seminary, one of the largest conservative evangelical seminaries in the US. Many readers will differ with their dispensational theology, but the emphasis in the material I've seen at the site is on the basics of the faith.
   
• This site also includes the text of yet another English translation of the Bible, the NET Bible (New English Translation). This version from the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek by more than twenty evangelical scholars is completely free and includes detailed notes. Anyone with an Internet connection can use and print out the NET Bible without cost for personal study.
   
• Software resources for biblical study continue to abound. There are CD-ROMs for a number of programmes, including the New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, the New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, the Anchor Bible Dictionary, the Expositor's Bible Commentary, the New Oxford Bible Maps, The Soncino Talmud, and Encyclopedia Judaica. Have a look at the Software Reference Center on the Eisenbrauns web page: http://www.eisenbrauns.com
  Eisenbrauns is also a fine source for scholarly books at substantial discounts.

Grove Biblical Series

This month's booklet is A Way into Hebrews by Joy Tetleya passionate, no-holds-barred promotion of this often neglected letter. After reading this, you are guaranteed to want to go back to the letter itself.