"Hebrews" (Amy Peeler)

TITLE: Hebrews (Commentaries for Christian Formation)
AUTHOR: Amy Peeler
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2024, (448 pages).

There are plenty of commentaries on the Bible today. There are the technical ones such as critical, exegetical, and expository types which can be rather academic. There are also the more practical types such as the Application and Devotional ones which are more appropriate for laypersons. We are spoilt for choice. Recently there has been a growing desire among many to incorporate spirituality into the heavier theological texts. This commentary is one such contribution. It not only incorporates theology with practical applications, but it also helps in faith formation. In other words, the commentary is a way to spur spiritual growth via constant communal conversation with the text. Due to the mysteries and lack of certainties, Hebrews is one of the most challenging books to understand. This calls for patient study and repeat readings. Genre awareness can also help the interpretive process. The way to learn from the text is to practice what it says. For instance, Hebrews spoke about endurance and perseverance. We should also cultivate these virtues in understanding and applying the text. It gives several warnings that we should heed diligently. Throughout Hebrews, we learn of the interplay between comfort and warning, and no matter what phase we are in, a Christological perspective guides us through the long and narrow way. Amy Peeler calls this book a "Christian sermon." 

"The New Testament in Color" (Esau McCaulley, Janette H. Ok, Osvaldo Padilla, & Amy Peeler)

TITLE: The New Testament in Color - A Multiethnic Bible Commentary
AUTHOR: Esau McCaulley, Janette H. Ok, Osvaldo Padilla, & Amy Peeler
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2024, (792 pages).
 

There are many commentaries out there in the market. Most are written by scholars and theologians who are male, white and live in the North Western Hemisphere. Contributions from women are just becoming more regular. Those from Asian, African, and non-white backgrounds are also appearing. We have all been shaped by commentaries from the Majority-White cultural backgrounds. For all their good intent, there is a danger of mainstream commentaries that lack diversity in biblical interpretation. All commentaries are interpretations from a specific background. They are influenced by culture, historical contexts, and to some extent, ethnic backgrounds. How can we present a more holistic commentary that encompasses a wider representation of the human race? This book is an attempt to do just that. With esteemed scholars from all over the Christian world, this "Multiethnic Bible Commentary" brings together a host of scholars from different ethnic groups. The African-American section interprets from the lens of slavery and the quest for fuller acceptance in society. The Asian-American chapter interprets from an immigrant's perspective while the Hispanic-American views Scriptures from a marginalized position. For the Native-American, they see things from the goodness of their culture. Writing on the White-Majority perspective, the starting point is "repentance, humility, unity, and communion."

Following that are commentaries by a multiethnic community on every book of the New Testament.

"Matthew Through OT Eyes" (David B. Capes)

TITLE: Matthew Through Old Testament Eyes
AUTHOR: David B. Capes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2024, (392 pages).
 

Recently, there has been a spate of literature and biblical resources to interpret the Old Testament from New Testament eyes. A key contribution was G.K. Beale's and D.A. Carson's edited collection of articles in "Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament." This has helped to spur modern readers to read the Old Testament with greater fervour. Whether it was the prophets or kings, scribes or teachers, disciples or record-keepers, Old Testament or New Testament authors, all were "Old Testament" people.  In fact, the Old Testament Scriptures were the only ones they had. Yet, even today, many think of the Old Testament as outdated and irrelevant, preferring the New Testament texts over the Old Testament. This is partly the fault of the nomenclature where the words "Old" and "New" erroneously shape our perception. That is why some scholars prefer to rename the Bible into "First Testament" and "Second Testament" respectively. At that time, the Scriptures were written in a particular context relevant to the hearers.  Modern readers will need to bridge the ancient and modern contexts. Thankfully with this resource, the work of researchers, scholars, and teachers are made available for us.12` 

"40 Questions About the Apostle Paul" (Miguel Echevarria and Benjamin Laird)

TITLE: 40 Questions About the Apostle Paul
AUTHOR: Miguel Echevarria and Benjamin Laird
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2023, (320 pages).
 

What is there to learn about the apostle Paul? A lot. In fact, many scholars have gone on to do PhDs on this eloquent and influential character of the Bible. Apostle to the Gentiles, author of the bulk of the New Testament, and traditionally a martyr for Christ, Paul has become a key figure in New Testament studies. From the life of Paul to Pauline theology, scholars have combed his writings both canonical and non-canonical to find out more about his personal character,  background, history, theological orientations, and many more. A decent bibliography of all the research done on Paul could be published into a book! Instead of a mere 40 questions, one could even propose a 100-question volume. Thus, it is commendable for the authors of this book to condense the most critical questions into 40. Most of the material in this book will be gleaned from the New Testament, namely, the book of Acts and the letters written by Paul. The three parts of the book comprise:

1. Questions about Paul's Life
2. Questions about Paul's Writings
3. Questions about Paul's Theology

"Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament" (G.K. Beale, D.A. Carson, Benjamin L. Gladd, and Andrew David Naselli)

TITLE: Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament
AUTHOR: G.K. Beale, D.A. Carson, Benjamin L. Gladd, and Andrew David Naselli
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2023, (992 pages)

The Old Testament and the New Testament are related in more than verbatim references by Jesus or any NT writers. Philip Yancey calls the Old Testament the Bible that Jesus read. The Scriptures pointed out in the New Testament are all (if not most) from the Old Testament.  Jesus too quotes regularly from the Old Testament during his ministry on earth. It is quite surprising that only in recent years do we hear more about scholarship that examines the New Testament use of the Old Testament. Better late than never. According to the editors, this field of study is "blossoming." Following the highly successful commentary as well as the handbook, author GK Beale has teamed up with prominent Old and New Testament scholars, theologians, and researchers to compile a dictionary of terms used in this field.  The editors anticipate greater interest in this area of study and research. Written to complement the commentary edition (CNTUOT), this specialized dictionary consists of entries that focus on five categories:

1. Surveys of Biblical Books (55 entries)
2. Biblical-Theological Topical Essays (54 essays)
3. Jewish Exegetical-Traditions Essays (25 entries)
4. Inner-Biblical Exegesis (26 essays)
5. Systematic Theology (5 essays)

"The Second Testament" (Scot McKnight)

TITLE: The Second Testament: A New Translation
AUTHOR: Scot McKnight
PUBLISHER: Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2023, (312 pages).
 

Over the years, we have a wealth of English translations of the Bible. Whether it is a literal translation, a paraphrase, or the popular dynamic equivalence type, they have all been helpful for those of us unfamiliar with the original languages. For all the competent scholarship and attempts to update the transalations, there is a nagging concern about context. Sometimes, the translations can be so good that English speakers might have mistakenly thought that the Bible was written for the English-speaking world! What if modern readers who do not know the original languages can in some way perceive what the original hearers were hearing? What if we can get closer to Greek ears and still maintain the English text? This is precisely what author and professor, Scot McKnight is trying to do. Understanding the meaning is one thing. Locating the meaning within the original contexts is often another. Moreover, there are certain words in Greek that are hard to translate. Often, this forces translators to choose between literal and contextual. Even in the translation of meaning, too many words might muddle the interpretation. This is McKnight's attempt to help us understand the words within the Greek context. This is what I call a more contextual translation of the New Testament. He begins with a brief introduction to each book, which not only gives us an overview but also unique themes that we can connect with the rest of the Bible. For example, in the introduction to the synoptic gospels, we see clear connections to the other gospels to help us prepare for the road ahead. The same applies to the epistles of Paul. The maps also enable readers to get a feel of the geographical contexts as described in the text. Called "The Second Testament," this new translation of the New Testament complements the "First Testament" which uses similar translation principles for the Old Testament.

"40 Questions about the Text and Canon of the New Testament" (Charles L. Quarles and L. Scott Kellum)

TITLE: 40 Questions about the Text and Canon of the New Testament
AUTHOR: Charles L. Quarles and L. Scott Kellum
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2023, (352 pages).
 

Where are the original manuscripts of the New Testament? If all the original manuscripts were lost, how then do we verify the authenticity of the copies? Are the copies we have today reliable? How many manuscripts are there? What is Textual Criticism? How do we know if the New Testament is accurate? What about the Canon and the canonization process? How did the Bible get canonized? What about the gospel of Thomas? How do we deal with claims that there are more books that ought to be added to the canon? These questions and more are part of the 40 questions to deal with the text and canon of the New Testament. For the authors, they simply condense all of these into one question: "What is the New Testament?" Charles Quaries is the key person answering the questions about "The Text of the New Testament" (Part One) while Scott Kellum deals with questions pertaining to "The Canon of the New Testament" (Part Two). 

"Galatians" (Kathryn Greene-McCreight)

TITLE: Galatians (Brazo's Theological Commentary on the Bible)
AUTHOR: Kathryn Greene-McCreight
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2023, (204 pages).
 

If one is asked to summarize what the letter to the Galatians is about, many people might conclude that it is all about justification by faith. Yet, there are many alternative interpretations that range from freedom in Christ to anti-semitic accusations. How do we practice discerning which best approaches the Truth for such a range of interpretations? Humbly speaking, we need help. The commentators in this series of commentaries believe that this help comes from interpreters from the Nicea-Constantinople tradition. They might not give us the full revelation of Truth but they can surely clear the way for us to approach it. 

Dogmas clarify rather than obscure. This is the conviction behind this series of theological commentaries. Based on the Nicene tradition, the authors in this series affirm the Scriptures amid a tide of modern scholars who insist that ancient doctrinal persuasions are barriers to the "purity" of the biblical text. The intent of these modern interpreters is noble but it masquerades the fact that such modernist thinking is also a form of "doctrinal persuasion" in itself. The underlying belief is that the Nicene tradition "provides the clarifying principles" to guide our understanding of the Scriptures. After all, these ancient fathers are definitely closer to biblical times than we are. If Bible reading is communal, why not include these Nicean fathers in our interpretive process? Adopting a Both-And framework has more benefits compared to an Either-Or option. Preferring to engage theologians instead of biblical scholars, the commentary is essentially one that resembles "systematic theology" style instead of  "biblical theology." 

"Five Views on the NT Canon" (Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird)

TITLE: Five Views on the New Testament Canon
AUTHOR: Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2022, (288 pages).

How was the Bible put together? What are the criteria to determine which books are legitimate? What prompted the canon process? What about authorship and apostolic authority? These are some of the critical questions dealt with in this book. The canonization of the Holy Bible has become one of the most controversial issues in modern times. With rising suspicion of the institutional church and the growing intellectual climate of mistrust, it has become increasingly necessary to re-examine old assumptions and historical evidence. In the pre-enlightenment age, societies in Christendom jurisdictions mostly accepted the authority of the Church in all things religious. Today, contemporary society does not share such trust. Instead, suspicion and skepticism tend to be the default paradigm. Who gives any human being the right to canonize anything? What about perceived and actual authority? These questions are some of the issues dealt with by five different scholars and theologians from different backgrounds. With five views, readers can get a better idea of the complex issues and why they are so controversial. The five views presented are:

1. Conservative-Evangelical (Darian R Lockett)
2. Progressive-Evangelical (David R Nienhuis)
3. Liberal-Protestant (Jason David BeDuhn)
4. Roman Catholic (Ian Boxall)
5. Orthodox (George L Parsenios)

"1 Corinthians" (Kimlyn J. Bender)

TITLE: 1 Corinthians (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible)
AUTHOR: Kimlyn J. Bender
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2022, (320 pages).
 

Traditional apostolic interpretation examines scriptures from the mindset of doctrines with the Church leading the way in Bible interpretive matters. Modern interpreters critique the use of tradition and dogma. Postmodern interpreters criticize the critics. A lot of modern scholars understand the Bible from the perspective of a reader-response attitude. By giving us an overview of the broad strokes of biblical interpretation through the ages, we are reminded that there are still many strengths in letting these clarify rather than obstruct our interpretive paradigms. In other words, instead of adopting a hermeneutic of suspicion which many modern and postmodern scholars adopt, believe rather that "dogma clarifies rather than obscures." Recognizing the increasing secularization of Western society, and the rising fragmentation of Christendom, author and professor Kimlyn Bender seeks to bring us back to the importance of Church doctrine in interpretive matters. Instead of jettisoning historical interpretive strategies, this commentary combines the heritage of the Nicene tradition and marries them with modern biblical scholarship. Use the old to understand the new; and to use the new in the old, in the light of Christ. Theologically, Bender shows us the critical need to take every thought captive to Christ. Textually, we are called to harness the best of historical-critical studies in the past and combine them with modern exegesis. 

"1 Peter" (Karen H. Jobes)

TITLE: 1 Peter (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
AUTHOR: Karen H. Jobes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2022, (400 pages).
 

Stand firm in the faith! This is the chorus repeated throughout the letter of 1 Peter. Written to a people scattered throughout many different provinces in Asia Minor, this is one of the most powerful letters of encouragement to persecuted groups of believers. Many of the early believers did not have the kind of freedom many of us currently enjoy. There are themes of faith during persecution; living as resident aliens; suffering for the faith; seeing God as Trinity; salvation; end times; and more. Author Karen Jobes helps us not only to understand the themes but more importantly, the contexts to illuminate our understanding of these themes. We read about date and authorship; intended audiences; origins; lexical considerations; sources; the impact of Roman colonization; theological flow; and more. With clearly marked outlines, Jobes systematically deals with the text on a thought-by-thought manner. Many sources were consulted before she gives us her own contribution. There are three unique features in this commentary. 

1. Audience: That the letter was written not to indigenous believers but to the diaspora displaced from other places such as Rome;
2. Sources: Using the Septuagint (LXX) to facilitate a greater understanding of the contextual background;
3. Original Language: The original text might not necessarily be Greek. Instead, it could very well be one who was well-versed in the Semitic language other than Greek.

"Fruitful Theology" (Ronni Kurtz)

TITLE: Fruitful Theology: How the Life of the Mind Leads to the Life of the Soul
AUTHOR: Ronni Kurtz
PUBLISHER: Nashville, TN: B and H Publishing, 2022, (192 pages).
 

Many of us have heard about it. Kids learn it in Sunday School. Sunday school teachers love to do crafts on this topic. They have activities to show their individual attributes. Preachers go through each attribute in their sermon series. Based on Galatians 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is one of the most popular topics in Church and Christian circles. From Bible study materials to popular books, one can easily find resources on how to teach this. However, while many books deal with practical applications, not many have adequately dealt with the theology behind the fruit of the Spirit. This book fills in the gap with a theological treatise that undergirds each attribute. The central thesis of this book is that a fruitful theology underlines the foundation for fruitful spirituality. In other words, without a proper theology, we will not be able to fully understand how to apply and cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in us. For some people, the word "theology" might be quite intimidating. That is why author and professor Ronni Kurtz spends time explaining the critical place of theology. In a way, we are all theologians, albeit to different degrees. When we start to think of God, we are already theologizing. Not only that, he gives several arguments about the importance of a theological underpinning when studying the fruit of the Spirit. He tackles some of the misgivings among some people with regard to theology being "weaponized as an instrument" for division, pride, replacement of wisdom, etc. He then puts forth arguments for why theology is important. The chief reason is that the mind and the Spirit are closely connected. Theology is about the exercise of the mind. Fruitful theology is about the exercising of the mind toward expounding the depth of insight with regard to the fruit of the spirit. It is a means to cultivate Christian virtue. He then gives us some tips on a broad understanding of Galatians 5:19-26 before jumping into each attribute of the Spirit.

"Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes" (Tremper Longman III)

TITLE: Revelation Through Old Testament Eyes
AUTHOR: Tremper Longman III
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2022, (368 pages).
 

What comes to mind when we think about the book of Revelation? I wouldn't be surprised if the first thing that comes to mind is the letters to the seven churches, the various theological positions about the tribulation, or the frightening events of the Armageddon. That is one reason why many preachers continue to preach on these familiar chapters. Modern readers tend to dwell within these comfort zones. What if we could let the Bible interpret and read Revelation? What if we could see Revelation through the lens of the Old Testament? This is the key reason for this series on "Background and Application Commentary." The four key features include:

• Running commentary
• Interpretation via OT eyes
• Understanding the structure
• Deeper into application and implications for modern living

Longman starts his commentary with further observations about the general level of hesitancy in studying Revelation. He makes a case that if readers could be equipped with basic knowledge of the book's background and symbolism, they will be able to study the book more confidently. Interpretation requires authorial background, date approximation; genre awareness; and cross-references from other parts of the Bible. This book aims to supply us with more of the latter, especially from the Old Testament.

"Blessed" (Nancy Guthrie)

TITLE: Blessed
AUTHOR: Nancy Guthrie
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway Publishers, 2022, (272 pages).
 

The book of Revelation is one of the most mysterious and some say difficult books to understand. With the many numeric signs, images, symbols, visions of wars, and destruction, people tend to be intimidated into avoiding the study of the book altogether. Author and popular Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie know it personally. This is especially when she was called to teach a class on Revelation at her church. After pushing aside initial reservations, she was struck by the way the apocalyptic text begins: "Blessed." That sparked her interest and laid the foundation for this Bible Study guide on Revelation. From this inspiration, she aims to help others in overcoming their fears about this letter. She deals with fears of not understanding it enough; concern about controversial interpretations; misguided views about the letter merely about the future without existential relevance; and other uncomfortable reasons for not studying the text at all. She then goes on to describe the reasons why we should be studying Revelation. Using one of the most popular words to hook our interest, she chooses the lens of Blessing to uncover 12 promises in Revelation. 

"Old Made New" (Greg Lanier)

TITLE: Old Made New
AUTHOR: Greg Lanier
PUBLISHER: Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2022, (176 pages).

Multiple surveys have shown that many are more comfortable and familiar with the New Testament. Study groups prefer it. Sermons predominantly are from the New Testament. Most believers know the New Testament more than the Old Testament. While believers typically proclaim the Bible as comprising both the Old and the New, in practice, they tend to read and prefer to study mainly the New Testament. One reason is relatability. Modern readers find it easier to relate the first-century writings rather than ancient texts before the birth of Jesus. Sometimes we even forget that during the time of Christ, the only Scriptures available were the Old Testament. The New Testament didn't exist yet! Many efforts have been made to encourage Christians to study not just the New Testament but the entire Bible. This book is one such effort. Author and professor Greg Lanier give some more reasons why it is important to study how the New Testament uses the Old Testament. Not only was the OT written for all of us, many of the references in the NT points back to the OT. Technically, this is known as the field of biblical intertextuality. What this book provides are basic tools for the layperson to do just that. Using the "Three-Step Process," we learn to use tools such as:

1. Identification the Passage
1. Looking at citations, quotations, and allusions
2. Check Out the Old Testament Reference
1. wording comparison, broader comparison of the OT passage, 
3. Listen to the Remix
1. look at predictions, patterns, prescription

"Colossians and Philemon" (Adam Copenhaver and Jeffrey D. Arthurs)

TITLE: Colossians and Philemon: A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching
AUTHOR: Adam Copenhaver and Jeffrey D. Arthurs
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2022, (336 pages).
 

The Word of God is God's Message to us, which is one reason why a popular Bible paraphrase is entitled "The Message." The Greek word, "Kerux" is translated as "messenger or herald" of the message. With this as the main theme, the Kerux Commentary series aims to help us see the big idea of God's message in each passage of the Bible text. Written by two experts in their fields, this commentary combines the best of exegesis and homiletics, so as to benefit anyone seeking to do expository preaching of Paul's letters to the Colossians and to Philemon. These are two of the most important things needed for any teacher or preacher: Bible exegesis and homiletics. The former is for diligent study while the latter is for effective delivery. The two exercises need to go hand in hand. Good delivery requires adequate study of the text. A diligent study needs to consider how to deliver the message more accurately and clearly. 

Some of the other features include:

• Overview of Preaching Passages
• Detailed Introduction and Outline
• Literary structure and themes
• Preaching Pointers linking the ancient with modern times
• A thorough exposition of the text
• Sidebars of interesting and pertinent information for further background understanding
• Appropriate charts
• Theological focus
• Contemporary ideas
• Questions for study groups
• etc.

"First and Second Thessalonians" (Timothy A. Brookins)

TITLE: First and Second Thessalonians (Paideia: Commentaries on the New Testament)
AUTHOR: Timothy A. Brookins
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (256 pages).

When studying the Bible, one of the key emphases is to interpret the texts in the right context. That usually means trying to understand the literary and cultural situations back in ancient times prior to applying them to our present world. This commentary series goes much further and deeper to build the "theological convictions and moral habits" of readers. Instead of verse-by-verse, the commentary moves in terms of "rhetorical units." Within each unit, readers learn about the introduction, the narrative flow, and the theological themes. The introduction includes matters such as the identity of the author, the intended audience, the background, and an overview of the letter. Noting how little attention has been paid to the nature of the 2 books as letters, author and professor Timothy Broookins pays special attention to the letter genre to make sense of its literary composition. Using the nature of the letter as an interpretive lens, to understand the ancient contexts, the authorial intent, audience, history, cultural backgrounds, and so on. He goes further to point out that Paul's letter in a "literary" one rather than a "nonliterary" or a "diplomatic" one. It gives us a glimpse of Paul's narrative, being forced out of Thessalonica by the opposition. It was a tumultuous time as Christians in the region continue to be persecuted. Taken together with Acts, one could roughly piece together the places Paul had gone. Questions remain whether the reasons for the letter were situational, social, political, doctrinal, or even "anti-imperial." Some of the theological themes are:

"From Daughters to Disciples" (Lynn Japinga)

TITLE: From Daughters to Disciples: Women's Stories from the New Testament
AUTHOR: Lynn Japinga
PUBLISHER: Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2021, (164 pages).

Many books have been written about the prophets of old, the kings of Israel, and the twelve disciples of Jesus. Yet, in the modern era, there are increasingly many who are questioning the patriarchal nature of the Bible. Why are there more male leaders? Why are most of the key figures in the Bible male? Is God showing preferential treatment to guys? With a desire to show that God is not blind to the needs of women, author and professor Lynn Japinga continues to shed light on some of the most prominent but often neglected characters in the Bible. Plus, they are all women! After writing her previous book about women's stories from the Old Testament, she continues this orientation by writing a companion volume on the women's stories from the New Testament. Yet, the author admits that this volume is more difficult because they don't speak much. Whatever they do, not much was recorded. Thus, compared to the first volume, the author tries to put herself into these women's shoes and does her best "imaginative speculation." She does this carefully after considering the New Testament contexts and reflecting on how Jesus treated the women then. Progressing from the gospels to the letters of Paul, Japinga begins with Mary, describing how conventional views paint her as obedient, blessed, ideal, or even the model woman for the rest to emulate. This is difficult for the modern woman to follow because no woman on earth is ever good enough. The author argues instead that she is more like one who had experienced grief, loss, and joy, all wrapped in one. She writes about the woman with a tissue of blood. While not much is known about this woman, Japinga manages to trace her background to give a counter-cultural proposal that instead of ostracizing her for her menstruation, readers ought to consider that as "mysterious and powerful." Mysterious because we still do not understand why the monthly period has to happen. Powerful because the process has the power to birth new life. On the Gentile woman who needed healing, the author puts herself in her shoes and to see her deep faith in Jesus in spite of her status.  Jesus accepted her in spite of her conditions. It is a lesson to remind us not to jump to conclusions about anyone. At one point, Japinga is close to accusing Jesus of not being inclusive enough. 

"John Through Old Testament Eyes" (Karen H. Jobes)

TITLE: John Through Old Testament Eyes: A Background and Application Commentary
AUTHOR: Karen H. Jobes
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2021, (376 pages).

How do we read and interpret the gospel of John? Some recommend that for beginners, it is the best gospel to read first due to the simplicity of language. For theologians, that is not so. The gospel of John has been said to be shallow enough for one to wade in and also deep enough to drown an elephant. Simply put, the language in the fourth gospel is simple but theologically profound.  Many commentaries work on an inductive verse-by-verse format, exegeting the Greek to find out the key meaning of the text. This has been one of the most popular formats because it lets Scripture speak for itself. Other commentaries adopt the deductive format to guide us through themes such as the seven signs, the seven I AM's, and other prominent symbolism mentioned in the gospel. As the gospel contains many Old Testament allusions, why not let the Old Testament guide our reading and interpretation? This is exactly what this new addition to the "Through Old Testament Eyes" series seeks to do. Readers not only get to understand the background of John with new insights from the Old Testament, but they also have a competent Bible Professor who had spent many years marinating in the gospel of John to guide us. The central conviction is that the gospel writer is steeped in Old Testament literature. When we understand the contexts of John, we see the Truth according to what the original author sees. Readers would then be able to appreciate the deeper meaning of the gospel with Old Testament "eyes." From feasts to festivals, rituals to religious teachings, the author's singular concern is to use the Old Testament lens as her interpretive framework. She leaves the literary analysis, the Johannine tradition, the extra exegetical work aside so that she could focus on the parts that relate to the Old Testament and Second Temple Jerusalem. The general framework comprises four key segments:

"Covenant" (Daniel I. Block)

TITLE: Covenant: The Framework of God's Grand Plan of Redemption
AUTHOR: Daniel I. Block
PUBLISHER: Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2021, (656 Pages).
 

How do we understand the Bible from Genesis to Revelation? Is there a common theme throughout the two testaments? How do we understand God's will in the Bible for mankind? How do we read the Old Testament in a New Testament era? Answer: We understand God's revelation via a series of covenants. In fact, there is great value in understanding biblical theology that is grounded in the Old Testament (or in the author's view, First Testament). Unlike typical conventions by many biblical scholars, Canadian/American theologian and Professor Daniel Block adopts several unique terms in this expression of covenant theology:

• Consistent use of YHWH as the personal name of God;
• Using First Testament instead of the conventional term Old Testament;
• Using his own translations instead of relying on the readily available published ones;
• Avoiding the use of conditional/unconditional covenants in favour of the missional-communal and administrative covenants.
• Understanding the historical and literary background of how the biblical authors developed this covenance.