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Post on Ann Coulter – June 29
I have posted a piece on Ann Coulter at beliefnet.com. Thanks to David Kuo for the challenge to do so. Our body politic deserves and needs better than the tone approaches like hers raise. You can see the full post at: http://blog.beliefnet.com/jwalking/2007/06/darrell-bock-takes-on-ann-coul.html I really think that people need to think through her approach. It is not a healthy way to engage.
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Helpful Books: Don’t Ignore the Rocks: New Testament Archaeology – June 29
&p Years ago My wife and I took a tour of Greece and Turkey. My wife called it simply, "The Great Rocks Tour". She was right all the trip consisted of were tons of rocks, old rocks but famous rocks. This was not a "if you’ve seen one rock, you have seen them all;quot; tour. History was present in their arrangement, even where there was not much left. Archaeology is a largely unknown field for people studying the New Testament. We prefer text to stone. However there are three books that can get you up to speed effectively.
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Talpiot Tomb Article in the Works for Book Summarizing the Issues – June 26
Broadman-Holman has a book in the works on the Talpiot tomb. That is the Jesus tomb locale. Although this claim has been largely debunked, this book will be worth the read because the chapters do a nice job of putting these claims in their historical-archaeological context. Chapters look at how archaeology should be done, how burial worked in Jesus time with a run through Jesus’ crucifixion and burial, first century names, and issues associated with resurrection.
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Announcement: Jesus in Prime Time Conference To Be Held on October 29 (June 22)
If you are a church leader, especially in the DFW area, you may want to save the date of October 29. Others of you may want to send a member of your staff who ministers to High School, College or Early Career Age members. The Leadership Center at DTS is holding an all day conference called, Jesus in Prime Time. It is designed to discuss how Jesus is being treated in the media and help pastors, as well as college and youth leaders, get prepared to teach about Jesus in the digital age. This conference will not only treat some of the issues that have been the latest fads about…
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More on Jewish Backgrounds June 19
I am preparing for a long trip to Europe for a variety of professional conferences. I will be gone seven weeks but plan to keep blogging (July 4-August 24). I will attend four conferences. The first is an international conference held every two years in Italy. It concentrates on one of the more fascinating of the books out of Judaism of the period of Jesus, 1 Enoch. This year’s conference will discuss the relationship between 1 Enoch and another key Jewish work, Jubilees. Both of these works were written before the time of Jesus. They come from parts of Judaism that thought about the origins of evil and proper moral…
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Home from California and Luke June 15
I am returning to Texas after my annual two week stint teaching in Los Angeles at Talbot Theological Seminary. It is an encouragement to see how students preparing for ministry are so serious about serving the Lord. We worked through the gospel of Luke and covered the gospel showing how eschatology and ethics are side by side. Just start with how John the Baptist calls the nation to readiness for the coming of the Lord in Luke 1:16-17 and Luke 3:10-14 and go on from there.
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Ruth Graham: Thanks for the Example June 14
Today the world lacks heroes and models. The world lost one today. Ruth Graham, wife of Billy Graham, died today at 87. In sixty-four years of marriage, she was his rock and support, as well as a trusted partner. Together they were a model of marriage. Here is what Billy said in a statement released through his spokesman, Larry Ross: "Ruth was my life partner, and we were called by God as a team," Billy Graham said in a statement. "No one else could have borne the load that she carried. She was a vital and integral part of our ministry, and my work through the years would have been…
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Why Discuss 2 Maccabees 7 with Resurrection? A Case for Using Jewish Backgrounds June 13
I have been asked on various occasions why use a text like 2 Maccabees 7 to discuss resurrection? It is an important and fair question. One uses such a text because it indicates (1) how physical a resurrection the Jews anticipated and (2) because the meaning of resurrection of Christians is what is being debated, making use of the Bible a problem for some who are listening to the discussion.
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OT in the NT June 11
I am in California currently on my annual two week teaching stint at Talbot. I also had a meeting today with editors of a book for which I am writing a major essay on the use of the OT in the NT. This essay is now in the final stages and is one of three views that will interact with each other. Zondervan is the publisher. The essay will work through multiple examples and attempt to describe how the progress of revelation works in the NT’s use of the OT. How new contexts impact the meaning of a text and what it refers to will be a major concern, along…
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More Issues in Pakistan June 7
There are more cases of blasphemy charges against Christians in Pakistan.Two incidents have occured recently. They are detailed in a piece from Christianity Today online. the URL is: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/juneweb-only/123-43.0.html Here is the opening of the article by Elizabeth Lawson: Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws have been used against Christians in two recent incidents, prompting a louder by groups who say the laws are abusive.