Tag: introduction

Introducing: “A Survey of the Reformation”

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

At my church this week, I started a 10 part Adult Sunday School series called “A Survey of the Reformation: Its History and Doctrine.” Here is the schedule of the lessons, and the slides and audio from lesson 1. You can also view the SS page at our church website for this information as well.

    HISTORY

  1. Introduction & An Overview of Church History – Download the Audio, View the Slides.
  2. Forerunners of the Reformation
  3. The Protestant Reformation
  4. Puritanism & The Legacy of the Reformers

    5. DOCTRINE

  5. Reformation Doctrine: The Big Picture
  6. Total Depravity & Irresistable Grace
  7. Unconditional Election & Particular Redemption
  8. Perseverance of the Saints & Answering Objections
  9. The Other “Points” of Calvinism
  10. Why the Reformation Matters Today

“Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction” by Craig Bartholomew and Ryan O’Dowd

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

Few Old Testament books are more puzzling than Job and Ecclesiastes. And few books are more frequently misunderstood and misapplied than Proverbs. The Wisdom literature of the Hebrews may be challenging for Western minds to grasp, but it is very rewarding. Craig Bartholomew and Ryan O’Dowd have helped the student of the Bible’s Wisdom literature immensely with their new book Old Testament Wisdom Literature: A Theological Introduction, from IVP Academic.

The authors aim to introduce the reader to Wisdom literature and the theology behind it. This is not just a commentary, although they do offer plenty of insights and comments along the way. Rather it is an introduction and orientation after which one will be more prepared to pick up a commentary an study the Wisdom books more closely.

After the author’s preface and introduction, the book starts with an introduction to Old Testament Wisdom. They compare Egyptian and Babylonian wisdom writings with that of the Hebrews, showing the similarities and differences. The authors appreciate the insights such comparisons provide but make no apologies for the unique approach that the Bible presents. Rather than a pantheon of gods and contradictory wisdom writings, Israel is presented with the one true God, in whose fear is the only place where wisdom can be found.

Next the book gives a helpful treatment of poetry, it’s role in life and the three OT books which are the focus of this work (Job, Ecclesiastes and Proverbs), as well as a discussion of the techniques of Hebrew poetry.

After these introductory chapters, each OT book is discussed as a whole followed by a more in-depth treatment of one special passage: Prov. 31, Job 28, and Eccl. 3:1-15. Next comes a discussion of Jesus as the Wisdom of God, where the New Testament’s treatment of Wisdom and its portrayal of Jesus Christ as Wisdom incarnate.

The book ends with a discussion of the theology of OT Wisdom and then an application of how Wisdom is relevant for today.

My copy of this book is filled with dog-eared pages, scribbles and underlined sections. The authors have done a fabulous job of bringing the best research to bear and digging up the most appropriate quotes for each theme they address. They do a masterful job of discrediting the current criticism of OT Wisdom literature that Proverbs focuses strictly on act-consequence and Job and Ecclesiastes offer a counterpoint or crisis where such a simplistic view is shown to be untenable. Bartholomew and O’Dowd argue that Job and Ecclesiastes merely make what’s implicit in Proverbs, explicit. The nuances and tension in Proverbs itself finds expression in Job and Ecclesiastes. The character of the righteous life is what is blessed in Proverbs, not righteous actions by themselves. And life on earth never realizes divine justice in full.

Proverbs in all its diversity is carefully handled, and I especially appreciated the emphasis on Lady Wisdom and how the Proverbs 31 woman may be understood as Wisdom personified, in a theological way.

The discussion of Job was most illuminating. The struggle and difficulty one has in trying to read through Job is part of the genius of the book, illustrating the perplexing situation Job found himself in. The diagrams in the chapter on Job are helpful, as most of the diagrams sprinkled throughout this work are. I also appreciated the discussion of Job 28 and it’s key role in Job.

Ecclesiastes was similarly handled well. “The Preacher” (or Qohelet) is never expressly said to be Solomon, yet a comparison with Solomon is intended by the author/narrator of Ecclesiastes. The treatment of Ecclesiastes shows how the book traces the intellectual struggle of Qohelet as he struggles with employing Greek wisdom to his world yet knowing the truth that Hebrew wisdom had already taught him. Seeing Ecclesiastes as a struggle with many passages set in “contradictory juxtaposition” with one another, goes a long way in helping one make sense of the book as a whole.

I very much appreciated the discussion of Jesus as the Wisdom of God, it helps to situate OT Wisdom in the redemptive flow of Scripture. The authors resisted a simplistic equation of Jesus and Lady Wisdom, and take pains to show how the authors of the New Testament in their own unique ways appropriated the Wisdom tradition in their exposition of Jesus Christ and his uniquely Divine status and mission.

The final chapters summarizing OT Wisdom theology and it’s impact today is an outstanding example of how to apply Scripture to life and not leave the heady study of doctrine and theology on a shelf away from life in the real world.

The tenor and tack of the authors is profoundly evangelical, yet appreciative of the insights gained from all sorts of scholars. One won’t agree with all of the conclusions of this book, but the clarity and candor with which the authors present their own view is both commendable and refreshing.

Perhaps the point the authors drive home the most is that OT Wisdom literature is anything but dualistic. It is rooted in creation theology and offers us a way to live in God’s world appreciating all of life. I will close with a summary quote which encapsulates the primary message of the OT Wisdom books.

At the heart of the distinction between folly and wisdom is one’s relation to the creation: does one receive it with joy and wonder as the Lord’s gift, or does one make oneself the center around which one relates to the world? The classic term for the latter approach is idolatry. (pg. 316)

I came away from my study of OT Wisdom literature reflecting on the hold idolatry may have in my life. A study of the OT Wisdom books may be just the thing to encourage us to live all of life to God’s glory. Such a study would be greatly helped along by using this book from Bartholomew and O’Dowd as a text-book or study tool. I highly recommend it.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by InterVarsity Press. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.

You can purchase a copy of this book from any of these fine retailers: Christianbook.com, Amazon.com or direct from IVP Academic.

Mark — Good News of Jesus, the Suffering Savior (part 1)

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Introduction – Mark 1:1

1. “Gospel” — A New Kind of Book

A. Mark’s opening verse gave a title to a new kind of book — a Gospel.
B. The non-inspired titles: “The Gospel According to Mark, Matthew, Luke, John” likely derive from Mark 1:1.
C. A Gospel is not an objective, historically focused biography.
D. They are similar to other “lives” of philosophers and political leaders in ancient times — they are crafted to tell a story with a goal in mind for the reader.
E. They are different in that they focus on Jesus Christ in a unique way — they unpack the theological significance of Jesus Christ and give us the true Good News.
F. They don’t simply give us what happened, they tell us what to believe about what happened. They are in essence, preaching materials. They tell the story of God’s saving actions in Christ Jesus.
G. The Synoptic Gospels are Matthew, Mark, and Luke and it is believed that Matthew & Luke made use of Mark in the writing of their Gospels. They certainly followed his pattern. Each of the four authors had particular emphases in his writing.

DISCUSSION: What are some benefits to the four-fold Gospel that we have in the New Testament? Why four books instead of one? Why are the books similar and different. What can we learn from that? Record your thoughts.

2. Mark — The First Gospel

A. Author
The Book is anonymous, but from early on it has been attributed to Mark — the John Mark of Acts 12:12, 12:25, 13:5, 15:36-39, Col. 4:10, Philemon 24, 1 Pet. 5:13, 2 Tim. 4:11.

Here’s the earliest attribution of the book to Mark, by Papias in AD 140 (but known to us through Eusebius’ quote in roughly AD 320):

The Elder (likely John) said this also: Mark, who became Peter’s interpreter, wrote accurately, though not in order, all that he remembered of the things said or done by the Lord. For he had neither heard the Lord nor been one of his followers, but afterwards, as I said, he had followed Peter, who used to compose his discourses with a view to the needs of his hearers, but not as though he were drawing up a connected account of the Lord’s sayings. So Mark made no mistake in thus recording some things just as he remembered them. For he was careful of this one thing, to omit none of the things he had heard and to make no untrue statements therein.

Another early tradition (AD 160-180) reads: “Mark declared, who is called ‘stump-fingered’ because he had short fingers in comparison with the size of the rest of his body. He was Peter’s interpreter. After the death of Peter himself he wrote down this same gospel in the regions of Italy.”

Interestingly, Mark received relatively little attention in the preserved writings of the church, up until around the 1800s for the most part. There are aspects of Mark which make it difficult, and Augustine assumed Mark just offered up an abbreviated version of Matthew which was certainly larger, and which Augustine thought was written first. (However, often in the sections Mark shares with Matthew, Mark’s account is more detailed and longer than Matthew’s.)

B. Date
Most put this after the death of Peter in AD 64 and before the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. This is our best guess.

This becomes important when we remember the intense persecution of the Christians at the hands of Nero in this time, Paul was martyred in AD 67 near the end of the persecution period. (see 1:12-14, 8:34-38, 10:30-34, 10: 45, 13:9-13)

C. Destination and Place of Writing
Both are likely Rome. Mark is first quoted in 1 Clement & the Shepherd of Hermas, both associated with Rome. Church tradition is almost united in having Mark writing to the Romans from Rome, and Mark is associated with Peter who almost certainly spent the last few years of his life in Rome where he was martyred. Clues in the letter point to a Gentile audience and possibly even a Latin / Roman audience. Grammatical points as well as many explanations of Jewish customs and translations of Aramaic into Greek given in Mark.

D. Purpose
We can only sketch ideas on this and as we study Mark we’ll learn if we are right or not in our ideas here.
1) To make the Gospel accessible to Gentiles (a missiological aim)
2) To encourage those facing persecutions, particularly the beleaguered Christians in Rome.
3) To explain and defend the faith — particularly the nature of Christ being fully man and fully divine (as well as how Jesus fulfilled and superseded the Messianic expectation of the Jews)
4) To explain the significance of the cross (almost half the book is devoted to the last week of Christ’s life– the passion week), and Christ’s death is foretold in 3:6.

DISCUSSION: What other thoughts come to mind when you think of characteristics or traits of Mark. Are there other themes which come to mind?

3. Theme Verse — Mark 1:1

A. Gospel — (Evangel / Good News, from euangelizomai – to evangelize)
1) The “Gospel” is connected by the “as” in vs. 2 to the quotation in vs. 2-3. The intimation there as well as in 1:14-15 is that the “Gospel” is a fulfillment of something foretold in the Old Testament.

DISCUSSION: Can you think of other places where the “Gospel” is rooted in the Old Testament? Is “the Gospel” really in the Old Testament? Jot down your observations and thoughts.

Rom. 1:1-4 & 1 Cor. 15:1-4 root the Gospel in the OT Scriptures. Initial Gospel sermons stemmed from OT texts (Acts 2:16-36, 13:16-41). Gal. 3:8, Abraham had the gospel preached to him beforehand. 1 Pet. 1:25 ties the word of Isaiah 40 to the gospel preached in the NT era (as does Mk. 1:1 with 1:2-3 – Is. 40 again is quoted) [cf. 1 Pet. 1:10-12]. OT “Gospel” texts are Ps. 40:9, 68:11, 96:2, Is. 40:9, 41:27, 52:7, 61:1). The Good News of God’s saving reign, and the ushering in of an era of righteousness is foretold in Isaiah. Mark connects Jesus’ ministry with the beginning of that fulfillment. “The beginning of the Gospel…” (Already / Not Yet fulfillment)

Download this study in PDF ~ See all posts in this series.

The posts in this series include notes from a Men’s Bible Study I’m teaching on the Gospel of Mark every other Saturday morning. I am sharing them so they might possibly be a blessing to others. Feel free to download the lesson sheets and use them for your own purposes.