Choosing a Doctoral Program (Chapter 1 of Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a PhD in Biblical Studies and Beyond)

Excerpt: Perhaps the greatest challenge for someone wanting to become a professor in biblical studies is selecting the best kind of program and institution at which to study. Furthermore, it is not only important to calculate the various factors involved in making the decision, but also thinking through the process and contingent issues ahead of time. Practically speaking, the advice offered in this book may be utilized and applied more efficiently for someone at the beginning of his or her master\u27s degree (or, even better, during a bachelor\u27s degree) than, for instance, at the stage of actually applying for the doctoral program. The reason why this is the case is because certain things can be done during one\u27s earlier education to align more properly with the kind of institution at which one might desire to seek admission

Lead Us Not Into Temptation, Deliver Us From Evil (Chapter in The Lord\u27s Prayer, Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary)

I recall, as a young child, having a number of superstitious assumptions. I remember being afraid of the dark, and at night, as I stood in my doorway, I believed that when I turned off the light switch I had to jump to my bed (for some reason thinking that I would be gobbled up by evil if my feet touched the ground in the darkness). Over time, though, I became less concerned about the dark and also about evil. Even today, as an adult, I do not think much about evil powers or spirits. I may make a one-off comment about having an unlucky day, but even then I tend to assume most aspects of life are under my control. Of course, throughout history most peoples around the world have had a vivid sense of the power of evil, and they have found various ways to ward off evil and invoke blessings-whether by means of magic or religion. Christians have long prayed, Deliver us from evil. I am not sure what most American Christians think as they utter these words; probably, like me, they don\u27t put much thought into it at all. But for most ancient people (Christian or not), entreating a higher power to ward off evil would have been a common, daily concern. Among archaeological finds from ancient Egypt, we have today significant evidence that the last line of the LP, deliver us from evil, was treated as a mantra or holy prayer for protection against malevolent spirits. Some of the Greek papyri scraps from ancient Egypt bear evidence of being folded so as to fit into a pocket, probably indicating that it was carried as a kind of amulet. Christians believed that their God was the God who safeguards his people. There is a question about whether Matthew 6:13 should be treated as two separate petitions or as one petition ( lead us not to temptation ) with a reinforcement ( but deliver us from evil ). It is most likely the latter, serving as a comprehensive prayer that God would protect and not expose to danger

Conference Participation and Publishing (Chapter Eight of Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies and Beyond)

Two clear marks of a good scholar or doctoral student are published pieces of research (articles, essays, reviews, etc.) and active participation in academic conferences (presenter, chair, respondent, etc.). Especially for graduate students, the research experience can be very isolated and have a minimal impact without attention to such avenues of dialogue and interaction. Also, practically speaking, when the time comes for the job search, a demonstration of such activity often shows that the prospective professor is a real participant of and contributor to the field of biblical studies. We will begin by discussing how to get involved in conferences

They Are Not Gods! Jewish and Christian Idol Polemic and Greco-Roman Use of Cult Statues

Excerpt: One set of trademark convictions of early Judaism and Christianity includes their aniconic tradition, monotheistic commitment, and polemic against idols. In the late second or early third century c .e ., for example, Christian apologist Minucius Felix mocked pagan idol worship with these words: “When does the god come into being? The image is cast, hammered, or sculpted; it is not yet a god. It is soldered, put together, and erected; it is still not a god. It is adorned, consecrated, prayed to—and now, finally, it is a god once man has willed it so and dedicated it” (see Oct. 22.5). The Christian haranguing of idolatry goes back to the Jewish Scriptures, most notably Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the Psalms.2 Similar polemical statements can be found in Habakkuk (2:18-20). This tradition is expanded in early Jewish texts such as Bel and the Dragon, Wisdom of Solomon, Apocalypse o f Abraham, the tractates of Philo, and, most extensively, the Epistle of Jeremiah.3 We find idol polemic in the NT in places such as Acts 19:26 and Rev 9:20.4 The wider idea that stands behind almost all Jewish and Christian idol-polemic texts is this: Do not worship statues, because they are not gods! (So Jer 16:20: “Can people make for themselves gods? Yes, but they are not gods!”; cf. Isa 37:19; Josephus A.J. 10.4.1 §50; Epistle of Jeremiah passim). According to this logic, idols should not be worshiped because they are handmade works; they are creations, not creators. As far as the early Jews and Christians were concerned, pagans worshiped blocks of metal, stone, and wood, and this was improper because such materials could never amount to a real “god.

Conference Participation and Publishing (Chapter Eight of Prepare, Succeed, Advance: A Guidebook for Getting a Ph.D. in Biblical Studies and Beyond)

Two clear marks of a good scholar or doctoral student are published pieces of research (articles, essays, reviews, etc.) and active participation in academic conferences (presenter, chair, respondent, etc.). Especially for graduate students, the research experience can be very isolated and have a minimal impact without attention to such avenues of dialogue and interaction. Also, practically speaking, when the time comes for the job search, a demonstration of such activity often shows that the prospective professor is a real participant of and contributor to the field of biblical studies. We will begin by discussing how to get involved in conferences

Exhortation to Persevere and Grow in Holiness, Love, and Integrity (1 Thess 4:1-12) (Chapter in 1 & 2 Thessalonians)

Excerpt: In the first three chapters of 1 Thessalonians, Paul\u27s primary concern involved extending compassion and comfort to a suffering and troubled church. There is a gracious, warm, generous tone. He reminds them of how special they are, and how attentive God is to their plight. He reminds them of how God has worked among them in power in the past, he is at work in the present, and he will act again on their behalf through Messiah Jesus at his return. He confesses to them his longing to have close fellowship with them-they are loved and missed. But Paul\u27s purpose in writing is not purely to offer reassurance and comfort. He also writes to them to remind them of God\u27s expectations for their lifestyle and behavior. It is important for them to know that God has called them into his glorious kingdom\u27\u27 (2:12), but this calling is also a privilege, a lifelong response and responsibility. They are called to live according to kingdom standards. The constitution of their kingdom citizenship requires holiness, not impurity (4:7). Three main topics are treated in this early section of chapter four: holiness (4:1-8), love (4:9-10), and integrity (4:11-12)

The Synoptic Problem (Introduction and Chapter One of A Beginner\u27s Guide to New Testament Studies: Understanding Key Debates)

Excerpt: When I first entered theological education as a seminary student, I found myself completely lost in the world of biblical scholarship. Not only were there so many technical terms I couldn’t define and histories of interpretation with which I was not acquainted, but it seemed like there were two, or three, or ten views on various debated issues, and I had trouble keeping them straight. Oh, how I wished I had a map that could help me find my way through the maze of scholarship, or a guide to clue me into this view and that view

The Theology of Paul\u27s Cultic Metaphors: A History of Research (Chapter One of Worship that Makes Sense to Paul)

In this precis of the most significant contributions on the topic of Paul\u27s cultic metaphors, our scope will be limited (wherever possible) by giving attention to the most influential treatments, but special interest will be directed towards those studies focused on non-atonement metaphors and those that concentrate solely on Paul\u27s letters. Finally, we will try to narrow the field of discussion further by attending specifically to what theological conclusions are made

Introduction to The State of New Testament Studies

Excerpt: I (Nijay) first encountered the book The Face of New Testament Studies, this book\u27s predecessor, when I was in graduate school. I went to seminary primarily because I wanted to learn how to study the Bible in depth for personal and ministry formation. I had not studied the Bible in an academic setting prior to that. The world of biblical studies for this neophyte seminary student was intriguing but mystifying-so many technical terms, multiple differing perspectives, views, and ideas proposed and presented, and all of this was in flux as scholarship moved forward decade after decade. Thankfully, The Face of New Testament Studies (2004) gave me insight into the landscape of NT studies, provided some counsel on the key questions and issues under debate and showed me how different views go in different directions and why. Now, about fifteen years later, the landscape inevitably has changed. Not completely, of course. To play a bit more with the geographical metaphor, we can say that certain landmarks, oceans, and mountains will probably always be there, but some parts of this world have grown, others have eroded, and some have gone through a life cycle of destruction and renewal. This new volume, The State of New Testament Studies, has a similar objective for a new landscape of scholarship: to orient readers to the field of NT studies today. We have retained the basic structure of the earlier book, but all essays are freshly written by current experts, and we have expanded the scope of the project

Intermediate Biblical Greek Reader: Galatians and Related Texts

After completing basic biblical Greek, students are often eager to continue to learn and strengthen their skills of translation and interpretation. This intermediate graded reader is designed to meet those needs. The reader is “intermediate” in the sense that it presumes the user will have already learned the basics of Greek grammar and syntax and has memorized Greek vocabulary words that appear frequently in the New Testament. The reader is “graded” in the sense that it moves from simpler translation work (Galatians) towards more advanced readings from the book of James, the Septuagint, and from one of the Church Fathers. In each reading lesson, the Greek text is given, followed by supplemental notes that offer help with vocabulary, challenging word forms, and syntax. Discussion questions are also included to foster group conversation and engagement. There are many good Greek readers in existence, but this reader differs from most others in a few important ways. Most readers offer text selections from different parts of the Bible, but in this reader the user works through one entire book (Galatians). All subsequent lessons, then, build off of this interaction with Galatians through short readings that are in some way related to Galatians. The Septuagint passages in the reader offer some broader context for texts that Paul quotes explicitly from the Septuagint. The Patristic reading from John Chrysystom comes from one of his homilies on Galatians. This approach to a Greek reader allows for both variety and coherence in the learning process. Other unique features within this intermediate Greek reader include a set of word studies for important Greek words in Galatians, a discussion of the basics of textual criticism, and a brief glossary of syntax and key concepts in biblical Greek. This reader is a collaborative project that developed out of an advanced Greek course at Portland Seminary (2017-2018). The following students contributed equally to the content of the textbook. Alexander Finkelson (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Bryn Pliska Girard (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Charles E. R. Jesch (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Paul C. Moldovan (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Jenny E. Siefken (MATS, Portland Seminary, current student) Julianna Kaye Smith (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018) Jana Whitworth (MDIV, Portland Seminary, current student) Kyle J. Williams (MATS, Portland Seminary, 2018)https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/pennington_epress/1001/thumbnail.jp