Bible Secrets Revealed?: A Response to the New History Channel Series (Part 5)
This is the fifth installment of a series of posts reviewing the new History Channel series entitled Bible Secrets Revealed (for others installements, see here, here, here, and here). I am now a few episodes behind due to (a) the holiday break, and (b) the fact that History Channel locked all their videos and restricted access. Not sure why they did this, but I have finally found a way to view them online.
The latest episode is entitled, “Mysterious Prophecies,” and examines the role of prophets in the history of Israel and the Church. Did these prophets really predict the future? Were the prophecies true? In particular, … Continue reading...
Bible Secrets Revealed?: A Response to the New History Channel Series (Part 2)
This is the second installment of my new blog series which responds to each new episode of the History Channel series, Bible Secrets Revealed (the previous installment can be found here). The latest episode is entitled, “The Promised Land.”
On a positive note, let me say from the beginning that the accuracy and balance of this latest episode is a substantive improvement over the debut episode. There are even interviews with scholars who disagreed with one another, rather than all sharing the same view.
That said, there are still a number of places where the documentary makes some claims that are problematic. Let me just mention a view.
1. … Continue reading...
“The Question of Canon” Now Available
I was just informed by IVP-Academic that my book, The Question of Canon: Challenging the Status Quo in the New Testament Debate, is now out and available for purchase (see here). This was a bit of a surprise because I haven’t received my own copy yet! But, I am glad to know it is out.
Here is the description of the book:
…Unlike many books on the New Testament canon, this book does not seek to explain why these books and no others. It asks the questions: Why is there a NT at all? Was the notion of a canon of literature out of sync with the earliest
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Thomas Jefferson Would Be Proud: Using Human Criteria to Decide the Bible’s Authority
This is the third and final installment of my (limited) review of A.E. Harvey’s book, Is Scripture Still Holy? Coming of Age with the New Testament. Prior installments can be found here and here.
As we have seen in prior posts, Harvey’s book is designed to critique the traditional Christian doctrine of the inspiration of Scripture. After arguing that (a) Scripture isn’t revelation anyway, only Jesus is God’s revelation; and (b) since humans were involved in writing and transmitting Scripture, then it is unreliable and likely corrupted, one might wonder whether Harvey tries to salvage any authority for the Bible at all.
At the end of chapter one, … Continue reading...
Did the Old Testament Borrow from ANE Literature? New RTS Charlotte Faculty Book
It is tough being an evangelical Old Testament scholar. As a New Testament scholar, I can say this. While the New Testament side of things has its own challenges, the Old Testament presents countless issues, questions, and potential pitfalls.
Examples of such issues are legion. How should we take the creation account in Gen 1? How much of Genesis is history? Who wrote the Pentateuch? Was the Old Testament transmitted with reliability? What about the textual variations in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Why would God command the Israelites to slaughter whole cities, including women and children?
However, in recent years, a new challenge to the OT has surfaced (though it … Continue reading...