Who Is Your Favorite Theologian?

Like preachers, I have different theologian that I like and use for different reasons. Ryrie remarks that he did not write Basic Theology for the professional theologian. I find little that I disagree with in Ryrie’s Basic Theology. I know he is not as deep as other theologians but that was not his purpose in Basic Theology. He revealed his scholarship in other writings. He also helps me in communicating doctrines to my church members who also are not professional theologians.

Paul Enn’s The Moody Handbook of Theology is also good for my purposes but he covers Biblical, Historical, Systematic, Dogmatic, and Contemporary Theology, which cuts back on the Bible doctrine content.

I also like and use Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology to add depth to Ryrie. I like his coverage of the attributes of God. He also has a good argument for baptism by immersion.

I like to read Michael Horton’s Christian Faith for even more depth than Ryrie and Grudem. Horton in some of his writings has a strong defense of cessationism and actually refutes Grudem’s continuing gift of prophecy which is significant coming from a Reformed theologian.

I like Mike Stallard’s journal articles on dispensationalism, eschatology, and theological method.

Coming back to Charles Ryrie, in his Dispensationalism in 1995, he gives a scholarly reply to progressive dispensationalism. In his Dispensationalism Today in 1965, he responded to Covenant Theology. Ryrie wrote 32 books which have sold over 1.5 million copies. His study Bible has sold 2.6 million copies. The Ryrie Study Bible, Balancing the Christian Life, and Basic Theology have been best sellers. I mention these facts to show the influence of Ryrie was not only in Academia but among rank and file Christians who have benefited from his writings put on their level. Of course, he impacted Bible scholars from teaching Systematic theology and serving as dean of doctoral studies at DTS. His influence was board and lasting.

 

Is there a theological consequence to life on other planets?

I was actually asked this question by a pastoral search committee once. The question was “How would I respond to the church if it was reported by the news media that life had been discovered on Mars?” Recently this issue was brought up by National Geographic Magazine on September 14th. The article title was “Possible sign of life on Venus stirs up heated debate” by Nadia Drake. She wrote: "Something deadly might be wafting through the clouds shrouding Venus: a smelly, flammable gas called phosphine that annihilates life-forms reliant on oxygen for survival. Ironically though, the scientists who today announced of this noxious gas in the Venusian atmosphere say it could be tantalizing, if controversial, evidence of life on the planet next door."

Read more

Sermon Evaluation Form

Here is a sermon evaluation form that can be used in internships and preaching classes.

Preacher Sermon Title Scripture

__________________ Date ________

I. Textual Faithfulness 1 2 3 4

    A. Overall, was the sermon faithful to the text?

    B. What was the MPS of the sermon?

    C. What was the main divisions that developed the MPS?

II. Instruction 1 2 3 4

     A. How did this sermon engage your mind?

     B. Were you persuaded by the sermon’s MPS?

     C.  Was the passage adequately explained?

III. Communication 1 2 3 4     

        A. Movement

             1.     Introduction got my attention

             2.     Introduction laid foundation for the sermon

             3.     Did sermon have clear outline?

             4.     Sense of momentum?

        B. Order and Unity

             1.     Main divisions developed

             2.     Organized progression to sermon

             3.     Illustrations subservient to truth

             4.     Transitions were clear  

             5.     Was the sermon unified?

             6.     Length of sermon

IV. Delivery

       A. Language and vocabulary

       B. Voice inflection/volume/clarity

       C. Eye contact

       D. Pulpit presence

Take sermon notes at bottom to finish statements & questions below

1. Mention one positive

2. Mention one area of improvement

 

 

Key Words and Markers in Mark

The following connectors help students and preachers of God’s Word know where the author is changing from one scene and theme to the next.

1. “again” πάλιν

10:32 Mark uses πάλιν (temporal adverb) mostly to simply express repetition as “again.” Decker notes, however, there is a discourse use of πάλιν which provides textual cohesion at the discourse level when it links different episodes as in Mark 10:32. Decker states that πάλιν “marks a seam between two periscopes and, along with the geographical notation, serves to introduce the second.” In Mark 10:32, the geographic location is Mark’s first reference to Jerusalem in the second section and along with πάλιν introduces Jesus’ third prediction.

Read more

Review of Markan Sandwiches: The Significance of Interpolations in Markan Narratives in Novum Testamentum XXXI. 3(1989) 193-216 by James R. Edwards

Inclusios differ from intercalations. While inclusios “bookend” episodes, intercalations interrupt and “sandwich” a single episode. (Mark L. Strauss. Mark: Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 47). Inclusios differ from intercalations.

Bookends in Mark

The healing of the blind man (8:22-26) is in two stages or through repeated touches. In the first stage, the blind man has his sight partially restored. In the second stage, his sight is completely restored. Jesus repeatedly teaches His disciples who He is because of their spiritual blindness. The myopic disciples are like the blind man in stage one. They are only partially seeing who Jesus is.

Conclusion to the inclusio: The healing of blind Bartimaeus (10:46-52) at Jericho, which is only seventeen miles north of Jerusalem. They are almost at the end of their six months journey to Jerusalem and discipleship and still the disciples do not see orunderstand who Jesus is or who they are as disciples.

Sandwiches in Mark

The third section of Mark opens with an intercalation. Jesus enters Jerusalem but finds no spirituality (11:1-11). The cleansing of the temple is “sandwiched” with two episodes about the fig tree. He curses the fig tree that has no natural fruit (11:12-14). Next, Jesus cleanses the temple where is no spiritual fruit (11:15-18). The next day, Jesus and his disciples find the fig tree withered down to its roots (11:19-20). Rhoads and Michie call this “framing” which, like in movies, creates suspense. “Framing also provides commentary. The two related stories illuminate and enrich each other” (David Rhodes and Donald Michie. Mark As Story: An Introduction to the Narrative of a Gospel (Philadelphia: Fortress Press) 1982, 51). The fig tree and the temple, both lacked fruit that Jesus expects from his disciples.

Read more

“The NEW Factual Data” Sheet for the Gospel of Mark

The idea of “The Factual Data” sheet comes from reading that Warren W. Wiersbe’s homiletic teacher, Lloyd Perry who used a generic “Factual Data” sheet for sermon preparation. I have adapted “The Factual Data” sheet to the different genres (Narratives, Hebrew Poetry, the Epistles, and the Gospels) of Scripture instead of one-size fits all approach

Read more

Sources for the Study and Preaching of Mark

Sources for Studying and Preaching the Gospel of Mark

Thomas Constable’s Commentaries at Lumina.bible.org (Commentary on all 66 books of the Bible)

Preceptaustin preceptaustin.org (32 commentaries and 17 sermon series)

Wisdom for the Heart (23 sermons by Stephen Davie)

Steven Cole sermons (Unfortunately, he did not do a series on Mark)

Annotated bibliography

Book

France, R. T. (2002). The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text (pp. 1–47). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.

R. T. France has an excellent introduction to Mark. He divides Mark into three Acts and follows the geographical divisions of Mark. France also sees the twofold theme of Mark including Christ and his disciples: “Discipleship is the proper outcome of a healthy Christology” (The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002, 28)

Read more

Messianic Secret in the Gospel of Mark

The accusers and critics of Jesus did not all die in the first century. We want to answer a modern opponent of who Jesus was. In his discussion of the theology of Mark, Craig Evans notes that Mark’s theology is revealed in the Messianic Secret (see footnote 1). The Messianic Secret according to its originator, William Wrede, was first manifested in Jesus forbidding others to proclaim he was the Messiah (demons in 1:34; healed leper in 1:44), and second, the disciples’ failure to understand who Jesus claimed to be (in the three passion predictions in Mark 8, 9, 10)), and third, Jesus’ teaching, such as the parables (4:11-12), which meant to conceal. Wrede, contended that Jesus did not know he was the Messiah and no one recognized Jesus as the Messiah, until after his resurrection and that Mark had to create the Messianic Secret to show how no one recognized Jesus as the Messiah before the resurrection (see footnote 2). “These were all editoral and unhistorical…By inventing the ‘messianic secret’ Mark removed a source of embarrassment for the theology of the church by explaining why Jesus was not more generally recognized as Messiah during His lifetime” (see footnote 3).

Read more

Review of The Synoptic Problem by Daniel Wallace at Bible.org

Wallace notes that he is following Robert H. Stein’s The Synoptic Problem: An Introduction.

Wallace opens his thirty-page article stating that “Any serious discussion of the Synoptic Gospels must, sooner or later, involve a discussion of the literary interrelationships among Matthew, Mark, and Luke. This is essential in order to see how an author used his sources (both for reliability’s sake as well as for redactional criticism), as well as when he wrote.”

Robert H. Stein’s The Synoptic Problem: An Introduction1 summarizes well the issues involved in the synoptic problem—as well as its probable solution. For the most part, our discussion will follow his outline.

Read more

Review of Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek by Constantine R. Campbell

The simplest way to define verbal aspect is viewpoint. An author views an action, event, or state from the outside of an action, event, or state is called perfective aspect. The helicopter view of beginning and end of the parade. Inside of an action, event, or state is called imperfective aspect. The street or inside view of the parade. Verbal aspect in Greek is called a synthetic semantic category because aspect is realized in the morphological forms of verbs. Verbal aspect represents a subjective choice (20).

Read more

Review of Advances in The Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading The New Testament by Constantine R. Campbell

“Insofar as we love the gospel, to that same extent, let us study the ancient tongues”----Martin Luther

Constantine Campbell answers questions about his book.

1. What is this book about? “The issues of contention, development, and even revolution are the focus here” (21). The topic concerns Koine Greek and not ancient.

2. How is this book unique? Over the past thirty there has been a paradigm shift and Campbell discusses these shifts such as the rise of discourse analysis and verbal aspect.

3. Why is this book needed? Advances in Greek linguistics can lead to insights into text and correct long term errors (23).

4. Why include these topics? Campbell answers this question by giving a preview of his coming chapters.

5. How should this book be used? It should be used for both personal study and classroom work because these are his classroom notes converted into a book (26).

6. What is the intended outcome of this book? Campbell gives eight outcomes he desires to result from the reading of his book.

Read more

Review of Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek: A Survey of Basic Concepts and Applications by David Alan Black (Grand Rapids: Baker Books) Second Edition, 1995

Why Study Linguistics? The most important reason is to help us understand “the meaning of the New Testament.” (3).

What is a Linguist? “The linguisit’s work is understanding and describing the nature of language.

What is Linguistics? “Linguistics is the science that attempts to understand language from the point of view of its ‘inner workings’---what linguists call internal structure.” (5).

How Do Linguists Go About Their Work? They use two approaches. First, there is descriptive linguistics. The grammar of a language is the chief concern of a descriptive linguistic.

Read more

Review of The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research (Editors: Scot McKnight and Grant R. Osborne.

I am only reviewing chapter 19 which is Mark’s Gospel by Peter G. Bolt. Bolt traces the history of the study of Mark beginning with the

The Early Period

“This history has been characterized as one of long-standing neglect and recent rediscovery” (391). Augustine’s statement contributed to this neglect: “Mark follows [Matthew] closely and looks as if he were his servant and epitomist” (De consensus evangelistarum 1.2[4]).

Read more

Review of Temporal Deixis of the Greek Verb in the Gospel of Mark with Reference to Verbal Aspect by Rodney J. Decker

“One of Porter’s major arguments is that Greek does not grammaticalize time in the form of the verb, but relies on deictic indicators to signal temporal relationships. The significant semantic factor connected with the form of the verb is not time but aspect” (1). In a footnote, Decker writes: “In this work reference will be made to verb forms rather than to verb tenses to avoid the (often unconscious) association of temporal reference with the morphological categories of present, aorist, perfect, etc. (159). Decker examined Porter’s view on verbal aspect and agreed that Porter’s view on verbal aspect is the true view.

Read more

Review of One Bible, Many Versions: Are All Translations Created Equal? By Dave Brunn

Dave Brunn states that the church is divided over which standard is right in Bible translations. Should the translation be “Word for Word” or “Thought for Thought”? For example, a literal, word for word translation of 2 Timothy 2:5 is “is not crowned” in the NKJV and ESV. A thought for thought translation is “does not win the prize” in the NASB which is considered a literal translation. Brunn provides a chart with 93 examples where the NASB gives a “thought for thought” translation and the NKJV, ESV, NIV, and HCSB give a “word for word” translation. This is surprising because the NASB has been called the “Most Literal.”

Read more

The Model Disciple in Mark 10:46-52

Today, we will go visit my dad’s grave. This is the first Father’s Day after his death. At dad’s funeral I said, “Dad was not perfect, but he was forgiven.” That thought reminds me of the twelve disciples, Jesus is training. Jesus gives them their last object lesson before their six month crash course in Discipleship is complete. The healing of the blind beggar Bartimaeus is Jesus last miracle before entering Jerusalem in 11:1

Read more

The Importance of Biblical and Systematic Theology for Church Ministry

The importance of Biblical Theology to the church ministry is both direct and indirect. Biblical Theology directly helps us do church ministry by enabling us to preach the Biblical theology themes of Scripture and show the unity of the Bible. Edward W. Klink III and Darian R. Lockett make this point in their discussion of the history of redemption: “the major themes and overarching structural ideas (e.g., covenant, a kingdom, and promise and fulfillment).” Our preaching on these great themes also shows our people how to study the Bible.[1] Klink and Lockett call this the “Chicago School” approach of D.A. Carson and his “whole-Bible Biblical Theology.” But the Biblical Theology of the “Dallas School” can aid the preacher’s ministry of preaching through books. The “Dallas School” approach is described by Darrell L. Bock: “Biblical theology is an attempt to study individual contributions of a given writer or a given period to the canons’ message.”[2] This is different from the “whole-Bible Biblical Theology” of D. A. Carson and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. “The Dallas School” approach is found in two Biblical theologies produced by the faculty of Dallas Theological Seminary: A Biblical Theology of the Old Testament and A Biblical Theology of the New Testament. The second volume includes “A Theology of Matthew”, “A Theology of Mark”, as well as Luke-Acts, John’s Writings, etc. This approach would greatly help preaching a series through one of these books. And, again, this kind of Biblical Theology preaching demonstrates to our people how to study a book of the Bible.

Read more

The Role of Textual Criticism and Translation Theory in NT Exegesis

The impact of textual criticism on exegesis is demonstrated in the translation theory debate. This involves two translational philosophies: Former and Functional. The translation theory debate also spills over into the gender-inclusive language debate. A third area of concern is the selection of the best translation for the serious Bible student. This paper purposes that the solution to these debates is to find the balance of the extremes and avoid the extremes.

Read more