Evangelical Review of Theology 45, 4 (November 2021)

The latest Evangelical Review of Theology, published by The World Evangelical Alliance, is now online and available in its entirty as a pdf here.

Introduction: Articles with a Long Shelf Life

Thomas Schirrmacher

Paul Was a Religious Extremist Too

Andrew Messmer

The Inspiration, Authority and Inerrancy of Scripture in the History of Christian Thought

This article traces attitudes towards the Bible amongst leading Christian thinkers from the early church to the present, showing that (with some change in how the concepts have been understood) the church has generally affirmed the Bible’s inspiration, authority and inerrancy ever since the formation of the New Testament canon. Organized into four major time periods, the article should be a valuable resource for all who wish to uphold the Bible’s credibility.

Glenn N. Davies

The Relation between Biblical Law and Christian Faith

This article masterfully, through parallel sections with ample scriptural support, depicts the continuity of God’s dealing with humanity across both Old Testament and New Testament times with regard to law, grace and obedience.

Dennis P. Petri

Christians in Cuba: Dealing with Subtle Forms of Repression

The restrictions on religious freedom imposed by the Cuban state – a direct consequence of the authoritarian nature of the regime and its atheist and anti- religious ideology – are well-known. Much less understood is the subtle nature of the vulnerability of Christians, especially after the changes that have occurred since the 1990s. This article examines their situation in depth.

Peirong Lin

Building the Kingdom of God in Europe: Reflecting Theologically on One’s Self-Understanding

In this short essay, the WEA’s Deputy Secretary General, a Singapore native now working in Europe, reflects on her experience as a foreign woman in a male- dominated, sometimes unfriendly context and develops an understanding of how she – and, by extension, all of us – can build the kingdom of God each day, wherever we are.

Ebenezer Yaw Blasu and Joshua D. Settles

The ‘Surprise’ in Mission History: Prospects for African Cross-Cultural Mission to the West

The Christian mission enterprise has grown greatly in multi-cultural understanding since the famed Edinburgh World Missionary Conference of 1910, but in some ways, Western Christianity still strains to open itself to the empowering influences of the burgeoning church in Africa. This article reviews historical developments, through a fascinating comparison between 1910 and 2010, and offers concrete suggestions from an African perspective.

James Reiher

The Letter to Philemon: Its Background and Enduring Significance

Philemon is a short letter with a compelling – but implicit – story line. This article carefully investigates the main theories as to what lay behind the fascinating interaction of Paul, Philemon and Onesimus and identifies the contemporary applications we can make regardless of which theory is true.

D. Apostle

Locust Attacks in India and in the Book of Joel: Are They the Same?

COVID-19 and other natural threats have intensified speculation amongst various Christian groups as to whether ‘the end is near’. This article responds to one recent set of speculations, following the severe locust attacks of 2020 in India and parts of Africa, and suggests a more reasoned response to the question of whether they fulfil Joel’s prophecies.

Book Reviews

Mark Meynell on Colossians and Philemon

Every month, The Good Book Company make available digital versions of one of their books at no charge. This month (September 2021) it’s Colossians & Philemon for You by Mark Meynell – which is excellent – and is available in exchange for an email address here.

Robert Plummer on σπλάγχνα in Philemon

I’ve been following and enjoying Daily Dose of Greek videos since I posted about it here.

In today’s special weekend video, Robert L. Plummer looks at the three uses of σπλάγχνα (splanchna) in Philemon – which I’d not spotted before, and which is especially interesting as the word is fairly rare in the New Testament, being used on only 11 occasions.

Todd D. Still on Philippians

Todd D. Still, Philippians & Philemon, The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary 27b (Macon: Smyth & Helwys, forthcoming 2011), 256pp., ISBN 9781573120845.

Smyth & Helwys make available an excerpt of this forthcoming commentary by Todd Still on Philippians and Philemon.

After a fair bit of front matter, the excerpt includes the Introduction to Philippians, taking in the city of Philippi, the church at Philippi, and Paul’s letter to the Philippians (looking at the unity of the letter, the reasons for the letter, and the date and place of writing).

Still also includes a section on three recurring themes woven through Philippians:

• Christian Confidence

• Christian Communion and Moral Insight

• Christian Imitation

‘Taken together, then, Paul pens Philippians to encourage the fellowship to stand firm in the gospel (1:27; cf. 3:16) and to call them to embrace and exhibit a Christ-like habit of mind (2:5). The church’s commitment to such aims is to be evinced by its continued fidelity, congregational unity, ethical excellence, and heavenly hope (see esp. 2:1-4, 12-15; 3:7-16; 3:20-21; 4:8-9, 13, 19)’ (17).

And here are the main divisions in his outline of the letter:

Address and Greeting, 1:1-2

Thanksgiving and Prayer, 1:3-11

Paul’s Imprisonment and the Gospel’s Advancement, 1:12-18a

Paul’s Deliverance and Departure, 1:18b-26

Life as Christian Citizens, 1:27-30

Unity through Humility, 2:1-11

Pauline Exhortations in Light of Christ’s Lordship, 2:12-18

Timothy and Epaphroditus: Models of the Gospel, 2:19-30

Transition and Reiteration, 3:1

Paul’s Opponents and Past, 3:2-6

A New Orientation, 3:7-16

Type and Antitype, 3:17–4:1

Miscellaneous Exhortations, 4:2-9

Renewed Concern and Contentment beyond Circumstances, 4:10-20

Concluding Comments, 4:21-23

New Covenant Commentary Series

Last week I took delivery of the inaugural volumes in a new commentary series, written by the two editors of the series, Michael F. Bird and Craig S. Keener:

Michael F. Bird, Colossians and Philemon: A New Covenant Commentary, New Covenant Commentary Series (Eugene: Cascade, 2009), xiv + 177pp., ISBN 9781606081310.

Craig S. Keener, Romans: A New Covenant Commentary, New Covenant Commentary Series (Eugene: Cascade, 2009), xxv + 268pp., ISBN 9781606081563.

I have already started to read the one on Colossians and Philemon, and I’m very impressed with what I’ve found. The blurb on the back says that the commentary combines ‘exegetical insight, rhetorical analysis, theological exposition, and practical application all in one short volume’. My first thought was, ‘What? All that – in 177 pages?’ Actually, it might be right.

The series itself is designed ‘for ministers and students who require a commentary that interacts with the text and context of each New Testament book and pays specific attention to the impact of the text upon the faith and praxis of contemporary faith communities’.

It claims a number of distinguishing features:

• The contributors come from diverse backgrounds, denominationally and from around the world, with an international set of writers drawn from every continent (except Antarctica), supporting its intention ‘to engage in the task of biblical interpretation and theological reflection from the perspective of the global church’.

• The commentaries deal with larger units of the text rather than provide a verse-by-verse treatment, seeking to interpret the ‘story’ in the text.

• The series aims to reflect on how the New Testament ‘impacts the life, faith, ministry, and witness of the New Covenant Community today’, sometimes by offering comments in a ‘Fusing the Horizons’ section, providing windows into community formation (‘how the text shapes the mission and character of the believing community’) and ministerial formation (‘how the text shapes the ministry of Christian leaders’).

I look forward to seeing how the series develops.