I Don’t Even Know the Rules of Rugby!

But I hope this other Jim Hamilton enjoys the sport and bows the knee to King Jesus. 

Nice find, Dr. Bird : )

Guest Blogging at Moore to the Point

This week I’ll be guest blogging over at Moore to the Point while Dr. Russell D. Moore is in the Holy Land.

If you’re not already subscribed to the RSS there, or if you don’t already have him on your google reader, I suggest you remedy that deficiency right now. It’s amazing to me that so much is available to us immediately and for free on so many quality blogs.

Enjoy!

“Nativity” by John Donne

Nativity

Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.

“Annunciation” by John Donne

John Donne, 1572-1631

Annunciation

Salvation to all that will is nigh;
That All, which always is all everywhere,
Which cannot sin, and yet all sins must bear,
Which cannot die, yet cannot choose but die,
Lo, faithful virgin, yields Himself to lie
In prison, in thy womb; and though He there
Can take no sin, nor thou give, yet He will wear,
Taken from thence, flesh, which death’s force may try.
Ere by the spheres time was created, thou
Wast in His mind, who is thy Son and Brother;
Whom thou conceivst, conceived; yea thou art now
Thy Maker’s maker, and thy Father’s mother;
Thou hast light in dark, and shutst in little room,
Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb.

All Things Are Better in Koine

Some talented folks out at Biola–this is hysterical:

Thanks to Justin Taylor for sending this to me.

Dan Wallace DVD’s on the Reliability of the Text of the NT

There aren’t many things in the world that are more significant than the text of the New Testament. Without it, after all, we don’t know what Jesus said or did, and we don’t know how the Apostles interpreted and proclaimed what God had done in Jesus. The New Testament is the most basic witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ, apart from which there is no reconciliation to God the Father, no forgiveness of sins, and no hope for deliverance from sin, death, and hell (if you want to know more about this gospel, click the “Two Ways to Live” icon on the right side of this page).

All this means that the work of the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts is very, very important. They are taking high resolution photos of the best manuscripts of the New Testament, which allows them to do two things: 1) it preserves these manuscripts in highly readable form, and 2) it makes possible the dissemination of these manuscripts–people who would otherwise have no access to them can get to them if they have a computer and an internet connection.

If you would like to learn more, a great place to start would be these two DVD’s of lectures done by Dr. Wallace. Here’s a release advertising these two DVD’s:  

Two DVD videos on the reliability of the New Testament manuscripts 

Several have asked about getting a hold of Dr. Daniel B. Wallace’s plenary address, delivered at the Evangelical Theological Society’s annual meeting in November 2008; others have wanted to get his lecture at apologetics conferences and in churches on whether our Bible today essentially reflects the wording of the original text. Both of these lectures are now available as video DVDs. They would make great Christmas presents—and the price is nominal. The ordering information is available below. 

“Is What We Have Now What They Wrote Then?”

A lecture at an apologetics conference in Providence, Rhode Island, 2008, about whether our printed New Testaments today accurately represent the original text. 

“Challenges in New Testament Textual Criticism for the 21st Century”

A plenary lecture at the annual Evangelical Theological Society meeting in Providence, Rhode Island, 2008, on current issues in NT textual criticism. 

The price of each video DVD is $10. The price of both video DVDs together is $15. Texas residents also will pay 8.25% sales tax. Allow two to four weeks for delivery. 

Also, if you haven’t signed up yet, you owe it to yourself to get the free monthly e-newsletter of the Friends of CSNTM (the Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts). ‘Friends’ update you on the adventures of Dr. Wallace and his team as they travel all over the world in search of New Testament manuscripts. To sign up, simply respond to this email. You’ll get the next e-newsletter at the beginning of the month. 

Friends of CSNTM (friendsofcsntm@gmail.com)

You can order the DVD’s here. 

May the Lord prosper his word! 

The Center of Biblical Theology in Acts

Andy Naselli announces the release of Themelios 33.3:

The latest issue of Themelios was released today, and it is outstanding! (It is available as a 129-page PDF or inHTML.)

1. Editorial | D. A. Carson
2. Minority Report: The Way of the Christian Academic | Carl Trueman
3. The Gospel and the Poor | Tim Keller
4. Shared Intentions? Reflections on Inspiration and Interpretation in Light of Scripture’s Dual Authorship | Jared M. Compton
5. The Center of Biblical Theology in Acts: Deliverance and Damnation Display the Divine | James M. Hamilton Jr.
6. Salvation History, Chronology, and Crisis: A Problem with Inclusivist Theology of Religions, Part 2 of 2 | Adam Sparks
7. Ezra, According to the Gospel: Ezra 7:10 | Philip Graham Ryken
8. Book Reviews | 32 reviews
   1. Old Testament | 4 reviews
   2. New Testament | 6 reviews
   3. history and historical theology | 4 reviews
   4. systematic theology and bioethics | 16 reviews
   5. ethics and pastoralia | 1 review
   6. missions and culture | 2 reviews

A revision of my 2005 ETS presentation, “The Center of Biblical Theology in Acts: Deliverance and Damnation Display the Divine” appears in this issue. The essay can be accessed in either HTML or PDF format. 

I am at work on a larger project on the Center of Biblical Theology, and I welcome any feedback that might present objections I should answer, things I should make more clear, or any suggestions as to how I could improve the argument I’m trying to make.

Or if you just want to register your opinion that there’s no center to biblical theology or that I’m wrong about what it is, you can of course do that in the comments, too.

Is A. T. Robertson Your Homeboy?

Well, perhaps like me you’re a little hesitant to assert “A. T. Robertson is my homeboy,” because we would not want to communicate any disrespect, and from the stories we’ve heard about the way he would summon students to stand up in class and give recitations of the lesson, we might be a little afraid to provoke a test we might not pass! 

This is a brilliant photo from JT’s post, however, and I think that A. T. Robertson would be glad to have all of us who are committed to the diligent study of the Greek New Testament for the good of God’s people and the glory of Christ say, “A. T. Robertson is my homeboy.” 

Here’s what he wrote in the preface to the third edition of the most important book Broadman and Holman sells, A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research (you can get the PDF free online, and it comes with BibleWorks, but there is great value in having a print copy you can mark up as you go through it): 

“It is gratifying to know that ministers are using it in their studies as one of the regular tools in the shop. In the classroom only selected portions can be covered, but the preacher can use it every day (as many do) in his reading and study of the Greek New Testament. There are many ministers who read the Greek New Testament through once a year, some of it every day, besides the solid, critical study of a Gospel or Epistle with commentary, lexicon and grammar. This is the work that pays one a hundredfold in his preaching” (xvii). 

Amen! And may many so give themselves to the assiduous study of the Greek New Testament that they find themselves making daily recourse to Robertson’s grammar. If you do that, my friend, A. T. Robertson will indeed be your homeboy.

Robertson’s prefaces to this grammar are rich with his humility, his love for the Lord, and his recognition of the immensity of the task he attempted. 

Thanks to Rod Decker, you can now access Robertson’s inaugural address here at Southern Seminary. JT has some choice quotes from it.

How to Prepare for Second Semester Greek

Second semester Greek is done different ways in different places. Some places take two semesters to go through a grammar like Mounce’s, other places go through the elements of the language in one semester and jump into Syntax and Exegesis in the second semester. Here at SBTS, we do the latter, but before I address those who have been through all the elements of the language and are ready to move forward, let me address those who may need a basic review of the language. 

A Basic Review of Greek

Ted Hildebrandt of Gordon College has put a whole set of videos online that will take you through the entire language. There are worse things you could do with your time than watch these videos. Seriously, these are a treasure trove! We should all thank Ted Hildebrandt for putting these videos online for free! Whatever basic Greek Grammar you have, you’ll be able to match one of Hildebrandt’s videos with the chapters in the book you have. 

All you need is the discipline to do this every day until you have watched all the videos. Hildebrandt has 28 units online, each with a number of different videos. 

Hildebrandt has also made available mp3 files both for Vocabulary words and for the whole book of 1 John–and this stuff is all free! If you don’t remember your vocabulary, get these onto CD’s or your iPod and listen to them while you’re in the car or on the treadmill, while you mow the lawn or do the dishes. 

In my opinion, Hildebrandt’s site is the best place to go to review first semester or first year Greek. If you’re looking to get your Greek back, look no further. Get after it. Make it an appointment. Put it in your calendar. Don’t be late and don’t play hookey. 

Moving Forward after Review

I really have nothing to say here other than this: get your Greek New Testament out and read it. Every day. Start small, say, with one to four verses. Read. Understand all the vocab and all the parsings (using whatever you need to use–BibleWorks, Kubo or Burer and Miller, and or the Analytical Greek New Testament, or some free software), then read and re-read that one to four verse section until you don’t have to look at the parsing tool or the vocab list to understand the meaning of the words, their grammatical function in this context, and how they work together to communicate meaning. Read the passage again and again until you can put everything together. If this has taken all the time you’ve alloted to yourself for this task for the day, go on to whatever is next. If you have more time, read the next verse.

The important thing is that you stay with it. Read every day for 15 to 30 minutes at least. If you have more time, give it more time.

I can remember Dr. John Hannah relating in class one day that he was once at the photo-copier at the same time that S. Lewis Johnson was there. Dr. Hannah said that Dr. Johnson, who was older than Hannah, looked at him and said, “John, if I had everything to do over again I would spend a lot more time reading the Bible.” 

When we come to the end of our days there are many things we will regret. Assuming we don’t ignore the wife and kids to do it (which will be regretted–don’t do that!), we will not regret the time we spent studying to show ourselves approved. 

PS: If you’re in my Greek Syntax and Exegesis class here at SBTS in the spring, I suggest you get the syllabus from ecampus and make the biblical texts we’ll cover in class the texts you’re working through over the break. 

Enjoy! And may the Lord bless the reading and the hearing of his most holy word.

How to Prepare for Second Semester Hebrew

As we cross the finish line for the fall semester, we know that a starting line is just in front of us. The end of the fall portends the beginning of the spring. If you’ve just finished your first semester of Hebrew, Solomon has a word for you:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard, consider its ways and be wise” (Prov 6:6). 

If you’re here at SBTS, you have a big chunk of time between now and the start of the spring semester. You have more than 30 days. Be wise. Be like an ant. Be diligent. Here’s what I recommend you do to get ready for the second semester of Hebrew. 

No matter what grammar you used for the first semester, and no matter what grammar you’ll use in class for the second semester, go buy this one: 

Get the book, the workbook, and the DVD’s, and take an hour a day and work through the first 27 chapters. Do this: 

(1) read the text of the chapter you’re studying

(2) watch the accompanying chapter lecture on the DVD

(3) go back over the text of the chapter in the book, and do not proceed to step (4) until you can answer the questions at the end of the chapter

(4) do the homework exercises in the book 

(5) do all accompanying drill sheets for the chapter in the workbook. 

Chances are, there are things from the first weeks of the first semester that are a little fuzzy. If you go back over everything with Dr. Fuller, reading the book, watching the DVD’s, and doing the Homework and Workbook exercises, you will nail the material from the first semester. It’s worth it. We’re talking about being able to read the Bible. In the original Hebrew. 

This will prepare you for the second semester. Don’t try to work ahead. Go back over what you’ve already covered. It will pay dividends. 

My review of Fuller’s grammar is here. I think it’s the best one available. If you’re taking me for the second semester of Hebrew here at SBTS, because I didn’t have a crop of students for the first semester, I expect to inherit some students who used a different text, probably Ross, for the first semester. My plan for the second semester is to cover the material in such a way that whether you use Ross’s grammar or Fuller’s we’ll be on the same page in class. 

Enjoy!