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The Logos Academic Blog

Christotelic Hermeneutics and Typology: What the Church Needs to Know

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The following post is by Dr. Dale Brueggemann, Contributing Editor at Faithlife Corporation. 

Christ in the OT

Do we know for certain that Jesus can be found in the OT? In our efforts to “read backwards,” are we finding Christ where perhaps he should not be found? Or do we have license as Spirit-led interpreters of Scripture to allegorize as we see fit, and as it benefits our listeners?

In this post I’m going to address these questions by discussing the biblical mandate for a method of interpretation called “Christotelic” hermeneutics. Look with me first at the evidence from the NT directing the church to engage in Christ-centered exegesis of the OT. [Read more…]

The Fight for the Trinity: Michael Bird explains the Eternal Subordination debate (Part 1)

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The doctrine of the Trinity came under intense scrutiny last summer (2016), but it wasn’t from unbelieving philosophers or Jehovah’s Witnesses. A debate raged for the better part of three months amongst evangelical theologians, concentrating within the complementarian camp. This intramural controversy seriously threatened to dissolve the unity of complementarians and evangelicalism as a whole. [Read more…]

How to Avoid the One-Meaning Fallacy

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The one-meaning fallacy assumes that every Greek or Hebrew word has only one meaning. Basic translation theory tells us that this is not the case. However, even if you’re aware of this fallacy, you may be using resources that are steering you in the wrong direction.

In this segment from Learn to Use Biblical Greek and Hebrew with Logos 6, Johnny Cisneros shows you how the one-meaning fallacy can sneak up on you when using Strong’s numbers and how you can avoid it by using additional lexicons. He walks you through each step, using the word kosmos in John 3:16 and 1 John 2:15 as an example.

 

Learn more about this Mobile Ed course and pre-order today to save 57%. Don’t wait—the course is shipping November 19!

Ben Witherington on Jesus’ Encounter with the Samaritan Woman

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Ben Witherington quote about the Samaritan woman at the wellShare quote on Facebook

“Nowhere in the Gospel of John, perhaps, is context more important than this story,” says Dr. Ben Witherington III in reference to Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan Woman. That’s a bold statement. But it makes sense once you discover how many cultural taboos Jesus was actually committing. We’ll let Dr. Witherington explain the details but let’s just say it was a lot…

This lecture comes from Dr. Witherington’s course NT221 The Wisdom of John: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on Johannine Literature.

Quit Hiding, It’s Just the Apocrypha

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hiding_1024x512“There is still quite a perception of extra-canonical literature as not just non-canonical but somehow dangerous,” says Dr. David deSilva in an interview for the Mobile Ed Conversations podcast. “And that’s a prejudice I have worked long and hard to combat.”

Dr. deSilva goes on to explain the importance of extra-canonical literature—how students in his classroom receive it, and why he’s so passionate about it. He also provides some tips on where to start if you’re interested in studying apocryphal texts for the first time.

Dr. David A. deSilva is the trustees’ distinguished professor of New Testament and Greek at Ashland Theological Seminary. He’s written over 20 books in the areas of New Testament and Second Temple Judaism and is a leading expert on the cultural world of the New Testament.

Earn a Graduate Diploma in New Testament

ATS-Logo-RGB Dr. deSilva’s Mobile Ed courseware on the Apocrypha (BI291) and The Cultural World of the New Testament (NT201) are being included in Ashland Seminary’s new online Graduate Diploma in New Testament. This enables students to learn remotely and earn graduate-level credit they can use toward a master’s degree.

The program consists of five master’s-level courses incorporating presentations by Ashland faculty, group discussions, webinars, course readings, and assessments while also utilizing Mobile Ed courseware and the Logos Bible Software Gold base package.

The courses focus on engaging the texts and contexts of Scripture, developing a solid foundation in New Testament studies, and encountering the words behind our English translations. Students will also have the opportunity to explore specific topics of interest by choosing from a list of electives.

Register Today

The Graduate Diploma in New Testament program begins October 3, 2015. Visit Ashland’s website to learn more and register today!

The Purpose of Luke–Acts: Paul’s Exoneration

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Andrew Pitt’s course NT316 Book Study: The Gospel of Luke is shipping on August 27. In the course, Dr. Pitts examines in detail the genre and purpose of Luke’s Gospel. He argues that Luke writes his Gospel, along with the book of Acts, as a political document meant to exonerate Paul who was imprisoned in Rome at the time. In the segment below, Dr. Pitts provides some evidence for this position:

NT316 Book Study: The Gospel of Luke is part of the 9-course Studies in the Gospels Bundle. This bundle is shipping on August 27, so order it today at the Pre-Pub price for 41% off!

Is the Gospel of Luke a Biography or History?

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In this episode, Dr. Andrew W. Pitts considers why most scholars view the book of Luke as a biography rather than a history—and then shares his perspective. He also talks about Christ’s faithfulness to us in contrast to our individual faith in Christ.

Dr. Pitts in the 2015 recipient of the Paul J. Achtemeier Award for New Testament Scholarship. He is the chair of the biblical studies department and assistant professor of biblical studies and Christian ministries at Arizona Christian University.

Dr. Pitts’ extensive course on the Gospel of Luke is available in the Studies in the Gospels Bundle, which is about to ship. Order before August 27 to save over 40%.

The Story of the Church through the Context of the Clergy

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Dr. Jennifer Powell McNutt is associate professor of theology and history of Christianity at Wheaton College. In this episode of Mobile Ed Conversations she talks about the overarching story of the Enlightenment and about her desire to tell the story of the church through the context of the clergy. You can also listen and subscribe on iTunes.

Want to expand your knowledge of church history? The two-course Church History Bundle follows Christendom from the Early Church all the way to Post-Modernism. For a more focused study, take a look at CS201 Western Civilization: Greeks to Aquinas.

Does “Faith Alone” Doctrine Contradict the Letter of James?

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Of the “five solas” of the Reformation, sola fide (Latin for “faith alone”) was so important that Luther called it the “doctrine by which the church stands or falls.” Rooted in Scriptures like Eph 2:8–10, it drew a line in the sand between Protestant and Catholic theology on the topic of justification.

“Faith alone.” It’s a simple phrase really. Its meaning seems equally simple … until we read that “faith apart from works is dead” in Jas 2:14–17. How do we reconcile that? Is there a contradiction going on here? How did Reformers like Luther and Calvin view this passage?

In this clip from his course on the Letter of James, Dr. William Varner explains that sola fide does not in fact contradict what James is saying. The key lies in understanding the difference between “faith alone” and a faith that is alone.

In NT365 Book Study: Letter of James, Dr. Varner presents a fresh perspective on James the man and also James the letter, showing how the emphasis on works complements rather than contradicts Paul’s emphasis on faith.

Learn more about this course and pre-order it today to save 41%!