The Biblical Foundations Book Award The Center for Biblical Studies is pleased to announce the following finalists for best books in New Testament Studies in 2019 for the Biblical Foundations Book Award (listed in no particular order). You can read the original announcement of the Biblical Foundations Book Award, which includes the list of distinguished… Read More
John’s Appropriation of Isaiah’s Signs Theology: Implications for the Structure of John’s Gospel
Abstract: The present article explores John’s distinct use of “signs” as part of his “theological transposition” of the Synoptic Gospels by which John transforms the Synoptic concept of “miracle” into that of “signs” pointing to Jesus’s messianic identity. The article proposes that Isaiah was the source for John’s signs theology by demonstrating significant links between… Read More
Where Was Jesus Born? – 5 Things to Know about Bethlehem
Where Was Jesus Born? The Bible tells us that Jesus was born in the city of Bethlehem, which is just south of Jerusalem. It’s a fact that most Christians and many non-Christians know, due to its inclusion in several popular Christmas carols and hymns. Even if someone only goes to church once a year, there’s a… Read More
Visions of the End: Interpreting Revelation
Apocalyptic Literature When approaching apocalyptic literature, we must first define our terms: Apocalypse: a particular genre of literature written between approximately 200 B.C. and A.D. 200; Apocalyptic: an adjective “describing either the literary genre or the worldview; Apocalypticism: a worldview, ideology, or theology merging the eschatological aims of particular groups into a cosmic and political… Read More
A Call for Discernment: Interpreting the Parables
The Parables of Jesus In our book Invitation to Biblical Interpretation, we define a parable as “a short narrative that demands a response from the hearer” (426). Parables are realistic in that they do not contain fanciful elements that would be found in myths or fairy tales, yet they are not true stories like historical narratives…. Read More