Review: Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus

Baker Books, 2018. 285 pp.

It should be no surprise that the world in which the Bible was written is drastically divergent from the world in which we live today. Scholars note a gap between these "two horizons," and, if we are able to understand how to bridge it through understanding the theological, cultural, and literary context of the original culture, we can fully understand how the Bible speaks to us today.

This is an issue that Lois Tverberg seeks to address in Reading the Bible with Rabbi Jesus: How a Jewish Perspective Can Transform Your Understanding (Baker Books, 2018). After being intrigued by Jesus' usage of the Old Testament and the hidden cultural nuances lost through language translation, Tverberg seeks to expose readers toward understanding how Jesus read the Bible. To this end, she describes the mechanics of Hebrew and Greek, the first-century world, and applies specifically to various OT books.

Tverberg presents a refreshing and much-needed approach to understanding the Bible. Since Jesus quoted the OT so often, it can be easy to misunderstand or lose the fullness of its original meaning. Written in an interesting yet approachable style, Tverberg helps you enter the world of the Bible. I found the study questions and recommended resources at the end of each chapter to be particularly helpful. The appendix contains thirty useful Hebrew words that should get any novice started in understanding how simple words like "walk," "glory," and "king" take different meanings in the original languages. This book is a helpful tool in understanding the linguistic context of the Bible and how it helps us follow Jesus more deeply.

(My thanks is given to Baker for providing a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review.)

Comments

Product Review: LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle

Overview When adventure strikes, the right bag makes all the difference. Too often, however, luggage bags are either large, ponderous suitcases or small, flimsy duffle bags. I have traveled to Central and South America multiple times with terribly large suitcases. It added extra complication to my trip—especially lugging the bag up the steps! This is the problem which LL Bean seeks to rectify in the LL Bean Extra-Large Rolling Adventure Duffle. With a 137-liter capacity, this duffel is able to hold the items of the biggest pack-rat while being easy to transport. It features a telescoping handle, smooth-gliding wheels, and cinch straps. Specifications Capacity: Approx. 8,350 cu. in., 137 L. Weight: 9 lb. 3 oz. Dimensions: 17"H x 34"W x 15"D. Highlights This bag is sturdy. Not only is it capable of holding many items, but it is incredibly durable. It has a reinforced nylon bottom and a thick plastic frame so that the bag does not sag or become weak....

Review: NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

A revised version of the previously published NIV Zondervan Study Bible, the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Zondervan, 2018) represents the best of biblical scholarship in a compact study Bible. It introduces Biblical Theology (BT), a discipline that is intended for readers to weave individual books and stories into a larger metanarrative that reveals God's redemptive plan through the entire Bible. To that end, this study Bible includes articles introducing BT and articles on theological matters. While the emphasis of this Bible may appeal to a more Reformed/covenantal audience, the contributors span a variety of theological traditions and are respected authorities within their discipline. The verse-by-verse notes—over 20,000—are insightful and suitable for determining the historical, literary, and cultural background of the text with a view to responsible interpretation of Scripture. There are in-text cross references, a concordance, maps, and useful charts. Each bo...

Review: The Church From Every Tribe And Tongue

It is no surprise that the locus of the Christian Church is moving outward, from the West to beyond. The missional impulse of recent movements has expanded the meaning of the Church and made John the Seer’s vision increasingly clearer, “a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb” (Revelation 7:9). In light of the coming of global Christianity, the Western church has become more pressed to establish a global theology. Langham Global Library’s growing Majority World Theology series has provided exposure to Christian thinkers in the majority world on various doctrines. In its most recent addition, The Church from Every Tribe and Tongue: Ecclesiology in the Majority World (2018), a variety of global voices investigate the doctrine of the Church, offering insights into how non-Western lenses on the Church can shape Western theology and practice. Nine respected theologians and biblical sc...

Leitourgia

Search This Blog