Belated Christmas "Gift" for A Bibliophile - Part 2

Apart from the order from Amazon that arrived after I stepped into office after my 2-week vacation, my order from CBD also arrived.

Occasionally, CBD offers really good bargains for academic books. I decided to splurge and bought myself a Christmas gift...and I managed to order the following books for less than US$60.00. With the weakening of the Greenback against Ringgit, this is indeed a real bargain!

Well, I am a happy man for the next few weeks! Look forward to interacting with these excellent books.



Gerd Luedemann. The Resurrection of Jesus: History, Experience, Theology. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1994.

Craig A. Carter. The Politics of The Cross: The Theology and Social Ethics of John Howard Yoder. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2001.

Ephraim Radner. Hope Among Fragments: The Broken Church and Its Engagement of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2004.

Norman Perrin. Parable and Gospel. Minneapolis, Fortress, 2003.

Willaim E. Arnal. Jesus and the Village Scribes: Galilean Conflicts and the Setting of Q. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.

Philip A. Hardland. Associations, Synagogues, and Congregations: Claiming a Place in Ancient Mediterranean Society. Minneapolis: Fortress, 2001.

Ben Withirington III. Jesus the Seer: The Progress of Philosophy. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1999.

Craig Bartholomew, Colin Greene & Karl Moller, eds. After Pentecost: Language & Biblical Interpretation. Scripture and Hermeneutics Series Vol 2. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2001.

Craig Bartholomew, Jonathan Chaplin, Robert Song & Al Wolters, eds. A Royal Priesthood? A Dialogue with Oliver O'Donovan. Scripture & Hermeneutics Series Vol 3. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Craig Bartholomew, C. Stephen Evans, Mary Healy & Murray Rae, eds. Behind the Text: History and Biblical Interpretation. Scripture & Hermeneutics Series Vol 4. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2003.

Belated Christmas "Gift" for A Bibliophile - Part 1

It was a real delight as I walked into my office after my vacation to see 2 parcels waiting for me. My Amazon and CBD orders have finally arrived. Well - they were not really "gift" but orders I made some weeks ago. They were late - but better than never. Now I shall indulge myself for the next few weeks devouring these books.

Check out my latest purchase from Amazon:

Darrell Bock. Acts, BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic 2007.

"Respected New Testament scholar Darrell L. Bock provides a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Acts in this latest addition to the acclaimed BECNT series. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Bock leads readers through all aspects of the book of Actssociological, historical, and theological. His work blends academic depth with readability, making it a useful tool for students, teachers, scholars, and pastors alike. A user-friendly design with shaded text and translations of the Greek text make this commentary engaging and easy to use. The result is a guide that clearly and meaningfully brings this important New Testament book to life for contemporary readers."

G.K. Beale & D. A. Carson, eds. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

"Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on Old Testament quotations, allusions, and echoes that appear from Matthew through Revelation. College and seminary students, pastors, scholars, and interested lay readers will want to add this unique commentary to their reference libraries."

Contributors: Craig L. Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew; Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark; David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke; Andreas J. Köstenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John; I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans; Roy E. Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) and Brian S. Rosner (Moore Theological College) on 1 Corinthians; Peter Balla (Károli Gáspár Reformed University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians; Moisés Silva (author of Philippians in the Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) on Galatians and Philippians; Frank S. Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians; G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians ;Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians; Philip H. Towner (United Bible Societies) on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus; George H. Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews; D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles; G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean M. McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation.

Oskar Skarsaune & Reidar Hvalvik, eds. The Early Centuries Jewish Believers in Jesus. Peabody: Hendrickson, 2007.

This book "examines the formative first five centuries of Christian history as experienced by individuals who were ethnically Jewish, but who professed faith in Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Offering the work of an impressive international team of scholars, this unique study examines the first five centuries of texts thought to have been authored or edited by Jewish Christians, including the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, the New Testament Apocrypha, and some patristic works. Also considered are statements within patristic literature about Jewish believers and uses of oral traditions from Jewish Christians. Furthermore, the evidence in Jewish, mainly rabbinic, literature is examined, and room is made for a judicious sifting of the archaeological evidence. The final two chapters are devoted to an enlightening synthesis of the material with subsequent conclusions regarding Jewish believers in antiquity."

Richard Bauckham. The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History and Theology in the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.

"How do historical and literary details contribute to a coherent theological witness to Jesus in the Gospel of John? A leading British evangelical New Testament scholar answers that question with studies on themes from messianism to monotheism, symbolic actions from foot-washing to fish-catching, literary contexts from Qumran to the Hellenistic historians, and figures from Nicodemus to the beloved disciple to Papias. Originally published in various journals and collections, these essays are now available for the first time in one affordable volume with a substantial new introduction that ties them all together. A must-have for serious students of the Fourth Gospel."


Paul Trebilco. The Early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2007 (previously published by Mohr Siebeck, 2004).

In this book, Trebilco "seeks to discuss all the evidence for the life of the early Christians in Ephesus from Paul to Ignatius, seen in the context of our knowledge of the city as a whole. Drawing on Paul's letters and the Acts of the Apostles, the author discusses the beginnings of the life of the early Christians in Ephesus, both before the Pauline mission and during that mission. He then shows that in the period from around 80-100CE there were a number of different groups in Ephesus who regarded themselves as Christians. Some key features of the life of each of these groups are discussed, as the evidence allows; this testifies to the diversity of early Christianity in Ephesus. It is also argued that the Pauline group and the Johannine group in Ephesus were distinct and separate communities, although they maintained non-hostile contact. Finally the information that Ignatius gives us about Christians in Ephesus in his time is discussed."

Swiss Vacation Highlights

Over the next few days, I will post some of the highlights of my Christmas vacation in Switzerland. I had a fantastic 2-week break in this beautiful country that is rich in the history of Christian reformation. Thanks to a close friend living in Zurich who not only invited me and several other friends over but also generously hosted 5 of us in her apartment, be our knowledgeable guide, efficiently planned our holiday, and gave us (well, at least me) the most memorable Christmas vacation.

I had the opportunity to spend some days in the Alps (minus the skiing part); go on the Swiss Reformation trail; visit some of the most beautiful cities in Switzerland and the border towns of Italy, Germany and France; shop (read: window shopping) at the various Christmas markets; meet up with my PhD supervisor and his newly wedded wife; and discover the grave of Erasmus of Rotterdam along the way! Of course, not to mention the experience of a couple of train cancellations that I was told never happened in Switzerland! More to come over the next few days...

BibleWorks Classroom Tip #9

Tip 1.9: Using the BibleWorks Maps Module

The BibleWorks Map Module offers a quick way to display geographical information in the classroom. This classroom tip will address how to access maps for classroom display and for export to presentation software or a word processor.

To check out how to use the Map Module, click here.

New Hermeneia Commentary on Mark

Ausburg Fortress announces a new publication:

"Adela Collins's long-awaited commentary on the Gospel of Mark fulfills and even surpasses the highest expectations. It demonstrates the scholarly expertise and sound critical judgment we have come to expect from this expert on Jewish apocalyptic and Greco-Roman literary culture. This book will now be the definitive resource for historical-critical reading of the Gospel of Mark."—Karen L. King, Harvard Divinity School

In the newly released Hermeneia Volume Mark: A Commentary, Professor Adela Yarbro Collins brings to bear on the text of the first Gospel the latest historical-critical perspectives, providing a full treatment of such controversial issues as the relationship of canonical Mark to the "Secret Gospel of Mark" and the text of the Gospel, including its longer endings.

She situates the Gospel, with its enigmatic portrait of the misunderstood Messiah, in the context of Jewish and Greco-Roman literature of the first century. Her comments draw on her profound knowledge of apocalyptic literature as well as on the traditions of popular biography in the Greco-Roman world to illuminate the overall literary form of the Gospel.

The commentary also introduces an impressive store of data on the language and style of Mark, illustrated from papyrological and epigraphical sources. Collins is in constructive dialogue with the wide range of scholarship on Mark that has been produced in the twentieth century. Her work will be foundational for Markan scholarship in the first half of the twenty-first century.

Adela Yarbro Collins is Buckingham Professor of New Testament Criticism and Interpretation at Yale Divinity School in New Haven, Connecticut. She has written numerous books on ancient Judaism and Christianity.

Order your copy today!

Some Interesting Statistics about 2008 Intake

Classes in the new academic year officially begin next week. The new students have settled in the new environment and the seniors are now back in campus. I have briefly analysed the new intake this year and here are some interesting statistics:

• International students made up 41% of the new intake while the balance 59% are local students. This is perhaps the highest number of international intake in the history of the seminary. We rejoice that an increasing number of students from the region are now coming to STM for their ministerial training and formation.


• The average age of the first year international students is 25.9 years old while the average age of the local students is 28.3 years old. This statistics could further support what Alex predicted when he says that the average age of students entering seminary will rise. At the same time, it is also interesting to note that the average age of international students is 2.4 years younger than local students.


• There is equal male-female ratio for international students while for the local students, the male-female ratio is 11:9.


• There is a slight drop of intake for local students in the English department this year. Of the local students, 65% are in the Chinese Department while the balance 35% are in the English Department. This may be the trend for the coming years as we continue to see more ethnic Chinese parents sending their children to Chinese vernacular schools in Malaysia. There is an increasing number of younger generation who are fluent in the Chinese language. In addition, many Chinese speaking churches in Malaysia are also experiencing encouraging growth. The English speaking students generally come from large urban centres.


• The single largest denomination represented among the first year students is the Methodist Church of Malaysia.

What do this statistics reveal? Some food for thought.

STM Orientation 2008

The seminary's orientation for new students for the academic year 2008 has finally come to an end. We welcome 34 new local and international students into our seminary family.

The orientation started with STM traditional welcoming bbq dinner.

Welcoming BBQ dinner

This was then followed by a series of sessions on the introduction to the seminary; ethos of STM training; registration of courses; critical reading and writing; library briefing; among others.

The students appeared to be very attentive.....

...compared to the rather "bored looking" lecturers sitting at the last row... :-)

There were also sessions allocated for bowling, fellowship and group activities as well....

To all first year students, I wish you all the best as you embark on this exciting journey of theological studies - a time to discover and deepen your faith, a time to discover yourself and a time to discover others as well. May our Lord guide and direct your path.

Thanks to Perng Shyang for the photos.

Review of Biblical Literature Jan 8, 2008

The following new reviews have been added to the Review of Biblical Literature:



Russell C. D. Arnold
The Social Role of Liturgy in the Religion of the Qumran Community
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5884
Reviewed by Carol A. Newsom


John Sietze Bergsma
The Jubilee from Leviticus to Qumran: A History of Interpretation
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5805
Reviewed by Erhard Gerstenberger


Walter Brueggemann
The Theology of the Book of Jeremiah
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5816
Reviewed by Carolyn J. Sharp


Catharine Edwards and Greg Woolf, eds.
Rome the Cosmopolis
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=3221
Reviewed by Jonathan L. Reed


Jeffrey C. Geoghegan
The Time, Place, and Purpose of the Deuteronomistic History: The Evidence of â?oUntil This Dayâ?
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5767
Reviewed by Timothy M. Willis


John Goldingay
Old Testament Theology, vol. 2: Israel's Faith
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5616
Reviewed by Stephen A. Reed


Mark W. Hamilton, Thomas H. Olbricht, and Jeffrey Peterson, eds.
Renewing Tradition: Studies in Texts and Contexts in Honor of James W. Thompson
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5715
Reviewed by Korinna Zamfir


Ulrich Luz; Helmut Koester, ed.; James Crouch, trans.
Matthew : A Commentary
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5787
Reviewed by David Sim
Reviewed by Charles L. Quarles


Joan Goodnick Westenholz and Aage Westenholz
Cuneiform Inscriptions in the Collection of the Bible Lands Museum Jerusalem: The Old Babylonian Inscriptions
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5666
Reviewed by Michael S. Moore

Garfield, You Are So Right!

I received a gift. And I think Garfield is so right this time!

SBL International Meeting 2008: Call for Papers

The 2008 SBL International Meeting call for papers is now extended to Feb 1, 2008. For this year, the International Meeting will be held in Auckland, New Zealand - the city of sails. The only downside is that it will be winter in Auckland!

I hope to be able to make my way there this year, after a failed attempt to attend the 2007 International Meeting in Vienna, even though my paper was accepted.