PJEFC Church Camp

I am off to Genting Highlands for my church's PJEFC Zone Camp for the weekend. This is a rather rare occasion where I am not a speaker but a participant for a church retreat. As such, I am looking forward to some fellowship with my church members, and also a time to rest as well - if there is anytime for rest!

Greece Trip (6): Philippi: Lydia the First Convert - Part 2

Only a few Jews lived in Philippi, in fact there were less than 10 male Jews. For this reason, there was no synagogue where Paul could begin to preach the gospel according to his usual custom.

On the Sabbath, Paul and his co-workers left the city and walked about a mile east to the bank of a branch of the River Strymon (cf. Acts 16:13). There they would have expected to find a place of prayer where the few Jews in the area would have gathered for prayer on the Sabbath. On their arrival, they found several women and spoke to them.


"One of those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you consider me a believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us." (Acts 16:14-15)

Lydia, a gentile convert, is the first person and a female specifically mentioned in the Bible as being baptized in Europe. A merchant of fine purple cloth, she was a woman of some means and wealth (as evidenced by her trade of expensive garment and possession of a house). She was also an example of an upwardly mobile woman who not only became a follower of Jesus, but also one that had a generous heart in opening her home to Paul and his mission. In addition, she would also have, in some ways, provided leadership in the early Christian communities. As such, it is not too far-fetched to think that Lydia's house then became the headquarters for Paul's mission and the newly established church in Philippi (cf. Acts 16:40). In view of this, the narrative in Acts seems to emphasise the significant role women played in the expansion of the early Christian communities.

Today, the baptistery of Saint Lydia and the Church of Saint Lydia are erected in her honour. While this may not be the exact spot where Lydia would have been baptised, these monuments serve as reminders of the first wealthy and influential Christian who was a woman in Philippi.

The Introspection of A Full-Time Worker

The Government of Malaysia announces 40% increase in petrol prices effective today. For me, this means an increase expenditure of RM120-150 per month for petrol alone. This would mean my monthly petrol expenses will now be in excess of RM420-450 per month! That is a LOT....WOW!!

But wait, I have not taken into account the anticipated inflation of prices of essential goods as a result of the hike in petrol prices.

For someone who is categorised as a low income earner in Malaysia, I sometimes wonder how to survive such high cost of living.

Several measures need to be seriously considered:

1) I think I must follow Pearlie's footsteps in fasting for books. Period. I repent from poking fun at Pearlie when she declared her "fasting."

2) I am beginning to think whether I should consider getting a motorbike to commune between KL and Seremban. That should save on petrol and tolls (currently, a return journey between KL and STM costs me RM23.60 in tolls). But with the Malaysian weather...hmmmm

3) Perhaps I should consider taking public transport - but that would mean it would take 1 hour bus ride from my house to KL Sentral, another 1 hour 15min by train to Seremban, and another 15 min taxi ride to the seminary - a total of 3 hours just to get to work from home.

4) Perhaps I should consider moving to Seremban, or somewhere closer to the seminary. But this would mean I would have to leave my church in Petaling Jaya and look for a new church - and this would involve the issue of raising support for my salary. In addition, I would have to consider my parents who are presently under my care, and also what to do to the present house in KL.

5) I should eat out less....and perhaps cut down on food as well. That would do me good and perhaps I could shed some weight too?

6) Perhaps I should consider "moonlighting"? Revive my real estate consulting firm and work part-time as a real estate agent?

7) Or....perhaps another form of "moonlighting", wishing that there would be 8 weekends in a month where I can do more Sunday preaching? Dream on....

8) Or...perhaps I should consider going back to my real estate profession....but who wants to employ someone who is 10 years out of the real estate profession!

9) Or...perhaps I should set up my little business venture that I have always dreamed of...but that's wishful thinking - I don't even have any capital for this....nah...

10) Or...look for a teaching job elsewhere, say in the States or in the UK....sounds pretty good..hey, does America or Britain need another unproven, self-proclaimed NT scholar?



Did I just hear someone telling me that I should have more faith in the Lord and trust that he would provide?

JSNT Vol 30 No 5 (July 2008) is Now Available

The Journal for the Study of the New Testament Volume 30 No 5 (July 2008) is now available. In this issue, there are brief reviews of significant books that are recently published in all the areas of NT.

This is one issue that is not to be missed for those who want to be kept abreast of the development of NT studies.

Click here for the Table of Contents.

Greece Trip (5): Philippi: A Leading City? - Part 1

While Philippi was an important city in the Roman and early Christian period, it remains an archaeological site today. The Via Egnatia, the important Roman road linking East and West, passes through this city.



The remains of Philippi are impressive and it is certainly worth the visit, and it was one of the major highlights of our trip to Northern Greece. It is unfortunate that the Archaeological Museum still remains closed to the public.

According to Acts 16:12, Paul and his companions travelled from Neapolis to Philippi, a distance of 16km (10 miles), where they remained for some days.

The NA27 text of Acts 16:2 describes Philippi as πρώτης μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, κολωνία. Just what kind of city was Philippi? A complex textual problem here has led to a conjecture in NA27 about what the reading should be - and the problem is compounded by an alphabet in Greek, the sigma, in the word πρώτης.

So is Philippi a πρώτης μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, or πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις? Is Philippi a city of the first district in Macedonia; or a leading city (or first city) of the district of Macedonia?

While the second reading receives strong textual support, it is made complicated because historically, Philippi is not the chief city of Macedonia, as Thessalonica was the capital of Macedonia and Amphipolis was the chief city in the district in which Philippi was located.

To resolve this issue, several possible suggestions have been put forward.

1) some have suggested that the author means Philippi was the first Macedonian city Paul and his companions came in the district. But in actual fact, this was not the case, as the first city that Paul set foot was Neapolis which is in the same district as Philippi.

2) some have also suggested the use of πρώτη as a title of honour, as an expression of civic pride. According to R. Ascough, "Civic Pride at Philippi: The Textual Problem of Acts 16.12," NTS 44 (1998): 93-103, civic pride often meant ascribing titles to a city in order to lift up its importance. If Ascough is correct, it appears that the author of Acts is attempting to magnify the importance of the status of Philippi in Macedonia, perhaps to underscore the fact that Philippi was the first European city to receive the gospel from Paul the missionary.

As a result of the difficulties in reading the text above, numerous scholars prefer to adopt the conjecture in reading πρώτη as πρώτης, despite the lack of manuscript evidence. This resulted in rendering the meaning of the phrase as "a city of the first district of Macedonia."

While there is no concrete solution to this textual difficulties, it is wise to take head of Metzger's proposal that "it appears ill-advised" to abandon the testimony of strong manuscript support for reading Philippi as πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις, "a leading city of the district of Macedonia." The suggestion puts forward by Ascough should not be entirely discounted as well. As such, I am prepared to depart from the critical text in NA27 by adpoting the reading of πρώτη μερίδος τῆς Μακεδονίας πόλις.


For further information:

1) Bruce Meztger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 2nd ed. (Stuttgart, UBS, 1994), 393-395.

2) R. Ascough, "Civic Pride at Philippi: The Textual Problem of Acts 16.12," NTS 44 (1998): 93-103.

Thomas Schreiner's NT Theology

Thomas R. Schreiner's highly anticipated New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ has just been released by Baker this month. An excerpt of the latest addition by this prominent NT scholar is now available on-line. This excerpt includes Schreiner's preface, introduction, and ninth chapter of the book.

According to the publisher, Schreiner "traces key themes as they appear throughout the New Testament canon, exploring the emphases that emerge from a detailed reading of the texts... He focuses particularly on two overarching themes. The first concerns the unity of redemptive history and the kingdom of God. The New Testament takes up Old Testament imagery and affirms that the kingdom has come (although it remains unfulfilled) in Jesus Christ. The second related theme concerns the goal of the kingdom--the glory of God through the work of Christ and the empowering presence of the Spirit. In the second half of the work, Schreiner takes up the question of what these themes mean for the life of the believer and the ministry of the community of faith."

This major work is already creating a buzz on the Internet, and there is an insightful interview with Tom Schreiner by Andy Cheung posted on the Midlands Bible College and Divinity School Web page. In this interview, Tom shares about the approach he takes in writing this book. This interview might satisfy eager readers just that little bit until they can get hold of the book.

I know I will be getting hold of this book - but it has to wait until funds are available.

Excavations at Colossae by Flinders University

After our recent Greece trip, some have been asking for an another study tour covering biblical sites in Turkey. The recent announcement from Centre for Theology, Science and Culture of the School of Theology, Flinders University, should make our future visit to Turkey even more exciting! Led by Dr Michael Trainor, the Colossae Project: Unearthing the Past, could begin by December 2008. Thanks to Michael Bird for this piece of news.

The following news article is reproduced from AdelaideNow.

FLINDERS University students could be among the first to uncover the last remaining unexcavated site connected to the New Testament.

After 10 years' work on the project, Flinders theology and archeology students, led by College of Divinity lecturers Dr Michael Trainor and Dr Alan Cadwallader, could begin excavating the site with Turkish scholars in December.

Colossae is located on the south bank of the River Lycus at the modern day city of Honaz in Turkey's Denizli province.

"I think what's exciting about this project is that it has been initiated here in Adelaide and it's a work that will bring Adelaide and Turkish scholars together," Dr Trainor said.

Of all the ancient sites linked to the New Testament, Colossae was the only one which has not been excavated.

"The reason it hasn't attracted any archeological excavation is because there are more significant areas which have noticeable surface remains," he said.

Dr Trainor said Christians at the site received the Letter to the Colossians, which later became part of the New Testament.

The site is linked to about 8500 BC and is believed to hold the remains of the largest church in the Middle East - dedicated to the archangel St Michael.

"There are a number of remains of third or fourth century buildings which we quite well think could be from the Church of St Michael," Dr Trainor said.

Dr Cadwallader heads to Turkey next month to discuss arrangements with colleagues from the University of Pamukkale. "It's a terrific opportunity to enter into a collaboration with a different part of the world that has great significance," he said.

Tyndale House Spring 2008 Newsletter

Tyndale House, Cambridge, has recently released its Spring 2008 newsletter.

Click here to read the future plans for Tyndale, a filming project, news of Tyndale House members, and others.

I have warm memories of the many months I spent in Tyndale working on my doctoral thesis.

Greece Trip (4): Tracing Paul's Second Missionary Journey: Neapolis

Beginning with this post, I will highlight the places we visited in our recent Greece Trip. Essentially, we followed the footsteps of Paul in his Second Missionary Journey as recorded in Acts 15:36-18:22 in which we visited several cities in Greece. I will follow the chronological order as recorded in Acts of the Apostles rather than our actual itinerary, which is in the reversed order.

After Paul received the vision of the Macedonian call in Troas (Acts 16:6-10), he was joined by Timothy, Silas, and Luke, and they set sail to the region of Macedonian (Acts 16:11-12). It is significant that the first person plural pronoun, we, is used in Acts 16:11, possibly indicating that the author of Acts, traditionally acknowledged as Luke, now accompanies Paul in his journey.

Paul first landed in Neapolis, modern Kavala, the principal port of Philippi (Acts 16:11). A visit to modern Kavala shows why this is a natural port for northern Greece. The commanding and strategic location along the sea route from Thessalonica to Asia Minor makes this city an important port. From Neapolis, Paul and his companions would have walked approximately 16km (10 miles) to Philippi, slightly less than a day's journey on foot (Acts 16:12).

There is no mention of missionary activities in Neapolis in Acts. However, its proximity to Philippi and Paul's subsequent travels through this port (cf. Acts 20:1-2; 6) make it likely that some form of missionary work may have been carried out here, either by Paul or his converts. The city of Neapolis was subsequently renamed Christoupolis in later centuries before being burned down by the Normans in 1185.

Unfortunately, there is nothing much left for us to see from the 1st century as any ancient remains, if any, would have lied beneath the modern Kavala.

However, the modern harbour, with its quaint seaside cafes and the gentle hill slopes from the shore , provide sufficient backdrop for one to imagine the setting that would have greeted Paul and his companions as they landed here to launch their missionary work in this region in response to the Macedonian call.

Review of Biblical Literature May 23 2008

I am now playing catch-up on the Review of Biblical Literature after coming back from my Greece trip following St Paul's footsteps. Here are the reviews published on May 23.

François Bovon
Luke the Theologian: Fifty-Five Years of Research (1950-2005)
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5690
Reviewed by Eric Noffke

Dan W. Clanton
The Good, the Bold, and the Beautiful: The Story of Susanna and Its Renaissance Interpretations
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5274
Reviewed by Robert Doran

John J. Collins
A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Bible
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6007
Reviewed by Robin Gallaher Branch

Beverly Roberts Gaventa
Our Mother Saint Paul
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5972
Reviewed by Angela Standhartinger

Daniel M. Gurtner
The Torn Veil: Matthew's Exposition of the Death of Jesus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6047
Reviewed by Tony Costa

Doug Ingram
Ambiguity in Ecclesiastes
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5268
Reviewed by Martin A. Shields

Othmar Keel
Die Geschichte Jerusalems und die Entstehung des Monotheismus
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6377
Reviewed by Ernst Axel Knauf

Martin O'Kane
Painting the Text: The Artist as Biblical Interpreter
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5999
Reviewed by Dan W. Clanton Jr.

John Piper
The Future of Justification: A Response to N. T. Wright
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6378
Reviewed by Don Garlington

Lance Byron Richey
Roman Imperial Ideology and the Gospel of John
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6227
Reviewed by Warren Carter

Diane M. Sharon and Kathryn F. Kravitz, eds.
Bringing the Hidden to Light: The Process of Interpretation: Studies in Honor of Stephen A. Geller
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=6105
Reviewed by Adele Berlin

Christopher J. H. Wright
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible's Grand Narrative
http://www.bookreviews.org/bookdetail.asp?TitleId=5615
Reviewed by Christopher N. Chandler