Brad House’s Community: A Review

Posted on October 27, 2013 by jacobcerone

Below is a review of Brad House’s book Community that I wrote a few months back. I have also included a detailed outline of the book’s contents in case you are looking for more substance than my summary provides.

Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support. By Brad House. Good News Publishers. Kindle Edition. 239 p., $8.79.

Brad House, the Community Groups pastor at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, offers the church a helpful manual on how to develop a distinctly Christian understanding of community. House has watched the unprecedented growth of Mars Hill over the years. This growth involved many growing pains, which forced him and the pastoral staff to reevaluate the way they approach “community.” Community: Taking Your Small Group Off Life Support contains the results of Pastor House’s ministry.

House’s desire is that churches will see Community Groups as more than another program. Church leadership must not employ Community Groups in their churches if their only goal is to artificially judge the health of the church by tabulating the number of attendees it attracts. Such an approach will never last. It is short-sighted, and it stands upon a week foundation. Pastor House writes, “I want to bring together theology and ministry philosophy with practical application and strategy that is worked out with effectiveness” (237-8). The book is, accordingly, broken up into three parts.

First, House lays a solid theological foundation for life in community. Without this solid foundation, the church quickly loses sight of the fact that all it does is for the glory of God and for his mission.

Part II moves beyond the theological foundation to assess how the church traditionally implements Community Groups. House suggests that the church must begin anew. Wednesday evening Bible Study wherein the participants hang their heads with shifty eyes trying to not be noticed or engaged will not do. Community Groups must be an expression of Christianity lived together. Each individual will be invested in the mission of God. Conversations with one another will focus on the gospel and how it relates to our day to day live. Hearts will be transformed by the Spirit of God, and will transform the world around them. Community Groups will participate in reaching their neighbors with the gospel through hospitably and through participating in the regular happenings of neighborhood life.

Part III, the final section of the book, provides a look at how to incorporate the concepts presented in the previous two sections into the life of the church. First, pastors, head coaches, coaches, group leaders, and individual believers must all be committed to the gospel that brings confession, repentance, and transformation. Without this element, all else is futile. Second, the pastor(s) must communicate vision and mission to the body at large. This can be accomplished by 7 consecutive 2 hour meetings that focus on truth, repentance, vision, engaging neighborhoods, rhythms as lifestyle, strategy, and implementation.

House’s contributions on Community Groups is invaluable for the church. He has provided churches with a more than adequate theological framework for community. Every believer, especially in an age that is characterized by fragmentation and isolation, must understand that he or she is built for community. The Holy Trinity forever subsists in unbroken fellowship. Each member of the Trinity shares in the being of the other. God created human beings with his image. Relational living, or community, is one expression of that image. Though the image was corrupted in the Fall through the entrance of sin into the world, Jesus Christ has brought reconciliation and restoration to mankind. Men and women can once again enter into a relationship with God and with one another. Solitary living, therefore, is unchristian living.

House also places a premium on “missional” living. Though the terminology might be different, House’s formulation for missional living is strikingly similar with Martin Luther’s understanding of “vocation.” That is to say, each and every believer has a responsibility to live out his or her life in the place where God has called him to the glory of God. This includes imaging Christ in word and deed to our co-workers, neighbors, and fellow believers. The gospel must be central to the life of the believer. If this is true, then the believer cannot help but have a heart for the spiritually dead around him. He will become all things to all people in order that some might be saved.

Though House’s work has much worthy of commendation, there are a number of assumptions that must be questioned. First, House claims that the head pastor must relinquish control of his flock. He cannot be responsible for overseeing everything that takes place in the church. He cannot know the whole body and tend to their needs. He must raise up capable leaders and trust them to succeed. Anything less is arrogance rooted in the attitude, “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.” While House offers much sound wisdom here, the structural outworking of his model is liable to fall prey to the cult of personality, hierarchism, and empire building. Consider the following: Mars Hill Church is essentially a conglomerate of churches. Pastor Mark Driscoll is the “Senior Pastor.” Driscoll is the teaching pastor and the vision caster for all campuses under the banner “Mars Hill.” Each “campus” is led by a “Campus Pastor.” The Campus Pastor provides the framework for Sunday morning services. He introduces the service, offers prayers when appropriate, and dismisses the congregation. But he does not share in the role of teaching for the church. Teaching is piped in via video feed from the “main campus.” This structure is the basis for Community Groups. Though the Senior Pastor has “relinquished control” in order to “raise up leaders,” it seems as if he has forsaken his pastoral responsibilities in favor of a larger and more efficiently run organization.[1]

Community Groups, as envisioned by Pastor House, tend towards isolationism. This critique might seem far afield, considering the fact that he exhorts us towards “community.” Yet, when the church is structured around Community Groups, all activities in the church are tailored for Community Groups, and the church expects the Community Groups to be self-sufficient in terms of ministry and fellowship opportunities, then a disconnect is created between the Community Group (a small expression of the church body, as House describes it) and the larger church body. If the Community Group functions as designed, then each individual gets to know 10 other people in the church body well, but has no contact with anyone else within the church. I believe that this tendency can be guarded against, but such measures would require other “opportunities” for participation within the larger church body.

OUTLINE
  1. Foreword: Written By Mark Driscoll
    1. Mars Hill grew quickly but with very little direction..
    2. Structured Community Groups (CG hereafter) added depth and discipline.
    3. Every senior pastor should read this book, and implement its concepts.
  2. Diagnosis: An Introduction
    1. Modern Day
      1. Community is hemorrhaging; attention spans last as long as a YouTube clip.
      2. CGs are the solution.
      3. The solution is not changing the name of existing groups, requiring attendance for membership, or using them as an adrenaline boost.
      4. The solution is changing the nature of CGs as a gospel centered, life transforming, and spirit world engaging experience.
    2. Defining Terms
      1. Community Group is a smaller gathering of the church body.
      2. Church is a community of God’s people gathered together for his mission.
      3. Mission is the proclamation of God’s gospel for his glory in order to gather his sheep.
    3. Health Plan: The Methodological Approach Of This Book
      1. Thesis: “I want to bring together theology and ministry philosophy with practical application and strategy that is worked out with effectiveness” (237-8).
      2. The Foundation (Part I): This section lays a firm theological foundation tethering the purpose and mission of the church with the CG while exposing faulty assumptions about CGs.
      3. Healthy Plan (Part II): What should a healthy CG look like?
      4. Treatment (Part III): How do we put it all together?
  3. Part One: The Foundation: Building Blocks For Life
    1. Image (Chapter 1)
      1. The image of God includes the ability and necessity of relations with God and min.
      2. Sin has corrupted this image, and has broken our relationships with God and one another.
      3. God has restored relationships through Christ’s death and resurrection.
      4. Community is a means by which we glorify God inspired by his glory and empowered by his grace.
      5. Community is not optional; it is a response to reconciliation brought about through the cross.
    2. Body (Chapter 2)
      1. Church is the primary means God uses to accomplish the purposes of his kingdom and mission.
      2. Discipleship is the means by which the church enables and mobilizes individuals within the church.
      3. CGs provide pastoral oversight, close quarters discipleship, and the ability to life out the gospel together.
      4. CGs are not about numbers. They are about engaging in the mission of the church.
    3. Ownership (Chapter 3)
      1. Normal church goers have borrowed faith: they do not participate, know tenants of faith, or have convictions. They believe as their pastor believes.
      2. Mission
      3. God’s mission is to call people to worship and exalt the Son through the work of the Holy Spirit. God is the sending agent and the church is the active outworking of the mission (66).
      4. The definition of missional is to participate in the mission of God as a response to the gospel through proclamation and practice (67).
        1. All church members must become owners in the mission of the church.
        2. We treat a rental different than we do our own property.
        3. Agreement is not synonymous with ownership.
        4. Inspiring ownership relies on the glory and grace of God and acts obediently out of love.
        5. Ownership requires profit sharing. Enable CG leaders to succeed
  4. Part Two: Health Plan
    1. Introduction
      1. Pragmatism must not dictate the way we define our CGs and how they function.
      2. CGs founded on conviction of the gospel and dependence on the Holy Spirit.
    2. Community (Chapter 4)
      1. We must scrap our conceptions about CGs and cast new vision with solid foundation.
      2. A disciple of Christ possesses the image of God, finds identity in Christ, worships God, and exists in community serving the mission of God. These elements are the foundation for Christ centered relationships.
      3. Community, a smaller expression of the local body, is characterized by bible study, confession and repentance, worship, prayer, hospitality, and the exercise of spiritual gifts.
    3. Neighborhood (Chapter 5)
      1. The church’s responsibility is to embody and saturate the city with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
      2. The church accomplishes this by contextualizing the gospel, neither diminishing nor diluting it.
      3. Stability is a thing of the past. Transience characterizes the age. People find belongedness in neighborhoods.
      4. Focusing on “neighborhoods” allows the church to segment the vision into manageable chunks.
      5. We must be cognizant of size. Fewer groups make geographical segmenting less feasible.
      6. Groups can be arranged by life stages or common interests: each has its pros and cons.
    4. Spaces (Chapter 6)
      1. CGs must be trained to be involved in God’s mission by engaging culture.
      2. We must all become missiologists by observing culture to identify non gospel comprising and gospel compromising elements, accepting the former and rejecting the later.
      3. CGs are the medium by which fellowship, hospitality, service, and participation take place (Acts 2).
      4. Fellowship is the time when bible study, confession, and repentance take place.
      5. Hospitality takes place when believers invite both believers and non-believers into their life.
      6. Service involves engagement in our local communities as well as meeting its practical needs.
      7. Participation means that we get involved in existing events or happenings instead of creating.
    5. Rhythms (Chapter 7)
      1. Getting into a rhythm in line with our theological foundation is important for CGs.
      2. We should engender a culture of opportunity. Find ways to “live” together.
      3. Time restraints is not the issue, interest is. Bring the gospel to sporting events, pubs, yards, etc.
      4.  An example of rhythm:
      5. Sunday mornings the CG sits together and worships together.
      6. Tuesday evenings the CG gathers for fellowship.
      7. Every other Tuesday the CG has a standing reservation at a restaurant and invites outsiders.
      8. Every other Saturday CG leaders hosts a cinnamon roll and coffee event to the neighborhood.
    6. Structure (Chapter 8)
      1. Systems without structure will break down (principle of entropy or unattended garden).
      2. The head must relinquish control. He must raise up leaders, give them responsibilities, and lead from the edge.
      3. Capacity of community pastor, head coaches, coaches, and group leaders:
      4. Community Pastor (100-4000)
      5. Head Coaches (80-500)
      6. Coaches (40-100)
      7. Group Leader (10-20)
        1. Leaders are expected engender the characteristics of a shepherd, missiologist, and administrator.
        2. Leaders should have the following elements: calling, competence, and character.
        3. Leaders are trained through mentoring, monthly “syncs,” and classroom or independent studies.
  5. Part Three: Treatment
    1. Repentance (Chapter 9)
      1. We must not allow apathy, indifference, or fear of man to keep us from the mission of God.
      2. We must not accept the grace of God with prejudice.
      3. We must repent and allow the Spirit to transform our hearts.
    2. Boot Camp (Chapter 10)
      1. Boot camp consists of 7 consecutive 2 hour meetings.
      2. The 7 sessions: Truth (God as sender), repentance, vision, engaging neighborhoods, rhythms as lifestyle, strategy (building with intentionality), and celebration (putting it into action).
      3. Boot camp is to be characterized by worship, teaching, neighborhood focus, and homework.
    3. History of Mars Hill (Chapter 11)
      1. Though Mars Hill grew quickly, many major overhauls were needed throughout the years.
      2. It is better to adopt a structure that is capable of growth, than to adjust later.

[1] I am using Richard Baxter’s The Reformed Pastor as a model of what a pastor should look like. Too often we read Baxter’s work and think of his exhortation to pastors as a “pie in the sky” approach to ministry. Yet, I remain unconvinced that his convictions are ill founded or impossible.

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Zwingli on Learning Greek

Posted on October 27, 2013 by jacobcerone

I have firmly decided to study Greek. Nobody except God can prevent it. It is not a matter of personal ambition, but one of understanding the most Sacred Writings.

–Ulrich Zwingli via Rodney Decker’s Koine Greek Reader

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Biblical Greek Exegesis: A Graded Approach to Learning Intermediate and Advanced Greek: A Review

Posted on October 24, 2013 by jacobcerone

George H. Guthrie and J. Scott Duvall, Biblical Greek Exegesis, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998); 173p, $24.99.

Sensing an inherent flaw in the traditional pedagogical approach to second year biblical Greek studies, Guthrie and Duvall seek to provide professors and students with a better pedagogical approach to learning Greek syntax and exegesis. The traditional approach requires students to read a technical book on Greek syntax often supplemented by the study of either Philippians or 1 John. This approach:

  1. fails to motivate students who are interested in understanding and applying the biblical text,
  2. is not true to the inductive manner in which the student will encounter syntax in the biblical text,
  3. divorces syntax from the process of understanding the text,
  4. and tends to focus on words, phrases, clauses and sentences to the exclusion of the larger discourse.

The alternative offered by Guthrie and Duvall is a graded inductive approach to syntax and exegesis. The book is divided into two parts: 1) syntax and diagramming, and 2) the exegetical method. Part one takes the first nine texts from Mounce’s A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek dividing them into manageable weekly segments. Students are expected to provide translations, syntactical analyses of select words, and grammatical diagramming for each passage. Part two expects the professor to either chose a New Testament book or the remaining passages in Mounce’s Graded Reader to which the exegetical method will be applied.

This methodological approach should:

  1. encourage movement from the text to grammar books for explanation,
  2. build confidence as students move from easier to more difficult passages,
  3. build understanding of biblical texts through grammatical and semantical diagramming,
  4. encourage a holistic understanding 0f biblical Greek,
  5. and teach students about exegetical tools.

The authors intend BGE to work in conjunction with Mounce’s Graded Reader, Wallace’s Beyond the Basics, and the professor’s choice of vocabulary text (they recommend Trenchard).

Part 1

In part one the authors outline their method for doing grammatical and semantic diagramming (semantic diagramming will not be utilized until the student reaches part two as it is more complex). An extensive description of the various semantic relationships that exist is provided along with an example in Greek and English.

Each “chapter” or segment of scripture under consideration receives three sections. The first section is syntax. Students are asked to parse, identify case, or describe the function of various words within the passage. The authors provide samples that have been taken from the syntactical discussions in Mounce’s Graded Reader. Section two allots space for students to diagram a portion of the Greek text they translated. Section three is reserved for whatever vocabulary the professor assigns.

Part 2

Part two is a lightening fast presentation of the exegetical method. The twelve steps utilized by Guthrie and Duvall are succinctly summarized in “Exegetical Method at a Glance” (101). The twelve steps are:

  1. Spiritual Preparation
  2. General Introduction
  3. Literary Context
  4. Provisional Translation
  5. Grammatical Diagram
  6. Semantic Diagram and Provisional Outline
  7. Word and Concept Analysis
  8. Broader Biblical and Theological Context
  9. Commentaries and Special Studies
  10. Polished Translation and Extended Paraphrase
  11. Application
  12. Preaching/Teaching Outline

Students are expected to run about 15 verses, as chosen by the professor, through these 12 steps every two weeks. This should provide plenty of practice for students to become comfortable in utilizing the method throughout the semester.

Analysis

When perusing the stacks for Greek resources, the title of this book immediately caught my eye. As many of you know, I am actively searching for the best way  to teach both syntax and exegesis in my local church context. This looked like a good option. One book that teaches with both a graded and inductive approach. Sadly, I don’t think my search has ended. There were many good things about the book, but I feel like the bad outweighs them. Let me start with the good.

First, the graded approach is appealing. A student’s ability to translate the Bible immediately provides an extra dose of motivation to make it through the difficult task ahead. Second, students aren’t overburdened with the all the exegetical options at once. They are weaned into the options as they encounter them. Experience is a great teacher. Third, though I disagree with the methodological approach of finding the principles of the text and discarding the rest, I did find their section on application helpful. Students are told to summarize the original meaning, discover the general principles, observe how the principles affected the original audience/context, discover modern parallels, identify various areas of life for application (home, work, school, money), and make specific application. At each point in the process of application, the authors offer examples of how to do it and what it looks like.

The bad …. The first part of BGE is almost entirely redundant. The authors expect students to also have a copy of Mounce’s Graded Reader. Mounce’s work provides the passage, analyzes syntax, and teaches the practice of phrasing (similar to grammatical diagramming). It also includes an appendix with phrasing for the first nine passages. BGE has none of this. With the exception of the initial explanation of how to do grammatical diagramming, no other examples are given. No appendix is given to assist students as they learn the practice of diagramming. Furthermore, no explanation is given as to how phrasing differs from grammatical diagramming, something I feel is necessary if both books are used together.

Second, why no vocabulary? I understand the desire to allow teachers the freedom to go their own way. Nevertheless, I think it would have been helpful if they included the special vocabulary for the assigned passages.

Third, while Appendix A provides a list of all the syntactical categories, there is no explanation of those categories. This most likely is explained by the expectation that students have either Wallace or Mounce handy. I see no reason, however, why one wouldn’t be included. Instead of BGE interfacing well with other resources, it is now dependent upon other resources, multiplying the overall cost to the student and a reduction in desk space.

Finally, I found Part Two disappointing. When discussing how to discover the literary context and confines of a particular textual unit, no attention is given to discourse markers that perform that very function. Step 4 includes a brief discussion on the importance of textual criticism, but does not talk about the methods of the discipline. The first step in doing word studies is, “Do further reading about how to do word studies properly” (129). Guiding students to further reading after having discussion the topic is helpful. Claiming to be a book on Greek exegesis and not providing a basic outline of the principles and methods of textual criticism and word studies is unacceptable.

Guthrie and Duvall have created n good resource for their own teaching purposes, as it functions more as a lesson planner than a guide to Greek exegesis. I hesitate, though, to recommend the book to you. That is to say, if you are a student looking to learn Greek syntax and exegesis without a teacher present, this is not the book for you. Professors, if you are looking for a self-sufficient book to ease your students into the subject, this is not for you. If, however, you are looking for a tool that will help you select and structure material and assignments efficiently and effectively while drawing from other resources for necessary information, then BGE will serve you well.

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Neal Windham’s New Testament Greek for Preachers and Teachers: A Review

Posted on October 23, 2013 by jacobcerone

You have learned some basics about New Testament Greek either out of desire or compulsion (a degree requirement). Now what? How does the Greek student apply that knowledge to his lesson/sermon? Neal Windham’s New Testament Greek for Preachers and Teachers provides us with, dare I say, an indispensable tool for accomplishing this task.

Windham writes under the conviction that a knowledge of Greek is at the heart of ministerial training. In churches that tenaciously hold to the inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of the biblical texts, it is often the case that the ministers, elders, and teachers have limited to no knowledge of biblical Greek. This should not be. All individuals who regularly function in a teaching role should know biblical Greek. While this may seem unreasonable and not an easy task to accomplish, Windham claims that we are not called to mediocrity. We are to be faithful teachers and expositors of the revelation God has entrusted to his church. Windham warns that we must be careful at this point. Knowing Greek does not guarantee that we will know God any better, or that our hermeneutics our any good. Furthermore, it will not give us all the “right” answers de facto. Finally, it should not make us arrogant. Instead, knowing Greek allows us to deepen our appreciation for the Word of God, causes us to be humble, disciplines us, and allows us to prepare messages instead of what was pre-packaged for us from someone else.

Who can use the book? Windham has written for students who have completed one year of Greek. This means that he expects that you have completed Greek grammar. He also assumes that his readers have taken a class or have familiarity with hermeneutics.

What method does he use? The book covers five practical areas of application: textual criticism, morphology, word study, syntax, discourse. Windham does not intend to provide a comprehensive picture of the exegetical method. His goal is to provide his readers with the most fruitful avenues of study and application in the context of the teaching/preaching ministry. Each of the book’s chapters contain the following contents: introduction to the tools, procedures, textual examples, application of findings, practical suggestions, conclusion, practice problems, and a select bibliography.

Chapters two and three address the discipline of textual criticism. It may be tempting for many to ignore textual criticism entirely due to its inherent complexities. Doing so, however, would be like a builder beginning his construction of a home without the right materials. He might complete the project, but the house will look nothing like the one described in the blueprints.

Chapter two describes the tools for the task (UBS3 and NA26), the manuscripts of the New Testament and their value (papyri, uncials, minuscules, lectionaries, versions, and church fathers), the kinds of errors (faulty word division in later manuscripts, haplography, dittography, and letter confusion), and a brief history of texts and their respective families.

Chapter three proceeds to the process by which the textual critic selects the right reading on the basis of external evidence (date, quality of manuscript, geographical distribution, and genealogical relationship) and internal evidence (shortest reading, more difficult reading, and the style/context of the writer/discourse). Windham urges preachers and teachers to share their findings in the sermon/lesson. Not doing so will leave the audience frustrated at the presence of marginal readings without explanation. At the same time, the preacher must be sure to keep it simple, short, interesting, and relevant. One of the most helpful elements of this chapter is a three-page example of how to present a text critical issue and one’s findings (56-68).

We now turn to the topic of morphology in chapter four. Windham’s discussion of prefixes and suffixes is of utmost value to the student. Here the formation of a word is discussed, how to discover the root word, how to avoid the etymological fallacy, and how to spot different types of nouns based upon their endings (process, result, class, person, agency, quality, abstraction, and concrete).

Chapter five moves into a discussion of word studies conducted within context. This section alone is worth the cost of the book. Never before have I seen such a detailed approach to word studies. Windham begins by explaining why we must do word studies. Words have multiple meanings, their meaning changes over time, there is semantic overlap with other words, and some words are used infrequently and need extra attention for correct understanding. Next, Windham tells us how to choose words for study. He suggests that we read the passage in English several times, read the passage in the Greek New Testament, pick words with a theological orientation, repeated words, and words that have similar but different meanings with other words in the context.

How does one start studying the words she selects? First, we need the proper tools. We need a concordance (Moulton, Wigram, or the Computer Konkordanz), a lexicon (BDAG and Louw and Nida), and a theological wordbook (little Kittel, and NIDNTT). Now we are ready to proceed. Windham advises we study words according to the following six steps: 1) consult BDAG for basic definitions, 2) look the word up in a concordance and study the various contexts in which the word appears noting the various contextual associations in each instance (see summary on 116-117 for a detailed discussion on how many passages should be studied), 3) reread in detail the entry in BDAG checking to see if your findings are consonant with the lexicon, 4) check Louw and Nida to in order to see if the semantic domain discussion adds anything to your findings, 5) consult the theological dictionary for any additional contextual associations and compare your findings with those in the article, 6) synthesize all your findings and select an appropriate definition without falling prey to the etymological fallacy, overloading meaning, or using the same meaning in all contexts.

Since the process can be overwhelming, Windham has provided students with a demonstration of the word study process with three examples. At the conclusion of this section, he advices pastors to allow the word study to help write the sermon. Word studies are content heavy and are able to add much needed depth and nutrition to the sermon.

Recognizing that he is not providing a comprehensive guide to syntax, Windham highlights the indicative verb, nouns, and participles for discussion in his seventh chapter. Under each of these categories is provided a brief survey of the syntactical options available to translators and interpreters. These options allow us to better understand how an author has used the genitive case, the present tense verb, or an adverbial participle. Windham warns the student that with so many options available, it is tempting to force an interpretation to agree with our pet theological conviction. Don’t do that. Included within this chapter is a brief tutorial on how to create a diagram of a passage according to its independent and dependent clauses. This diagram can serve as the bases for a sermon outline.

The final chapter is a brief overview of discourse. Many introductory discussions of discourse and discourse analysis try to do too much. Windham’s goal is to simply make us aware of the existence of certain markers. Authors use various constructions in order to indicate the structure of his communication. John repeats the phrase “I want you to know, brothers.” Other authors have their own unique ticks, so to speak. Interpreters should look of repeated phrases or words, markers that indicate the structure of a passage, and shifts in the subjects. These various elements will help distinguish units of thought.

Windham’s book is a gold mine. If you are a preacher or a teacher struggling to put your Greek to work in the ministry, this is the book for you. Technical words are discussed in context, so there is no need of a glossary. Windham instructs students in what tools are available and how to use them. He provides countless examples to illustrate concepts. He walks us through the process step-by-step. If that isn’t enough, he shows us how to apply the data in a sermon by writing out portions of a sermon. He constantly warns preachers that while it is important that he know the technical information, it is his responsibility to distill it in an understandable and relevant manner. And yes, he gives examples for how to do that as well.

There are a few minor drawbacks. First, the book is dated. The UBS3, NA26, BAGD, etc. are no long being used. This wouldn’t be too much of a problem, but his discussions are based upon these texts down to the page numbers. Second, the book’s formatting is not conducive to learning. There are no illustrations (compare with Erickson’s page excepts from the UBS3, NA26, BDAG, Louw and Nida, etc). The tables that Windham provides are barely distinguishable from the text. The result is that the book looks like one huge wall of text. It is content over-laden, you might say. Finally, I would have liked to see a bit more attention given to narrative texts in the New Testament. Windham recognizes that his syntactical diagramming does not work as well for narrative passages. What does?

In essence, these four criticisms amount to a cry for a new edition! If you couldn’t tell by the length of the review, I loved the book. The introduction was a strong and much needed exhortation to continue using Greek in ministry. Everything he included was tailored to his aim of providing an accessible and useful tool for teachers. On a personal level, I plan on using this book in my own teaching. When it gets time to teach my Greek students how to do a word study, what better way than apply Windham’s method and use the tailor made examples he has already given? This is, hands down, one of the best tools for bridging the gap between exegesis and exposition, raw data and relevance.

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QOTD: Neal Windham

Posted on October 22, 2013 by jacobcerone

On the one hand, it is easy to appreciate the New Testament in its various English renderings. We have grown up with its favored words. Its message seems clear. Commentaries based on the English text and designed to help us understand it abound.

But the raw ingredients of English translations are not the same as those of the Greek New Testament ….

So it is that we study Greek because we are concerned with knowing precisely what the text is saying. We are not satisfied with complete dependence upon sometimes controversial English translations. We want to work with the “raw ingredients,” really know what w’ere talking about, fully understand our options, and present our conclusions with confidence.

– Neal Windham New Testament Greek for Preachers and Teachers (5-6).

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Syntax, Exegesis, or Both?

Posted on October 21, 2013 by jacobcerone

I want to begin this post by saying that I would like feedback, and lots of it!

Over the past number of years I have taught Greek and Hebrew in the context of the local church. Here is a brief look at those classes:

  • Fall 2009- Greek Grammar I: We started with about 15 and finished with 6. (Those numbers may seem impressive, but once you subtract familial ties [my mom, my fiancee, and one of the other students significant other], the numbers look something more like 12 to 2.) We worked through the first half of Croy’s Greek Grammar.
  • Spring 2009- Greek Grammar II: Only one student continued on to Greek Grammar II. We finished Croy’s Greek Grammar textbook.
  • Summer 2009-Hebrew Grammar I & II: The same student that stuck with me through Greek Grammar I & II picked up Hebrew as I tutored him through Pratico and Van Pelt’s Hebrew Grammar.
  • Exegesis? Syntax?: I offered no exegesis or syntax to this student, as he decided to go to seminary to study “officially.”
  • Spring 2011- Hebrew Grammar I: Started with 9 students and ended with 3 using Ross’ Hebrew Grammar. (I switched to Ross from Pratico and Van Pelt because it was cost prohibitive to ask students to purchase the grammar and workbook.)
  • Fall 2011- Hebrew Grammar II: Finished Hebrew Grammar II with 2 students.
  • Spring 2012- Hebrew Syntax: Read through Arnold and Choi’s work on Hebrew Syntax, made progress in Mitchell’s vocabulary guide, and translated through Jonah.
  • Fall 2012- More Hebrew: Translated through Ruth, Psalms 1-2, Genesis 24, and we worked through more of Mitchell.
  • Spring 2013- Greek Grammar I: Started with 15 and ended with 5 using Black’s Greek Grammar.
  • Fall 2013- Greek Grammar II: Started with 5. We are currently finishing Black’s textbook.

If you have made it this far in the post, you have probably noticed that I’ve done no exegetical work in these classes. This is due to a number of factors:

  • Time: I listed the numbers of students that started and finished to illustrate the fact that few stick with it. Those that do stick with the language sacrifice a great amount of time. Sticking with it for two years straight is a lot to ask.
  • Emphasis: What does a teacher emphasize in a context like this? Syntax? Time translating the text? Exegesis? In the past, I have opted for translation and syntax. I fear this has left students without the ability to dig deeper into a specific passage.
  • Resources: Outside a theological context, exegesis is cost prohibitive for some/most students. Why? A book on the exegetical method=$20-$50, BDAG=$150, GNT=~$50, Metzger’s Textual Commentary=$25, NIDNT=$50, 1-2 commentaries on the biblical book being researched=$80, not to mention the theological/exegetical/historical dictionaries needed to do contextual research.

Despite these factors, never reaching the exegetical method leaves students with a year of language study and no application. I view this as a failure on my part.

My question to you, reader, is how to make this work within the context of the local church? Where should I go with the Greek Grammar II class I am teaching after we conclude the textbook? Do I go to Wallace’s Beyond the Basics and Metzger’s Lexical Aids? Do I go just to Metzger’s Lexical Aids to build vocabulary while translating as much of the biblical text as possible? Do I encourage them to start building their library in order to do exegesis together?

I have been researching a number of Greek resources and there is no end to the number of approaches and methods: syntax focus (inductive [Bateman’s workbook for 1-3 John)] deductive [Wallace]), exegetical focus, translation focus, just to name a few. Is there a way to incorporate all three within one class? Would that even be wise?

I am beginning to think that I should do away with syntax. Maybe ask students to read It’s Still Greek to Me, but not spend class time discussing it in order to free up more time for translation and exegesis.

What have you done? What approach(es) have you found to work best? Let me hear your thoughts.

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The Power of Books

Posted on October 21, 2013 by jacobcerone

A new book has untold powers for the bibliophile. For the avid reader, you know what I mean. For some reason, though, I always forget this fact. I’ll order a book that I know I need and want for some future day in my research. Inevitably, upon its arrival, I will drop everything I was working on and I will shift my focus.

photoLast weekend, my copy of Synopsis Quattuor Evangeliorum arrived (I couldn’t pass up ordering a like new copy from Amazon for only $25). I haven’t been able to put it down. In my previous post, I mentioned that the Romans had conquered the Greeks in good historical fashion (i.e. I was shifting focus from Greek to my enormous Latin translation project of the Glossa Ordinaria on Esther). It seems, however, as if books have the power to rewrite history: the Greeks, in unprecedented fashion, have rebelled against their Roman overlords (ok … enough with the analogy). I’m having a difficult time refocusing my attention on what needs to get done. I’d much rather translate the Gospels and the citations from Justin Martyr, Clement, the Shepherd of Hermas, etc.

Anyone have any advice on how to conquer the hold this new book has over me?

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My Breakfast Nook

Posted on October 18, 2013 by jacobcerone

As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I went on a bit of a Greek resources rampage. In good historic fashion, however, Romans have conquered the Greeks.

photo

I don’t think that this was what Mary Beth had in mind when she told me to get all my Greek books out of the kitchen. There just isn’t a better place to hold the baby and translate simultaneously.

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Mounce’s A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek: A Review

Posted on October 17, 2013 by jacobcerone

Yesterday I reviewed Erickson’s A Beginners Guide to New Testament Exegesis. Ultimately, it should be our desire as able exegetes to analyze a text with all the tools of the exegetical method as highlight by Erickson. Some professors, however, might take a different approach to third semester Greek, focusing instead on translating large swaths of New Testament texts. Mounce provides a resource for exact that.

Mounce’s A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek is a tool designed for teachers and students of third semester Greek. The book aims to alleviate frustration from reading large sections of scripture, begin the process of learning exegesis, and make students accustomed to the Greek text in order to encourage future use of the Greek New Testament. The ultimate aim, however, is to encourage a greater love of God and neighbor.

Mounce accomplishes these goals in the following ways. First, all vocabulary used in the New Testament under 20 occurrences have been footnoted with definitions. This means that the student spends more time in the text than in a lexicon. Since Mounce aims at creating an inductive approach to translation and exegesis, footnoted words only appear once in a chapter. εὐθύς receives a footnote in Mark 1:3 (chapter 3 of the reader), but does not receive one in Mark 1:10. In so doing, Mounce expects students to learn vocabulary along the way, instead enabling an unhealthy dependency on lexical aids.

Second, Mounce provides explanations for difficult grammatical constructions. Instead of staring at the text for ten minutes without a clue as to how to translate “καὶ μαρτυροῦμεν καὶ ἀπαγγέλλομεν ὑμῖν τὴν ζωὴν τὴν αἰώνιον ἤτις ἦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα καὶ έφανερώθη ἡμῖν” only to ultimately give up and check an English translation, Metzger writes, “You probably learned this word as an indefinite relative pronoun. As you can see from this context, it can lose the indefiniteness and simple be translated as the relative pronoun ‘which’ and not the indefinite relative ‘whichever.'”

Third, Mounce provides a healthy amount of comments on the text. These comments provide the definitions of exegetical categories (i.e. what is a subject or objective genitive and how do I determine which is in view in the context), advice on which words might deserve a closer look in a word study, and a look at the significance of tense changes within a particular passage. Bolded notes are summarized at the end of each chapter in the Grammatical Summary section. This summary corresponds to Daniel Wallace’s Beyond the Basics.

Mounce’s most important goal, to love God and one another more, is accomplished in the pastoral and theological ethos of the book. Each chapter is equipped with notes that draw out the theological, ethical, and practical implications of the text. Chapters conclude with a summary outline of the meaning of the passage and how it relates to the life of the Christian. It is evident throughout the work that Mounce desires to gently bring students closer to their God through a careful look at his Word to them.

There are several other features of this book worth our attention. Mounce provides two tracks for students and professors to follow. The first focuses on translation. Chapters are assigned with little to no extra work. The intent is to learn new vocabulary, learn the exegetical categories inductively, and spend a the lion’s share of one’s time in the biblical text. The second track includes Mounce’s practice of phrasing. This is the practice of segmenting the text logically into a visual “diagram.” Independent clauses are placed to the left; dependent clauses are indented under the independent clause. Parallel elements are placed signaled. Mounce gives no hard and fast rules for how this is done. He simply encourages students to divide the text in a manner that makes sense to them. For the neurotic student that must make sure he is “right,” Mounce has provided his phrasing of the first seven chapters in the appendix.

For the teacher and student that feels as if Mounce’s Guided Reader will not adequately suffice for a third semester class due to its lack of a systematized discussion of grammar and syntax, Mounce includes an appendix just for you. He has provided a summary of Wallace’s Beyond the Basics in 42 pages.

Mounce’s reader is an excellent resource. Translating through the Greek New Testament can be a frustrating experience. Ambitious souls set out to translate a book of the Bible only to be waylaid by unfamiliar vocabulary and syntax. For some, these obstacles are overcome and they go merely on to further study and translation. For others, the journey ends abruptly. Mounce’s graded approach helps build confidence in students as they meet more and more difficult passages. The exegetical notes orient the student towards the sorts of questions she should be asking when she comes to the biblical text. Knowing what questions to ask, after all, is what we are after.

Before proceeding to Amazon to purchase this resource, do consider the following. It is becoming more and more common for students and pastors to purchase a readers Greek New Testament in order to help with vocabulary. Furthermore, simply knowing what passages Mounce selects (something readily attainable from the table of contents page on Amazon) facilitates the graded approach. Other than these factors, if you have had no experience in exegesis, phrasing, or clausal analysis, this resource is an excellent introduction.

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A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Exegesis: A Review

Posted on October 16, 2013 by jacobcerone

Richard  J. Erickson, A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Exegesis (Downer’s Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2005); 239 pages, $20.00.

Erickson’s A Beginner’s Guide to New Testament Exegesis is intended as a friendly and non-frightening approach to the exegetical method. Erickson reflects on his many years of teaching at Fuller Theological Seminary using Gordon Fee’s New Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students and Pastors. Though he commends the excellence of Fee’s work, he found it too ambitious and intimidating for students new to the exegetical art. Erickson writes, “In other words, as I have experienced it from a teacher’s perspective, Fee’s Handbook gives too much meat to beginners in need of milk” (14). In light of this, Erickson distinguishes between the task of the professional scholar and that of the student/pastor. Though one can always go deeper into the scholarly abyss, Erickson provides his readers with the foundation.

Erickson acknowledges that he is writing for a particular audience. As such, he brings a number of assumptions that would not be accepted by the larger scholarly world. Some of these assumptions are that the bible is the Word of God, that God has inspired his Word, that his Word is inerrant, and that it presents a unified theological understanding of who God is, though each human author might have specific theological nuances.

The book is divided into ten chapters. Chapter one serves as an introduction. What is the exegetical method? Why should we care? What, broadly speaking, are the major components?

Chapter two is composed of two main sections: textual criticism and the tools for the exegetical task. Having walked the reader through the definitions of important terms such as original text, copies, translations, and modern editions, Erickson lays out the basic principles for resolving textual issues: external and internal evidence. External evidence is concerned with manuscript evidence, textual families, geographical representation, the age of and reliability of individual manuscripts. Internal evidence is comprised of possible intentional or accidental scribal changes as well as theological and stylistic concerns. Erickson’s section on textual criticism concludes with a discussion of textual errors relevant to beginning students and pastors. Only variants that have exegetical significance and textual support should concern us. This alleviates the student/pastor from the burdensome task of reconstructing the entire passage under consideration. The second half of the chapter quickly highlights the resources needed for the exegetical task: Metzger’s textual commentary, a concordance, a Septuagint, dictionaries, encyclopedias, atlases, Gospel synopses, primary literature (Pseudepigrapha, Apocrypha, Josephus, Philo, etc.), and secondary literature (articles, journals, commentaries, etc.).

Chapter three is a overview of the theory behind discourse analysis. Readers presuppose that a text coheres. This means that it makes sense as a whole. The parts fit together like a jigsaw puzzle into a coherent picture. The task of exegesis is to understand how the mountains, the passage under consideration, fit within the larger puzzle. Just as you would begin constructing a puzzle, looking for edge or framing pieces, so also with a biblical passage. We must start from the top down. Where are the framing pieces? As we continue, we notice that certain puzzle pieces have flowers, others have sky, others have a road. Understanding how these units fit together and how they fit within the grand scheme is an indispensable tool available to the interpreter in understanding the text.

Chapter four digs a bit deeper into the principles of discourse analysis. Here Erickson defines important terms. Letters are clumped together in order to form words. Words, in turn, form phrases (incomplete thoughts lacking a verb). Phrases, when joined with verbs, form clauses. Clauses can be either independent or dependent. Dependent clauses signal a relationship that exists between itself and the independent clause on which it hangs. Understanding how clauses relate to one another is an important step in understanding the way author’s create. Yet, that is not all. Sentences relate to one another and contribute to the overall meaning of the discourse. These relationships, according to Erickson, are signaled by conjunctions, chiasm, inclusio, verbal clusters, repetitions, etc.

Chapter five moves into the historical realm. Discourse units do not exist in a detached universe. There are both general and specific cultural settings in which discourse takes place. It is the exegetes job to try and understanding the historical milieu as best as possible and to understand the specific situation surrounding an author’s desire to write. The first of these tasks is aided by knowledge of the primary literature discussed in chapter two. Understanding biblical texts in their cultural setting is also aided by a knowledge of the Septuagint, biblical vocabulary, and a careful analysis of word usage (aka word studies properly done). All of this will allow an exegete to understand the culture surrounding a text and transfer it, appropriately, to his own context.

Chapters six through nine address genre issues. Chapter six explores rhetorical criticism as used in epistolary literature. Erickson notes, in this chapter, that each letter is written to a specific church or community. They were intended to address the specific needs of that community. As such, we must be able to read in light of the author’s intent, be able to perceive the other side of the conversation (what the recipients of this letter would have said), and the cultural assumptions the author and reader shared, which are no longer assumed by modern readers.

Chapters seven and eight address narrative literature. The Gospels and Acts lay at the heart of these chapters. As one would expect, Erickson highlights the fact that the exegete should be aware of the Sitz im Leben of each Gospel, form criticism, source criticism, and redaction criticism. One of the great gems of chapter seven is Erickson’s explanation of how to use Aland’s Synopsis Quatturo Evangeliorum. He even provides an exercise/example from the “Peter’s Mother-in-Law” pericope. His discussion of narrative also includes a look at plot, characterization, and setting, a look at parables, allegory, and speeches/sayings.

Chapter nine looks at the genre and interpretive issues surrounding the book of Revelation.

The final chapter is designed to put the pieces back together. Now that we have done the task of exegesis (bombarding the text with text criticism, translation and grammatical analysis, boundary definition, structural and discourse analysis, historical-cultural background, word studies, literary context, theological context, redactional analysis, narrative criticism, and rhetorical criticism) it is time to recontextualize the message. Erickson is concerned with three perspectives: the minister, the congregation, and the word. Before preparing the message, the minister must be soaked in prayer. Next, the minister must consider his own culture and the culture of his congregants as well as their needs. The message must hit its mark. Finally, the minister must not be so concerned about the needs of his congregation that he neglects, corrupts, or skirts the Word of God.

In many ways Erickson has succeeded in his task of bringing the intimidating task of exegesis down to a lower shelf. He regularly employed helpful analogies. Textual criticism is likened to a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery. Each time one sees a textual critical mark in the NA27 or UBS4, it is the site of a “murder.” The possible culprits are listed in the apparatus. It is the exegetes task to look at the various clues (internal and external evidence) to determine the real culprit. Erickson illustrates discourse analysis by pointing to a building composed of stone walls. Mortar holds the stones together. Each side is an important element that contributes to the structure’s overall coherence.

Furthermore, every chapter is loaded with helpful information. One chapter has an excursus on how to avoid exegetical fallacies. Another has a page from the NA27 and UBS4 with accompanying explanations on their differences, similarities, and how to use them. In his discussion on word studies, he provides excerpts from BDAG and Louw and Nida’s semantically arranged lexicon. Furthermore, Erickson provides several step-by-step instructions and illustrations for how to do a structural analysis based on principles of discourse analysis. If all of this isn’t enough, online material is available. Student and scholar alike stand to benefit from Erickson’s work.

Despite these great strengths, at certain points I felt as if it was just too much. In most seminaries, hermeneutics is a pre-requisite. I can’t imagine too many situations wherein a Greek student arrives in an exegesis class without having learned the basic principles of hermeneutics, including a discussion of genre. For this reason, I think that Erickson could have done without chapters six through nine, provided his discussion on form criticism, source criticism, redaction criticism, rhetorical criticism, narrative criticism are preserved within the book under a different format.

Second, though all the material in Erickson’s book is introductory in nature, the vast number of topics he introduces makes the book somewhat unwieldy as an introductory work. That is not to say that it cannot be done (I finished the book in two days). Nevertheless, many seminaries bill third semester Greek as a syntax and exegesis course. This means students are expected to learn Wallace, or some equivalent, read books on exegesis, and write an exegetical paper. In such contexts, a more streamlined approach to the exegetical method might be desirable.

Otherwise, this is a great addition to your library. Erickson’s section on how to use the synopsis alone is worth the price of the book. As a matter of fact, I plan on keeping the book out on my desk as I await the arrival the newest edition to my library: Aland’s Synopsis Quatturo Evangeliorum.

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