GETTING TO THE TEXT: The new semester modules

As you know, there have had to be some massive changes in the modules on offer during this year’s second semester due to the last minute withdrawal of two of our Biblical Studies lecturers.

So here follows a revised version of the modules that I am supervising, with the textbooks required:

HEBREWS II follows HEBREWS I (now there’s a surprise).  We have been working from Page H. Kelley, “Biblical Hebrew – An Introductory Grammar” (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1992). We completed up to the end of chapter 12 (strong verbs) page 93 in this book. We may shift across from this textbook to use some of the exercises in Weingreen’s Hebrew Grammar for practice purposes. There’s a few copies available in the library;   you might consider buying your own  from http://abebooks.co.uk ; or alternatively, try hassling a 3rd year.

GREEK II follows GREEK I directly, using Duff from page 55.

In both these modules there will be an attempt to work directly from the Biblical text, so the purchase of a Greek New Testament and a Hebrew Bible will not be out or order and essential for all future Biblical work.

GREEK I for the newcomers starting this semester (Welcome!) we will be beginning with Duff’s Elements of New Testament Greek which should be purchased as soon as possible from the college bookstore. Check in Admin.

GREEK TEXTS. This year we are examining Philippians in the Greek. There are many excellent commentaries, but O’Brien’s NIGTC is to be preferred. In a rather disarming way, the cover note promises the following:

 “The text on which these commentaries are based is the UBS Greek New Testament, edited by Kurt Aland and others. While engaging the major questions of text and interpretation at a scholarly level, the authors keep in mind the needs of the beginning student of Greek as well as the pastor or layperson who may have studied the language at some time but does not now use it on a regular basis.”

 Is that you?

WISDOM LITERATURE will follow the details in the December 29 post below. Brown’s Character in Crisis is the textbook and this too must be purchased as soon as possible. A book review is required, so why wait? I’ll post a schedule in the next few days.

PAULINE STUDIES is an overview module providing historical, social and religious contexts for all the letters that the NT accredits to Paul. We will consider some of Paul’s major theological emphases and using John Ziesler’s excellent little book Pauline Christianity.

BIBLICAL HERMENEUTICS (MTh module). I’ll deal with this separately.

Romans 14 and the Gospel of Vegetarianism?

Does Romans 14 Abolish Laws on Unclean Meats?

Many believe Romans 14 says that Christians are free from all former restrictions regarding the meats they may eat. They cite as proof verse 14, in which Paul wrote, “I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.”

This approach, however, fails to consider the context of Paul’s letter as well as the specific Greek words he used.

Many Bible resources agree that Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians around A.D. 55 and that he wrote his epistle to the Romans from Corinth in 56 or 57. The food controversy in Corinth (reflected in chapters 8 and 10) was over meat sacrificed to idols.

Since Paul was writing to the Romans from Corinth, where this had been a significant issue, the subject was fresh on Paul’s mind and is the logical, biblically supported basis for his comments in Romans 14.