December Musings (12/1/2023)
Updates:
I am back from our trip abroad and once again hard at work on editing the manuscript of the Blessed Hope Podcast series on Paul’s Thessalonian Letters—it will be available free of charge to all of you who have listened to the entire series, just as with my Galatian exposition, "For Freedom" -- An Exposition of Paul's Galatian Letter
I am also working on season three of the Blessed Hope Podcast series on 1 and 2 Corinthians.
I’ve started a new series on the Riddleblog—an exposition of the book of Daniel.
Pictures from my European trip can be found at Kim Riddlebarger on Instagram. I finally made it to all the Calvin sites in Strasbourg and Geneva.
My volume on First Corinthians in the Lectio Continua series (now published by Reformation Heritage Books) is off to the printer. I’ll have an update and a release date when I get more info from the publisher.
Currently Reading:
I am currently tackling Christoph Heilig’s book dealing with Paul’s implicit and explicit critique of Roman power and emperor worship: The Apostle Paul and the Empire. Does Paul include hidden criticism of Rome in his letters as N. T. Wright contends? Or Is John M. G. Barkley correct when he challenges Wright’s contention that Paul was openly anti-imperial throughout his letters. Although Heilig sides with Wright, he wrestles with the basic question, “if Paul did include anti-Roman critiques in his letters, how would we know? What should we be looking for?”
Appealing to a wide array of ancient sources, Heilig makes an interesting case that Paul’s use of the phrase “triumphal procession” in 2 Corinthians 2:14 is indeed an embedded critique of Rome.
This is part of my background reading for the upcoming Blessed Hope Podcast series on Paul’s Corinthians letters.
Recently Finished Reading:
One of the most significant among the first generation of Reformers was Martin Bucer (1491-1551). Many know his name but too often know little about him. This brief introduction to Bucer’s life and thought is a good place to start: Martin Bucer: An Introduction to His Life and Theology
The volume is a bit thin on Bucer’s biography—a mere 18 pages. A better introduction to Bucer’s life (in English) is found in David Steinmetz’s Reformers in the Wings.
The strength of this volume is its chapter by chapter survey of Bucer’s theological convictions from his view on Scripture (chapter 2) to his views on the state and the last things (chapter 9).
Martin Bucer was a capable theologian, and the pastor of the Reformed congregation in Strasbourg, where he was a mentor of sorts to John Calvin. But this volume maintains that Bucer ought best be remembered for something else—his desire to see harmony and unity among the various Reformed and Lutheran churches. He was not always successful in his efforts, but there would have been far more division among the Reformers had he not made the effort. A good book and a brief read.
Recommended Links:
Dean Davis on Israel's Last Battle: Ezekiel 38-39
Preach it brother! J. V. Fesko on the importance of Lectio Continua preaching
All the major Reformed Confessions can now be found in a single and well-laid out volume: Reformed and Presbyterian Confessional Standards
Whose land is it? O. P. Robertson: Contrasting Perspectives on the Land of Israel
A thoughtful review of the new film Napoleon at School of War: Ridley-Scott's Napoleon What Ridley-Scott gets right and what he gets wrong.
Other Links:
Two Italian men come down with severe sweat allergies: Italian woman forced to court to evict her two sons aged 40 and42
Why google maps give me pause: Google sued over faulty maps
How long can you stand still and not move? Polish police arrest thief who pretended to be a mannequin
Bozo was kinda creepy: Why are some people afraid of clowns?
Good news or bad news? I can’t tell. Either there are fewer bureaucrats than I feared there were, or the federal government is wasting billions of tax dollars on rent, or more than likely both things are true at the same time: Federal office buildings are 80 percent vacant
Previous Musings: November Musings )11/3/2023)
Video: “He took my stapler.” The best of Milton from Office Space.