Big Fall for the Gospel of John

I have noticed that this fall there are several very important contributions to John's Gospel that are worth keeping an eye on.

Leading the charge is J. Ramsey Michaels' John commentary for NICNT (Eerdmans), a replacement for the nearly 40 year old contribution of Leon Morris' in the same series. Checking in at a hefty 1100+ pages and 17 years in the making, this will surely be a standard for some years to come.

Urban C. von Wahlde's (ECC) 3 volume contribution totaling close to 2,000 total pages, makes Michaels' volume seem small by comparison. It should be noted however, that von Wahlde treats the Johannine Epistles in volume 3.

Yet another Eerdmans volume, this one authored by Daniel B. Stevick, handles John 13-17, and is entitled Jesus and His Own. Stevick argues "that no place in the New Testament says more about the interior life of the church — a community that through Christ, lives in close communion with God, under the Spirit, and in tension with the world."

Finally, Zondervan (Feb. 2011) enters the Johannine fray, with C. Marvin Pate's introductory volume The Writings of John: A Survey of the Gospel, Epistles, and Apocalypse.
Synopsis: 
This survey of John’s writings introduces students to the Gospel of John, the Johannine epistles, and Revelation, covering the texts themselves as well as issues of authorship, transmission, background, and interpretation. Books themselves receive paragraph-by-paragraph commentary, which includes applicable insight for the Christian life today.

Students of John's Gospel have quite the feast laid before them in the coming months!

My Birthday Present

I got some money for my birthday, and like I always do, I take stock of what is lacking in my library.

This year's choice was Peter O' Brien's Hebrews commentary. I have enjoyed O'Brien's contributions to the commentary genre in the past (e.g. Ephesians, Philippians), so I am eager to glean more from this great scholar.

I am still awaiting this purchase, so in the meantime I'd like to get your thoughts on this. Have any of you had a chance to read or least peruse this offering?

Brant Pitre's latest and Another Volume of Interest

I do not have many details thus far, but I wanted to draw attention to Brant Pitre's latest publication, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper. The book is to be published by Doubleday Religion and is slated for a February 2011 release date. It also appears to be of manageable size at a page count of 192 pages.

Many are familiar with Brant's revised dissertation, Jesus, the Tribulation, and the End of the Exile: Restoration Eschatology and the Origin of the Atonement, so one would expect an excellent, thorough treatment of the Last Supper from Brant.

 Another title I am eagerly anticipating due to the subject being near and dear to my heart, is Steve Moyise's Paul and Scripture: Studying the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Here are the particulars:

Price: $21.99


ISBN: 978-0-8010-3924-9


Number of pages: 160


Publication Date: Jul. 10


Formats: Paperback


"Moyise illuminates well how Scripture functioned for the first great Christian theologian without ignoring the various questions that such treatment still raises both for students of Paul and for those who ask how Scripture should function today."--James D. G. Dunn, Durham University


There are over one hundred explicit quotations of Scripture in Paul's letters and at least two hundred allusions. The coming of Jesus and the birth of the church caused Paul to look at the Scriptures with new eyes, sometimes clarifying what was written and sometimes reinterpreting it. This volume illuminates Paul's use of the Old Testament, providing a big-picture overview for students of the New Testament. Steve Moyise, a recognized expert on the use of the Old Testament in the New, discusses Paul's handling of creation stories, Abraham, Moses, the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. He then assesses competing contemporary approaches to Paul's interpretations of Scripture.

Contents


Introduction


1. Paul and the Creation Stories


2. Paul and Abraham


3. Paul and Moses


4. Paul and the Law


5. Paul and the Prophets: Israel and the Gentiles


6. Paul and the Prophets: The Life of the Christian Community


7. Paul and the Writings


8. Modern Approaches to Paul's Use of Scripture


Appendix 1: Paul's Quotations from Isaiah


Appendix 2: Index of Paul's Quotations


Appendix 3: Extracts from the Dead Sea Scrolls


Indexes


Endorsements


"Moyise combines his thorough knowledge of the field with his skills as a communicator to provide an eminently accessible and thoroughly up-to-date discussion of Paul's quotations from the Scriptures of Israel and of the scholarly debates surrounding them. It will be one of the first books I will want my students to read on the subject."--Roy E. Ciampa, associate professor of New Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary


"Moyise, one of the leading international scholars on the subject of the New Testament's use of the Old Testament, asks how each of the main features of Paul's teaching grows out of and interacts with the Hebrew Scriptures. Moyise illuminates well how Scripture functioned for the first great Christian theologian without ignoring the various questions that such treatment still raises both for students of Paul and for those who ask how Scripture should function today."--James D. G. Dunn, Emeritus Lightfoot Professor of Divinity, Durham University


"Steve Moyise, already well known for his work on the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, here provides a clear and accessible guide to Paul's use of Scripture and to recent scholarly discussion of this important topic. Students in particular will welcome this helpful overview, with its lucid explanations and fair survey of the field."--David G. Horrell, professor of New Testament studies, University of Exeter