Pisteuomen - πιστευομεν - T. Michael W. Halcomb

In about 5 weeks I will be taking my Comprehensive Exams.  As I continue to prepare for this major 3-part test and as the time draws nigh, I cannot help but feel overwhelmed.  Of course, there is the actual test-prep that causes anxiety, but there are also a number of other factors, some not directly related to the exams themselves that also add pressure.  This all got me reflecting last night on the things that make being a Bible scholar so difficult.  Would Jesus himself have been this interested in keeping up with all of the scholarly and popular "views" about him?  He did ask, "Who do they say that I am?" but that was likely only a few years into it all.  Would God's Son, if he were to come back and walk upon the earth, still have an interest in what folks are saying about him?  How would he process it all?  Anyway, last night, off the top of my head, I came up with 15 things that make being a Bible scholar difficult, which I'm sure many of y...

This is VERY cool! Workers undertaking a new subway project in the city of Thessaloniki have uncovered an ancient Roman road. During the excavations, ancient childrens' games, chariot wheels, tools, lamps, and columns have all been uncovered. I'm very eager to hear what else surfaces. I visited Thessaloniki several years ago, and while there's not very much there to see in terms of ancient Christianity (at the time the so-called "House of Jason" was en vogue), I wonder if any of these new finds will shed light on Paul's letters or the ancient church. I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. For now, you can see at least one of the recent pictures to the left and read more HERE .

Interesting!

Today, I found some great deals on some great books that are now part of my personal library. How great of a deal? Well, $39 for all of the following 15 books. That's pretty amazing since the brand new set of The Encyclopedia of Judaism I picked up for $22 is currently selling for around $650.00 on Amazon. So, I guess I'll just consider these a happy 9th anniversary gift to myself! Here they are: The Message and the Kingdom : How Jesus and Paul Ignited a Revolution and Transformed the Ancient World (R.A. Horsley & N.A. Silberman) Rudolf Bultmann: Interpreting Faith for the Modern Era (R. Johnson) The Jesus Controversy: Perspectives in Conflict (J.D. Crossan, L.T. Johnson, and W.H. Kelber) A History of the Synoptic Problem: The Canon, the Text, the Composition, and the Interpretation of the Gospels (D.L. Dungan) The Encyclopedia of Judaism , Vols. 1-3 (J. Neusner, A.J. Avery-Peck, and W.S. Green) Daily Life in Ancient Rome: The People and the City at the...

I am pleased to announce that my most recent work People of the Book: Inviting Communities into Biblical Interpretation is now available on Kindle.  You can click HERE  or the image to the left to get it.   The Kindle version is only $9.99!  You can also get the print version on Amazon HERE or from the publisher, Wipf & Stock, HERE where it is now ON SALE for $15.20 !!!  When you get a chance, check out the companion website for the book, which is complete with photos, videos, an app, and more HERE .  So, go get your Kindle version of People of the Book now.  Even better, share the news with others.  Thanks!

As a young scholar, I have found myself time and again, amazed at the work that Bible scholars often come up with. Indeed, there are times where, when reading through a book or article, I have thought to myself "I wish I had said that!" or "I wish I had come up with that idea!" or "That's brilliant! I wish I had written it." In my view, when someone can make you think or say those types of things, they have done a superb job! Even more, I find those types of books or articles the most enjoyable to read.  On the flip side however, there comes a point in all of our lives when we say something that, after the fact, we wish would not have said. Of course, Bible scholars are humans, and they too say things that they often wish they had not said. There are also occasions in this field of study and research, where one finds themselves wishing others would not have said something that they did. This last type of example happened with me yesterday...