New Testament Canon Archives - Page 8 of 31

Off to Denver for the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society

November 12, 2018

Today, I am heading to Denver for the 70th meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. ETS is one of the world’s largest gatherings of evangelical scholars. This year’s theme is “the Holy Spirit.”

As some of you may know, this year I am serving as the president-elect of the society (next year I am president) and thus I had the privilege of inviting all the plenary speakers. And we have a great lineup ahead.

Given the potential breadth of this year’s theme, the meeting has been designed to explore the Holy Spirit from multiple angles. Most naturally, of course, this theme will be studied from a theological perspective. But, it will also be studied from a historical/ecclesiastical perspective, as well as from an exegetical/biblical one.

The plenary speakers have been chosen to reflect each of these perspectives on the theme. Addressing the Holy Spirit theologically is Michael Horton, J. Gresham Machen Professor of Systematic Theology and Apologetics at Westminster Seminary in California, and author of numerous theological works including Rediscovering the Holy Spirit (2017).

Addressing the Holy Spirit historically is Michael Haykin, Professor of Church History and Biblical Spirituality at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and author of numerous works in church history including Empire of the Holy Spirit (2010).

Addressing the Holy Spirit exegetically is Craig Keener, the F.M. and Ada Thompson Professor of Biblical Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary, and author of numerous commentaries including the massive four-volume series on Acts with Baker Academic (2012-2015).

In addition to the plenaries, I chair (along with Stan Porter) the ETS program unit entitled, NT Canon, Textual Criticism, and Apocryphal Literature. We have a great line up this year, both for our open session and invited session: [Read more…]

Is the Truth of the Bible Essential to the Christian Message? Engaging (Again) with Andy Stanley

August 14, 2018

There’s been a good bit of buzz lately about Andy Stanley’s recent interview with Jonathan Merritt. Stanley had already created a stir back in April when he said that Christians should “unhitch” themselves from the Old Testament, and this interview seems to be heading down the same tracks.

Needless to say, this recent interview has continued to fuel concerns about Stanley’s view of the Old Testament. Over the weekend, Al Mohler offered a response where he points out that the early church did not cut off the Old Testament, as can be seen in the disputes with the second-century heretic, Marcion.

But, I think the problem may be deeper than just Stanley’s view of the Old Testament. His comments about the role of the Old Testament simply stem from his overall view of Scripture and the role it plays in the life of the Christian.

And to understand Stanley’s overall view of Scripture, we ought to return to his controversial 2016 sermon “The Bible Told Me So”. It is there that he lays out a deeper, more foundational view of the Bible. [Read more…]

Why I Don’t Prefer the Phrase “Criteria of Canonicity”

August 6, 2018

If a person asks how we know which books belong in the NT canon (and which do not), they will often hear that the answer lies with the “criteria of canonicity.”

All we have to do, we are told, is simply look for books that meet these “criteria” and then we can know which books are in or out. What are these criteria? Typically things like apostolicity, orthodoxy, usage, age, etc.

Now, let me say there are a number of helpful things here. In particular, I agree that apostolicity is a key aspect of canon. However, I don’t prefer the concept of “criteria of canonicity” for a number of reasons: [Read more…]

Some Recent Interactions with My Book on Second Century Christianity

July 17, 2018

I’ve been pleased this year to see so many encouraging responses to my new book, Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (IVP Academic, 2018). Who would’ve thought people would be interested in the second century?

For those who haven’t picked up a copy yet, this book highlights what is really a forgotten century of sorts in the history of Christianity. Much attention is paid to the first century (for obvious reasons!), and by the time the third and fourth centuries roll around, the church is more established (which means more sources for scholars to study).

In between sits the “Cinderella Century” (as Larry Hurtado calls it), all too easily overlooked. But, in this critical time period the church faced an enormous number of challenges and transitions–ones that would shape its identity for years to come.

These transitions includes issues of demographics (what kind of people became Christians?), politics (how’d Christians interact with the Roman government and how were they perceived?), ecclesiology (who ran the churches and how’d they relate to each other?), theology (were Christians unified in their beliefs and how did they handle “heresy”?), and Scripture (when did Christians collect their own books as canon?).

I’ve been doing a ton of podcast interviews, and I have also seen some of the reviews start to come in. Here is a sampling: [Read more…]

It’s Here! My Book on Christianity in the Second Century is Now Available in the USA

February 22, 2018

Last year (2017) my book on second-century Christianity was released with SPCK in the UK: Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church.

For my American colleagues and friends however, this book has not been easy to get. Since it is a dual publication between SPCK and IVP Academic, and since it was released by SPCK first, it has thus far only been (technically) available if ordered from the UK.

I am pleased to say that it is now available in the USA. No more need to get bootleg copies!

Although Amazon is showing the book is not available till February 25th, our own bookstore here at RTS already has copies.

And I have to say I love the new cover (see inset picture). I also thought the SPCK cover was great, so I am blessed that I like both of them (which is not always true for authors).

In addition, the volume has a new description, and a new set of endorsements: [Read more…]