About the Blog: This blog was originally designed to extend the discussion of Acts based on my evening services at Rush Creek Bible Church in Byron Center, MI, beginning September 14, 2008. My intent then was to post a few comments about the portion of Acts scheduled for that Sunday evening, then I would post a few notes from the evening service on the Monday after I teach the section.
As the series winds down, the focus will broaden to include issues of Pauline Theology along with the Book of Acts. Perhaps this will be more like a typical Biblical / Theological blog, but I am not really sure that that looks like either.
About Phillip J. Long: I teach full time at Grace Bible College, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. I have a couple of Masters degrees from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and have just about finished my PhD Dissertation at Andrews University. I read books, drink strong coffee, and listen to music. Often at the same time.
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September 17, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Brad Waayenberg
Phil,
I see the links are working now. Great work, this is excellent.
Brad W.
September 17, 2008 at 6:04 pm
plong42
I hoped to have a direct link to the MP3 file and PDF file, but I haven’t worked out how to do that yet.
January 5, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Cheryl White
I am enjoying your teaching. Last evening I was interested in comments you made about the idea first century Jews would have had that eventually the gospel would go to the Gentiles. Did I interpret that as you meant it? The Jews seem so insular and I have a hard time imagining them opening themselves up to this idea. They seemed to resist it most of the way through Acts. Some I would think never gave in to the idea that Christ was anything but their Saviour and the way to salvation was long and hard through conversion to Judaism. Paul had to work really hard to argue the point of salvation by grace.
Just some thoughts and I would be interested in your comments.
January 5, 2009 at 3:32 pm
plong42
Cheryl, I answered this on the “main page” under last night’s notes. This is the “about” page, so no one will really ever see the question (it was too good to hide here!)
http://readingacts.wordpress.com/2009/01/05/acts-10-jews-and-gentiles/
October 11, 2009 at 8:39 pm
Josh Rumenapp
you forgot the part about burning strong smelling candles along with the coffee drinking, book reading, and music listening. It appears you are a very well versed multi-tasker.
October 22, 2009 at 6:36 pm
Gary Manning
Hi Phillip,
If you have a moment, would you be willing to give me a few recommendations for textbooks for Acts for undergraduates? I’ll be teaching an Acts course for the first time this spring. I often teach a Paul course, but have not yet taught a course on Acts.
BTW, I see we have something in common. I did my M.Div. at Talbot. I graduated in 98, and taught there as an adjunct until 2002.
October 23, 2009 at 8:22 am
Phillip J. Long
Love the Avatar, by the way. Basic Instructions is a favorite of mine.
October 23, 2009 at 8:21 am
Phillip J. Long
Hi Gary, I graduated a second time from Talbot in 98, so we were probably at the same commencement. Josh McDowel was the speaker, I think. My first MA was Chuck Colson, but I might have them reversed.
There are not alot of options for an Acts textbook, unfortunately. Many choices for Pauline Lit, few for Acts alone. I have only taught Acts once and was unhappy with my options for a textbook. I used Walker, In The Steps of Paul, from Zondervan, but that only covered the geography of the missionary travels and did nothing for the theology of the book. I thought about a commentary, but I have found undergrads are not very thrilled with reading a commentary, no matter how good. Zondervan does publish Clint Arnold’s Acts section from the NT Bible Background Commentary as a separate volume. It is a handy size and undergrad friendly (lots of pictures), but is not a textbook per se.
I am currently using John Polhill, Paul and his Letters; but that is for a Pauline Lit course. It might work for Acts as well since he covers Acts alongside the letters. But you lose out on a third of the book, since there is little on early mission.
Eckhard Schnabel has a “handy” version of his Early Christian Mission, in a single volume called Paul the Missionary. Same problem as Polhill, nothing on the first third of the book. ECM is simply too large for a textbook, especially at the undergrad level!
October 23, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Gary Manning
Thanks for the advice, Phillip. I have used Polhill and Arnold for Paul, so maybe I’ll try those. I was hoping that Baker might have an “Encountering Acts,” but they don’t yet.
Yes, I graduated when McDowell spoke – as you remember, it was the shortest graduation speech on record, and Clyde Cook jokingly threatened to take back his honorarium! I wonder if we were in any classes together? Your picture looks kind of familiar. I probably look quite different – back then, I had hair on my head, but no beard.
Glad you like the avatar. My friend bought it for me as a gift from Scott Meyer. He is selling the photo-avatar conversion service on his website now.
October 24, 2009 at 9:42 am
Phillip J. Long
I used the Baker OT and NT books for Bible Survey when they came out. They were good for freshman, but they were a bit like High School textbooks, a bit lighter than I had hoped for. I have not used the other Encountering texts. I think that Kregel had a series of Handbooks, on Psalms or Historical books, etc. But nothing there on Acts yet either.
I was a commuter, so I took entirely evening and weekend classes, so I knew very few people in the seminary. My second degree had two or three arranged reading courses, so I was even less on campus. I took the Greek Exegesis classes with Walt Russell and Joe Hellerman, and Hebrew from Tom Finley.