on the walk

Parables can be tricky. It is hard to know where to focus and what parts matter most. Sometimes it is even hard to know what they mean. Part of this difficulty is inherent to any teaching that happens through stories.

When one tells a story to teach a point, there are necessarily lots of details that flesh out the narrative but are not necessarily essential to the point narrative teaching works for lots of important reasons but not because it is efficient.  Continue Reading »

I was invited to share a word on reading parables to a women’s Bible study group at Mountain Christian Church. In my next post I will share a short version of that talk, but first I want to comment on the text.

The text I was given for this exercise was Luke 15 and 16. It is a great text for practicing parable interpretation. I has several important parables. It has a few with reasonably obvious meanings and then a few that can be pretty tough for people.

I went into my preparations with a pretty technical attitude. After all, I was asked to come teach a skill not preach a sermon. Continue Reading »

I am teaching on Romans right now. It is a wonderful process. I am learning so much and am being so inspired by reading this book so closely. I love Romans.

This Sunday we are discussing 1:18 – 3:20. This section is all about idolatry sin and death. It is great stuff. Continue Reading »

There is a translating frenzy in American Christianity.  This is a good thing for at least two reasons.  Continue Reading »

Ethan Magness to readers, greetings.

I wrote a couple of days ago about the power and usefulness of genre studies. This post will make more sense if you read that one, so you may want to check it out. You can find it here or look in the list of recent posts for “i love genre studies.”

I certainly don’t have time to talk about all the implication of genre studies. That is just as well since most of the time the real power comes out when you are ready to study a particular text. Continue Reading »

I am preparing to teach Romans this fall. So I am reading a handful of commentaries. There are exceptions but most commentaries of the academic sort begin with an introduction to the book. They usually will discuss any relevant issues related to authorship, textual transmission, dating, dominant interpretive traditions, historical situation, community of origin, etc. And most of them will at least make a passing reference to genre.

I love these genre studies. In fact I love all the intro stuff and think that all of it is vital to informed and honest Bible study. [Some of you have encountered my SAGA mnemonic, Setting Author, Genre, Audience.] But I must say that the genre issue has a place dear to my heart for at least two reasons. Continue Reading »