The Womens' Bible Commentary - Tabitha and the Joppa Assembly
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Tabitha and the Joppa Assembly
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Tabitha and the Joppa Assembly Between the story of Saul’s unmanning and Peter’s correction (Acts 10) is the story of the only woman specifically named “disciple” (math?tria) in the Greek New Testament: Tabitha. Like Saul of Tarsus, she is a Greek-speaking Jew who has both a Jewi…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Status and Spiritual Gifts
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Status and Spiritual Gifts
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status and Spiritual gifts As in the previous section, the issue here is status divisions, but divisions based on possession of spiritual gifts, not (at least, not directly) on wealth. Paul’s response is to promote those gifts (e.g., prophecy) and actions (e.g., love) that enhanc…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God Ezra–Nehemiah reaches its climax with the public reading of the book of the Torah, after the walls of Jerusalem are restored. As the celebration begins, all the people gather in the plaza before the Water Gate. Ezra reads from …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Matriarchs
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Matriarchs
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Matriarchs Like the tales of Genesis 1–11, with their recurring patterns of world ordering, the tales of the matriarchs have recurring narrative patterns typical of traditional literature. In Genesis 12–36 and 38, certain motifs mark the life history of the women at the turni…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Wives at Wells and Water
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Wives at Wells and Water
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Wives at Wells and Water The associations in literature between fertility and water are ancient intuitive acknowledgments of our watery origins on earth and in our mothers’ wombs, and of the source of life upon which we continue to depend. Four scenes involving water, women, and …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Becoming of Woman in Genesis
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Becoming of Woman in Genesis
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Becoming of Woman in Genesis Written in an earthier style than Genesis 1, the tale of Genesis 2–3, with its less-than- complete outline of God’s creations (2:4b–25), its homespun reflections on marriage (2:23– 24), and its God who walks in the garden (3:8) and fears humans’ p…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Mothers and Fathers of Israel Commentaries on Genesis 12–50 generally focus on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, ancestral heroes of Israel. Their life stories are built from traditional elements such as the hero’s unusual birth, his stormy relationship with his brothers, yo…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Saul Unmanned
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Saul Unmanned
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Saul Unmanned In Excursus 2, and immediately above, I address preliminary issues of masculinity and “unmanning.” An understanding of ancient masculinity is critical in a “women’s Bible commentary,” because genderedness, particular female genderedness in the ancient world, is ofte…
John THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Do You Want to be Healed?
John THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Do You Want to be Healed?
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Do You Want to be Healed? This new chapter begins with the mention of ‘a feast of the Jews’ (5:1). Various Jewish feasts provide the backdrop for the next chapters: we have already seen one Passover in 2:13, and the next Passover happens in 6:4. Then the feast of Tabernacles is t…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Women of Philippi
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Women of Philippi
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Women of Philippi Luke’s narrative of Paul in Philippi illustrates how different kinds of women were affected by Paul’s imperializing teaching. The narrative opens with a gathering of women to pray at the river; this underscores again Brooten’s contention that there were wome…
John THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Show Us the Father
John THE PEOPLE’S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Show Us the Father
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Show Us the Father Thomas misunderstood Jesus’ claim to be ‘the way, the truth and the life’ as a physical way to God. Jesus took him deeper into the spiritual relationship between himself and his Father, so that to know Jesus is to know the Father (14:6–7)…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Beginning
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Beginning
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Beginning Acts begins with an anticonquest ideology that “anesthetizes and sanctifies the exploitative act to make it acceptable” (Dube, 60). Through a command of Jesus (1:8), Luke authorizes Jesus’ followers to travel to other lands and bear witness…
John The People's Commentary - Belief, Blindness and Fear
John The People's Commentary - Belief, Blindness and Fear
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
Belief, Blindness and Fear We have suggested that John’s gospel is a two-act drama, with this section as an interlude (see on 1:19 and 11:1 above). The central actor, Jesus, is working very hard! He was not merely on stage for most of Act One, but at the centre of the action…
John The People's Commentary - I Am The Way, Truth & Life
John The People's Commentary - I Am The Way, Truth & Life
by BRF - Richard A. Burridge
I Am The Way, Truth & Life People often start reading the Farewell Discourse here, but this section runs straight on from chapter 13. Starting here misses those opening themes about glory and loving each other, because Jesus is going away…
John The People's Commentary - Light Sent to Save the World