Southeastern Theological Review
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SOUTHEASTERN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW VOL. 9, NO. 1, SPRING 2018 Introduction God’s New Creation in Romans 8:4 Benjamin L. Merkle 1 Peter Dubbelman 47 Nehemiah’s New Shadow: The Fate of Creation in the Eschaton Reading and Rereading the David W. Jones and Ezra-Nehemiah Narrative Andrew J. Spencer 77 Ched Spellman 3 Gleanings from the John H. Was It Always Idolatrous for Sailhamer Papers at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Corinthian Christians to Eat εἰδωλόθυτα in an Idol’s Temple? Kevin S. Chen 93 (1 Cor 8–10) Andrew David Naselli 23 Book Reviews 113 2018 SOUTHEASTERN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW CONTENTS Todd Wilson and Gerald Hiestand, eds. Becoming a Pastor Theologian: New Possibilities for Church Leadership ......................................... 125 ARTICLES David R. Beck Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Benjamin L. Merkle H. Daniel Zacharias and Benjamin K. Forrest. Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook .......................... 127 Nehemiah’s New Shadow: Reading and Rereading the Keith T. Marriner Ezra-Nehemiah Narrative ............................................................................... 3 Ched Spellman Gordon Smith. Evangelical, Sacramental, and Pentecostal: Why the Church Should Be All Three ............................................................................. 129 Was It Always Idolatrous for Corinthian Christians to Eat Ben Holloway εἰδωλόθυτα in an Idol’s Temple? (1 Cor 8–10) .......................................... 23 Andrew David Naselli Chiara Bertoglio. Reforming Music: Music and the Religious Reformations of the Sixteenth Century .................................................................................... 131 God’s New Creation in Romans 8:4 ............................................................ 47 Zachary Jones Peter Dubbelman Robert R. Reilly and Jens F. Laursen. Surprised by Beauty: The Fate of Creation in the Eschaton ......................................................... 77 A Listener's Guide to the Recovery of Modern Music ......................................... 133 David W. Jones and Andrew J. Spencer Joshua A. Waggener Gleanings from the John H. Sailhamer Papers at Southeastern William T. Cavanaugh and James K. A. Smith, eds. Evolution Baptist Theological Seminary ........................................................................ 93 and the Fall ....................................................................................................... 135 Kevin S. Chen Chet Harvey Book Reviews ................................................................................................ 113 Paul Copan, Tremper Longman III, Christoper L. Reese, and Michael G. Strauss, eds. Dictionary of Christianity and Science: BOOK REVIEWS The Definitive Reference for the Intersection of Christian Faith and Contemporary Science ........................................................................................ 137 D. A. Carson, ed. The Enduring Authority of the Scriptures .......................... 113 Ari Heinze Gregory E. Lamb Nabeel Qureshi. No God But One: Allah or Jesus? A Former Muslim John Piper. A Peculiar Glory ......................................................................... 115 Investigates the Evidence for Islam and Christianity ........................................... 139 Andrew J. Spencer Greg Mathias John Piper. Reading the Bible Supernaturally: Seeing and Savoring the James Nyman. Stubborn Perseverance: How to Launch Multiplying Glory of God in Scripture .................................................................................. 117 Movements of Disciples and Churches among Muslims and Others Andrew J. Spencer (A Story Based on Real Events) ........................................................................ 141 Stephen B. Chapman and Marvin A. Sweeney, eds. The Cambridge Matthew Hirt Companion to the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. .............................................. 119 Robb Coleman Eva Mroczek. The Literary Imagination in Jewish Antiquity ......................... 121 H. H. Hardy II Daniel Y. Wu. Honor, Shame, and Guilt: SocialScientific Approaches to the Book of Ezekiel. ...................................................................................... 123 Joshua Moon STR 9.1 (Spring 2018): 1–2 2 SOUTHEASTERN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW The fourth is essay co-authored by David Jones (Professor of Chris- tian Ethics at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) and Andrew Introduction Spencer (Ph.D. in Ethics). In their essay, “The Fate of Creation in the Eschaton ,” Jones and Spencer address how one’s view of the future of cre- Benjamin L. Merkle ation (i.e., whether it will be annihilated and then recreated or whether it STR Editor will be renewed and restored) is often linked with one’s view of creation care. They argue for the restoration view based on 2 Pet 3:10 and then This Spring issue of STR is un-themed, containing one Old Testament offer several implications of how Christians should view creation care essay, two New Testament essays, one essay that is cross-disciplinary based on their view of the fate of creation. (New Testament and Theology/Ethics), and one unique essay regarding The final essay, “Gleanings from the John H. Sailhamer Papers at the papers of John Sailhamer which are now housed at Southeastern Sem- Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary” is by Kevin Chen, Associate inary. Professor of Biblical Studies at Union University. After carefully examin- The first essay in this issue is by Ched Spellman, Assistant Professor ing the personal papers (especially class notes and unpublished book- of Biblical and Theological Studies at Cedarville University. His essay, drafts) of the late professor John Sailhamer, Chen provides valuable in- “Nehemiah’s New Shadow: Reading and Rereading the Ezra-Nehemiah sights into Sailhamer’s thoughts. Narrative,” argues that the conclusion to the book of Nehemiah suggests that, although the people have returned from exile, rebuilt the temple, restored the walls, and repopulated Jerusalem, the people have failed to adhere to the requirements of the Mosaic covenant. Thus, when the sober tone of Nehemiah 13 is carefully considered, Ezra-Nehemiah should not be interpreted as a positive portrayal of post-exilic Israel. Rather, the re- currence of pre-exilic themes demonstrates that the situation is less than ideal. In the second essay, Andrew Naselli, Assistant Professor of New Tes- tament and Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary, asks the ques- tion, “Was it always idolatrous for Corinthian Christians to eat ‘meat sac- rificed to idols’ in an idol’s temple?” His answer, though perhaps no longer the majority view, is that it was not necessarily always wrong to do so. He argues that (1) some meals at an idol’s temple were merely social events that did not involve idol worship; (2) the Greek term εἰδωλόθυτος means meat sacrificed to idols regardless as to whether one eats it in an idol’s temple or at home; and (3) the passage in 1 Cor 8 is significantly different from 10:14–22 so as to introduce a different scenario (and thus different principles that might apply). In the third essay, Peter Dubbelman, Senior Adults Pastor at Apex Baptist Church and Ph.D. Candidate at Southeastern, maintains that when Paul writes concerning “the Law’s decree” being “fulfilled in us” (Rom 8:4), that Paul is referring to both imputed righteousness and that which a Christian is to become based on their union with Christ. That is, justifica- tion includes a transformative aspect as a person is conformed to the im- age of the Son. STR 9.1 (Spring 2018): 3–22 4 SOUTHEASTERN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW wholly forgotten in the hearts of the Kings.” 2 At various points after completing The Lord of the Rings , Tolkien exper- Nehemiah’s New Shadow: Reading and Rereading imented with a sequel to his Middle Earth epic set one hundred years after the death of Aragorn the king. Tolkien tried to complete it a few times the Ezra-Nehemiah Narrative but always abandoned it, in part because of the dark turns it kept taking. He called it The New Shadow , and in this fragment of a tale there are rum- Ched Spellman bles of conspiracy and the people have forgotten the darkness of the great Cedarville University battles of the past. As Tolkien reflected, the story “proved both sinister and depressing” as it involved the common story of mankind’s “most re- Ezra-Nehemiah is sometimes interpreted as a positive portrayal of the return of Israel grettable feature,” namely, “their quick satiety with good.” 3 The people of from exile. Ezra 1 begins with a prophetic expectation of return and restoration. Gondor grew “discontented and restless.” Tolkien found that “even so However, the conclusion of the book in Nehemiah 13 emphasizes that although the early there was an outcrop of revolutionary plots” and “Gondorian boys people have rebuilt the temple, restored the walls, and repopulated Jerusalem, they have were playing at being Orcs and going round doing damage.” 4 In this tale, still failed to keep the demands of the Mosaic covenant. The sober tone of this final there were only “a few still living who could remember the War of the chapter prompts a rereading of the narrative as a whole. Rereading the book in light Ring as a shadow upon their early childhood.” 5 As one of the characters of the conclusion highlights a distinct pattern