Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Tag: Hermeneutics
Quote: Greg Boyd on interpreting Revelation
Good quote from Greg Boyd: “…interpreting Revelation’s symbols as referring primarily to future historical events produces a multitude of contradictions and absurdities. To offer one trivial but clear example, when I first read Revelation as a seventeen-year-old recent convert in a fundamentalist church, I was troubled by John’s statement that all the stars fell from…
“How have Christians missed this?”
I recently appeared on The Analytic Christian for an interview about end times-y stuff. I enjoyed the conversation and discussion very much. You can watch it below. Check it out!
New Interview at RTB
I was recently invited to come on Jason Bastow’s show, Ring Them Bells, to chat about my new book. Many thanks to Jason for a stimulating conversation! You can watch the interview below.
Interview at The Two Trees podcast
I was recently invited onto The Two Trees podcast to chat about my book, The End of the World As You Know It. You can listen to our conversation here: Two Trees: Interview with Matthew Halsted What People Are Saying… Book description:
What hath Costco to do with Biblical Studies?
On Monday, Feb 19, I hopped onto the Disciple Dojo livestream to chat a little bit about my book (see video below – the reference to Costco makes sense after watching). It was a lot of fun! If you aren’t familiar with this YouTube channel, definitely check it out (link here).
The End of the World & Rapture Theology
Below is a recent interview I did at The Learning Laborers Podcast with Taylor and Denver about my new book, The End of the World As You Know It. Check it out below. Here’s the episode description, followed by a link to the conversation: Should our eschatology make us fearful or hopeful? Is there any…
The Hebrew Bible: An Interview with Robert Alter
My interview with Robert Alter was just published. You can watch it on YouTube or listen via audio on the podcast (links below). Enjoy! Audio: The Bible (Unmuted) is available on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon — and wherever you get your podcasts) YouTube:
Nobody’s Mother
I’ve started reading Dr. Sandra Glahn’s new book, Nobody’s Mother: Artemis of the Ephesians in Antiquity and the New Testament. I’m a little more than a fourth the way in, and it’s fantastic. She’s a great writer, and if you’re interested in questions surrounding women in ministry or the cultural background of the New Testament,…
Reflections on Table, Time, and Church
When it comes to church, one thing I’ve learned is that “community” is important. In fact, the communal life is necessary. And by “community,” I mean more than a place for shop talk (as important as that is). I mean something along the lines of habitual participation, constant give-and-take, and sacramental union. I mean koinōnia. …
The Deep Things
I spent time nearly every day last week walking the shoreline. There’s something mesmerizing about it all. The vastness summons you to attention. The waves are fierce and rhythmic, drawing you away from distraction and into wonder and contemplation. What’s beyond our own horizon? What lies behind the veil of our finitude? Without knowing it,…
New podcast episodes on Revelation
I recently launched a new podcast called The Bible (Unmuted). You can find it on Apple, Google, Spotify, and pretty much wherever you listen to podcasts. The past few episodes have been on Revelation, specifically about the mistakes we make while reading Revelation. The first two episodes are followed by a fun conversation I had…
Be careful when you read your Bible
Here’s something you might not have considered before: You will never be able to read the Bible objectively. There will always be some level of bias in play. To read the Bible is to interpret the Bible, after all. That’s why it’s wise to be mindful of the assumptions you bring to the text. The…
How to read the Bible
You’re not truly reading Scripture until you allow Scripture to read you. Do you allow the Bible to question your beliefs or do you read it in such a way that it always agrees with you? Do you simply treat the Bible as your personal answer book—a cache of weaponry you can deploy to support…
How should we interpret the plagues of Revelation?
I recently published an article at Logos about interpreting the plague passages in Revelation. There are a lot of misunderstandings about these texts, and I thought it would be helpful to write up something that would shed some light on how to interpret them. Some people point to modern health crises (such as Covid, monkeypox,…
My new book has been released
I’m excited to announce that my book, Paul and the Meaning of Scripture, has just been released. Here’s the link to the Amazon page. This has been a labor of love, and I’m happy to see it published. It’s a project that, in many ways, began over ten years ago during my my master’s research.…
Why you should read the Apocrypha
I’m once again opening up David DeSilva‘s excellent introduction to the Apocrypha as I gear up for my Jewish and Greco-Roman Backgrounds of the New Testament class at Eternity Bible College. Here’s a link to deSilva’s book, Introducing the Apocrypha. My hope is that we modern Christians (especially us Protestants) would become more like the…
Text Traditions of the Old Testament
Here’s a fun video from Mike Heiser, who answers the question, “Was there only one version of the Old Testament in ancient times?” Many Christians are unaware of the various text traditions of the Old Testament, but it’s certainly an important topic that I recommend getting familiar with. Here’s the video description, followed by the…
Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 4
Here is the final installment of my series with Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. It’s been a lot of fun chatting with Mike these past few months about the Old Testament’s messianic profile. As we’ve discussed throughout the series, knowing that profile is essential if we want to understand how New Testament authors…
Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 3
Here is Part 3 of my series with Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. Episode Description: In the preceding episodes, we’ve seen how Paul reconfigures Old Testament faith, faithfulness, and Torah keeping in light of the work of Jesus and his own encounter with the risen Christ. In this episode we look at how Paul…
Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 2
The latest installment of The Naked Bible Podcast takes us back to Romans for a second time. In the following episode, Mike and I chat about how Paul employs the Abraham story in Romans 4. I discuss how Paul’s exegesis of Genesis and his christological assumptions work together to further his larger argument about justification.…
Paul’s Use of Scripture in Romans, Part 1
Mike Heiser and I have been talking a lot about the Old Testament’s “messianic profile” in several episodes at The Naked Bible Podcast. We wanted to do this because it’s so foundational for understanding Jesus’ ministry in the New Testament. It’s also important for understanding the way in which New Testament writers (such as Paul)…
Election and Messianism in Malachi
In previous episodes of the Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I spent a lot of time observing how the Old Testament builds a “messianic profile.” It’s important for readers of the New Testament to have a working knowledge of that profile because it aids in understanding how, exactly, Jesus of Nazareth brings the biblical story…
“The Messiahs in Daniel 9”
In this episode of The Naked Bible Podcast, Mike and I return to the book of Daniel. This time we explore Daniel 9, which contains a passage where the word “messiah” (“anointed one”) is used a couple times, along with the verb “to anoint.” Are these prophecies about Jesus? How does this passage contribute to…
Conversations with Mike Heiser
I’ve been honored to chat with the well-known biblical scholar Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast these past two weeks. Mike is a hero of mine, and it’s a real blessing to be on his show. We are currently in the middle of doing an extended series on Paul’s use of the Old Testament.…
Andrew Judd on Gadamer, Genre Theory, and Biblical Interpretation
If you’re interested in biblical interpretation and hermeneutic theory, check out this great conversation between Ian Paul and Andrew Judd. Andrew recently finished his doctoral thesis on Hans-Georg Gadamer, genre theory, and biblical interpretation. His work looks fascinating. Below is a snippet from the interview. Commenting on the value of Gadamer’s hermeneutics for interpreting Scripture…
A Good Resource on Revelation
If you’re looking for good, accessible resources for understanding Revelation, Michael Gorman’s book would be among them. Its title captures our calling as Christians: We are to be responsible interpreters of the Bible. This is especially true for Revelation. Through the years, Revelation has often been subject to careless and irresponsible interpretations. (Some of the…
What is the Bible?
I have read many books in my life, and many of them have had a tremendous impact on me. But none of them compare with this fascinating collection of texts that we call “the Bible.” Many people from all walks of life have found within its pages comfort, peace, and wisdom. From “In the beginning”…
Video Resource: Hermeneutics (a brief introduction)
This video offers a brief introduction to hermeneutics with special attention given to biblical hermeneutics. I talk about a host of things: What is hermeneutics? What causes misunderstandings of the Bible? How should we read the Bible? I pray this video is encouraging to you!
“How Preaching is Usually Taught in Seminary”
My Doktorvater, Thorsten Moritz, posted a fun video today. To say the least, he offers thoughts worth considering! Here is the video, followed by its description: The most widespread method taught in seminaries to move from Bible text/Jesus story to Sunday sermon is called principlizing. You gain an anemic principle with clickbait potential at the…
What is interpretation?
Below is a great quote from Joel Weinsheimer, who reflects on the hermeneutic theory of the great German philosopher, Hans-Georg Gadamer. I did my PhD on Gadamer’s hermeneutics, and if you’re at all interested in the subject of interpretation, you’ll need to read his important work Truth and Method. In the meantime, enjoy this fun…
Sign up for a FREE Preview Class from Eternity Bible College
I am excited to announce two preview classes sponsored by Eternity Bible College. Both of these classes are—drum roll, please—FREE to anyone who signs up! Both of these classes are perfect for small groups, Sunday school classes, and individuals. We will be live-streaming the classes, too. So, no matter where you might live, you will…
Can we trust the New Testament?
Below is a short video I made with my friend, Pastor Jayson John. This is part of a series of videos where we tackle various topics and answer common questions people have about the Bible and the Christian faith. In this video, I took a few moments to answer a question about the New Testament’s…
Is it important to know the cultural background of the Bible?
The answer to this question is absolutely! But many Christians are hesitant to say so. Though the reasons vary, a lot of these folks are concerned that such thinking undermines the Bible’s authority. Some wonder, Why do I need to know the cultural background of the Bible in order to understand it? Can’t I just…