Paul D. Weaver, Faith-Affirming Findings

Weaver, Paul D. Faith-Affirming Findings: 50 Archaeological Discoveries that Validate the Historicity and Reliability of Scripture.  Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Academic, 2026. 360 pp. Hb. $46.99   Link to Kregel Academic

Paul D. Weaver (PhD, Baptist Bible Seminary) serves as Associate Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. His 2018 doctoral dissertation was entitled “From Archaeology to Exegesis: Archaeological Discoveries of Ancient Corinth and the Exegesis of First Corinthians.” Weaver edited the Learn the Word Bible Survey series and hosts the Bible and Theology Matters podcast.

In the forward and acknowledgments to the book, Weaver states that the goal of Faith-Affirming Findings is to provide “careful and accurate description of discoveries found throughout the land of the Bible” (17) and that the book is self-consciously “biblical archaeology” (19). In addition, the book has an apologetic agenda, as implied by the title. The discoveries included in the book are “particularly relevant to the preacher, teacher, and Bible study leader” (27). Weaver says, “these discoveries will strengthen your beliefs and affirm your faith in the historicity and reliability of scripture” (27).

Faith Affirming Findings

The introduction begins by defining some important terms. By “biblical archaeology,” Weaver means he is interested in the archaeology pertaining to the biblical texts. There are many locations in Israel and Turkey that are well excavated and important, but not useful as background for the New Testament. There is far more archaeology that pertains to the world of the Bible, but not necessarily to particular texts.

Weaver suggests that biblical archaeology sheds light on the cultural and historical setting of the Bible. This includes people, places, and things mentioned in the Bible. This will contribute to the overall historical reliability of scripture. There are some limitations to biblical archaeology. He suggested archaeology cannot prove crucial, theological claims of the Bible. Christian faith requires belief and trust that archaeology cannot provide (22).

Since archaeology requires interpretation, Weaver’s introduction also provides a few pages outlining the controversial minimalist/maximalist debate with respect to biblical archaeology. Minimalists assume that “the Bible is guilty until proven otherwise” (23). It presumes there are historical errors or mythological elements in the text since the writers were driven by an agenda. Maximalists, on the other hand, assume the Bible is historically reliable: “absence of evidence is not evidence of absence” (25). Weaver is clear: “I am in unabashed maximalist” (25). This is a brief overview of a debate among archaeologists, and it is good that Weaver states his position. However, the complexity of this debate is often the subject of entire books, and there is often a wider range of views than either minimalist or maximalist.

The book is divided into five sections. First, four chapters on the pre-kingdom. Second, Weaver devotes twelve chapters to discoveries pertaining to the kingdom, beginning with the House of David Stele and ending with Sennacherib’s Prism. In the third section, 11 discoveries from the exile and post-exilic period. From Nebuchadnezzar’s tablet through a chapter on biblical names found on seals and bullae. The fourth section collects twelve discoveries from the gospels, including the Jerusalem temple to the “crucifixion heel.” The final section of the book covers the apostolic era (the Book of Acts and beyond). These eleven discoveries begin with the politarch inscription (Acts 17:6) and conclude with the John Rylands fragment (p52), an early witness to the Gospel of John. It is not surprising that, given the topic of his dissertation, there are four chapters that focus on Corinth (Acts 18). Two chapters on Gallio (one on the bema seat and one on the Delphi inscription), a chapter on the Isthmian Games, and one on meat markets.

Each chapter follows the same general outline. The chapter begins by listing the relevant Scripture and then a brief description of the discovery. He then describes the artifact or site and provides a longer section on its significance for understanding specific biblical texts. Each chapter concludes with the location of the artifact (museum, etc.). Weaver some bibliography “for further study.” These are generally solid academic works, although I do notice quite a few Biblical Archaeology Review articles. If you are a BAR subscriber, these articles are available in their archive. Finally, each chapter ends with a QR code that links to a specific Faith Affirming podcast on YouTube. The book is illustrated with over 100 full-color photos.

Conclusion. On several occasions, I have presented a “top 10 archaeological finds” list for pastors and laypeople, covering both the Old and the New Testaments. My goals were similar to Weaver’s, although our lists differ slightly. I understand that selecting fifty examples evenly split between the Old and New Testaments is challenging. Informed readers will protest that Weaver has omitted some obscure site or find that they think is “the most important thing ever.” But consider Weaver’s goals. These are faith, affirming fines. Although I might want to see a longer chapter on the Dead Sea Scrolls or the importance of Arad (one of the highlights of my Israel tours—for me), Weaver has selected his fifty examples because of his apologetic interest.

The book is well written and illustrated and will be useful to pastors, teachers, and laypeople interested in the archaeology of the Bible. Weaver provides sufficient footnotes and a bibliography to point readers to more detailed and professional studies of these important finds and sites. Although it can be read from beginning to end, readers are encouraged to read sections that interest them (or randomly flip through the book and look at the pictures!) This will be an excellent resource for anyone who wants to understand the Bible in its historical and cultural context.

 

NB: Thanks to Kregel Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work

Jason Borges, Christian Life in the Greco-Roman City

Borges, Jason. Christian Life in the Greco-Roman City: The Civic and Architectural Contexts of Early Christianity. Foreword by David A. deSilva.  Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2026. xix+225 pp. Pb. $27.99   Link to Baker Academic

Jason Borges (PhD, Durham University) is associate director of the Asia Minor Research Center in Antalya, Turkey. He published his dissertation as Travel among Early Christians: A Socio-theological Analysis of Pauline and Ignatian Communities (Brill, 2025). Borges has lived in Turkey since 2017 and often leads tours for Tutku Tours. He also contributes to Biblical Turkey and Cappadocia History.

This new book focuses on seven aspects of an ancient Greco-Roman city. Borges describes the infrastructure and architecture in general, then uses a particular archaeological site as an illustration. He then offers examples of how this background helps understand specific New Testament passages and how early Christians interacted with their cities. The book includes five maps and numerous black-and-white photographs (often taken by the author).

Borges Greco-Roman City

In his introductory chapter, Borges describes the importance of a Greco-Roman city for students of the New Testament. Each of the seven elements of the city in this book is critically important to the missions of Jesus and Paul and to the development of the early church. In this introduction, he outlines the basics of civic life in the Greco-Roman world and typical Roman city planning.

In chapter 2, Borges introduces the agora. The Greek agora and the Roman forum were central to the life of the city. The agora was a commercial marketplace, but also a social hub, political center, and even a religious space. Borges uses the Athenian Agora as an example, then examines several gospel texts in which Jesus teaches in an agora. So too, Paul is frequently associated with the agora. He was brought before Gallio face charges in the agora (Acts 18:1-8). Borges includes a short section on the “judgment seat” (bema), a common feature of a Greco-Roman agora. He illustrates this from the archaeology of Corinth (Acts 18) and demonstrates the importance of the concept for understanding 2 Corinthians 5:10.

Temples were the centers of religious activity in ancient cities. Chapter 3 begins by outlining the architecture of a typical sanctuary. Borges then illustrates this with the archaeology of the imperial temple of Augustus in Pisidian Antioch. Although some readers might have expected a discussion of Herod the Great’s Temple in Jerusalem, he does not discuss it because it is not a Greco-Roman temple. With this background set, he demonstrates the importance of temples to the early Christian concept of the body of Christ as a temple. John 2:21-22 anticipates Jesus replacing the temple in the future, and Paul makes several references to the church as a temple (1 Cor 6:19; 12:27; Eph 2:19-22). The first readers would have understood these metaphors clearly because of the ubiquity of temples in their cities. The chapter concludes with sections on the struggle Christians faced with pagan sacrifice and the fate of pagan temples after Constantine.

Although rarely mentioned in the New Testament, every Greco-Roman city included a bath complex. Chapter 4, therefore, describes public baths as central to a civilized city. They were often entertainment in educational centers, but they were also noisy, crowded places which could be dangerous (not to mention unhygienic since the water was unfiltered). He uses the Baths of Caracalla in Rome as his illustration. As important as baths were to Roman culture, there is no example in the New Testament of early Christians going to the baths. Although Paul does not preach the gospel at a Roman bath in Ephesus, he may have used the baths because everyone used them. The Book of Acts never describes the use of public toilets, either. These sorts of common practices do not need to be described in a narrative. Although there may be a few allusions to bathing (Borges suggests John 13:10), some early Christians did, in fact, use baths. Irenaeus reports the story of the apostle John encountering the heretic Cerinthus in the baths (Against Heresy, 3.3.4).

In chapter 5, Borges deals with prisons. He surveys the reasons for incarceration in the ancient world and the typical conditions of a prison. He uses the Mamertine Prison in Rome as an example, then focuses the rest of the chapter on Paul, who is in prison several times in the Book of Acts. Despite the location marked as “Paul’s prison” in Phillipi, Paul was not in a dark, dank hole. As a Roman citizen under house arrest, Paul would have had much better conditions than this in most of his imprisonments. Later Christians were known for visiting prisoners and caring for their needs, based on Jesus’s words in Matthew 25:36, 43.

Theaters were the Greco-Roman entertainment centers. In chapter 6, Borges distinguishes between a theater, an amphitheater, a stadium, and a circus. He demonstrates the features of a theater with the theater at Ephesus, the largest and most impressive example in the ancient world. This is the theater mentioned in Acts 19 as the site of the pro-Artemis riot that erupted in the city in response to Paul’s successful ministry. He then examines biblical illusions to athletics (many are found in Paul’s letters). Early Christians used similar language to describe martyrs, who competed in a public arena and received a crown.

Chapter 7 describes the importance of libraries in an ancient Greco-Roman city. The chapter includes early Hellenistic libraries such as the library of Alexandria and the private libraries of the Roman elite. He examines what is known about the library at Pergamum. Although there are no direct mentions of libraries in the New Testament, early Christians wrote and shared books (scrolls), and the New Testament contains many references to books. Borges discusses Luke’s prologue, dedicating his two books to Theophilus.

Every city has a cemetery, so chapter 8 describes the necropolis (literally, city of the dead). This chapter begins with the death and burial practices of ancient Greeks and Romans, including what a sarcophagus communicated about the deceased’s life and achievements. Borges illustrates burial practices with the tomb of Philip the Apostle in Hierapolis. Discovered in 2011, the tomb is about forty yards from the ruins of the church dedicated to Philip’s martyrdom. Borges traces the development of the earliest simple tomb to a Christian monument. A better illustration of burial practices is the necropolis at Hierapolis, mentioned briefly in this chapter. If you visit Hierapolis, be sure to walk through this massive collection of tombs and sarcophagi.  The chapter concludes with a description of early Christian burial practices, including Christian iconography and the use of distinctive Christian names by AD 200.

The final chapter is a reflection on the Christianization of Greco-Roman cities. Temples were replaced with churches, and other key aspects of a Greco-Roman city were abandoned altogether. Borges concludes the book with a reflection on how the idea of a heavenly city planted the classic Greek polis.

Conclusion. Borges’s Christian Life in the Greco-Roman City is an excellent introduction to the important features of an ancient city. The book is written at a popular level and will appeal to a non-academic audience. Footnotes point interested readers to relevant academic literature. While this book lacks the detail found in John Ma’s Polis: A New History of the Ancient Greek City-State from the Early Iron Age to the End of Antiquity (Princeton, 2024), that kind of comprehensiveness is not Borges’s goal.

I would highly recommend this book for people traveling to Türkiye, whether for a “Seven Churches” tour or a Pauline Missionary Journey tour. Even though the focus is on first-century Roman cities, reading the book will help prepare for a tour in Israel.

NB: Thanks to Baker Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work

Logos Free Book of the Month: Klink and Lockett, Understanding Biblical Theology

Logos Free Book of the Month

For the first half of May 2026, you can add Edward W. Klink III and Darian R. Lockett, Understanding Biblical Theology: A Comparison of Theory and Practice (Zondervan, 2012) to your Logos Library for free.  This is one of the first books I ever reviewed on Reading Acts (in 2013!). Back then, I wrote, “Klink and Lockett (both Ph.D from St. Andrews, both associate professors of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University) provide a structure for thinking about how scholars are doing biblical theology today. This necessarily involves asking questions about the relationship between the Testaments as sources for theology. How does a “New Testament Church” create theology using the Hebrew Bible? What is the relationship between God’s people in the Old Testament and the present church? Is there a unifying theology that tells the whole story of the Bible?”

Logos partners with Zondervan this month to offer volumes in their Biblical Theology for Life series. You can choose the book or the video series based on the book. No one will stop you from buying both, go for it!

  • Brian S. Rosner, Known by God: A Biblical Theology of Personal Identity, $5.99
  • Helen Paynter, Blessed Are the Peacemakers: A Biblical Theology of Human Violence, $6.99
  • Jonathan Lunde, Following Jesus, the Servant King: A Biblical Theology of Covenantal Discipleship, $6.99
  • Nicholas Perrin, The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology, $7.99
  • Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church’s Mission, $8.99
  • Christopher J. H. Wright, The Mission of God’s People Video Lectures, $11.99
  • Nicholas Perrin, The Kingdom of God: A Biblical Theology Video Lectures, $11.99
  • Douglas J. Moo and Jonathan A. Moo Creation Care Video Lectures $11.99
  • Helen Paynter, Blessed Are the Peacemakers: Video Lectures, $14.99

In addition to the Biblical Theology for Life series, you can add three volumes from Zondervan’s video series based on its biblical theology. This series covers a particular author in the New Testament and focuses on the contents and theology of that particular writer.

  • Darrell L. Bock, Theology of Luke and Acts: A Video Study, $30.00
  • Douglas J. Moo, A Theology of Paul and His Letters, A Video Study: 25 Lessons on Major Theological Themes (Beyond The Basics Video Series), $29.99
  • Peter H. Davids, Theology of James, Peter, and Jude: A Video Study, $29.99

As a bonus, there are two additional books on sale from Zondervan:

  • Frank Thielman, Theology of the New Testament, $12.99
  • NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible Notes (NIVBTSB), $19.99

As always, subscribers save another 5%.

Right now, Logos is offering up to 70% off books and courses for every student of the Bible. From biblical languages to theology and more, get what scholarly study demands at a price any student of the Bible can appreciate.

What’s new with Logos? Starting with Logos 46, there is an AI assistant called Study Assistant. Before you think this is a Satanically inspired plot to ruin sermon preparation, read my review. It is really pretty good, and will refuse to write your sermon for you. It has been significantly updated since I wrote that review. The most recent version (50) added improved reading plans and other new and improved features.

This Logos Free Book of the Month promotion runs through May 15. A new free book will be available on May 15 at 9:00 a.m. PST. As always, you can use the (free) basic edition or the inexpensive Fundamentals collection to use these free and discounted books.

All the links are Logos Affiliate links. If you plan to buy Logos books, use this link to support Reading Acts.

David deSilva, Archaeology and the World of Jesus: A Visual Guide

deSilva, David. Archaeology and the World of Jesus: A Visual Guide. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic, 2025. xv+306 pp. Pb. $32.99   Link to Baker Academic

In this new book, well-known New Testament scholar David deSilva focuses on the archaeology of sites mentioned in the Gospels pertaining to the life of Jesus. As deSilva explains in his introduction, context is everything in biblical interpretation, especially the historical, cultural, and geographic context of the New Testament. The best way to immerse oneself in culture and geography is to visit locations where events occurred. Since it may not be feasible to visit all the sites mentioned in Acts, this book introduces the most important features for Bible students studying Paul’s missionary journeys. deSilva has led many tours in Turkey and Israel and is a frequent speaker at conferences hosted by Tutku Tours.

deSilva Archaeology and Jesus

As deSilva explains in his foreword, People who have traveled to Israel have two advantages. First, they have a deeper sense of Christianity’s rootedness in its historical and geographical context. Second, they have a “far-better equipped historical imagination when reading the New Testament (ix). Having led many trips to Israel, Jordan, and Turkey, I can attest to this. But deSilva’s book is not a traditional guidebook for pilgrims visiting the Holy Land. Certainly, he is interested in the “holy sites,” but far more than that, deSilva introduces the material culture of the first century. As much as possible, he explains what these locations tell us about life in Israel in the first century. Like his Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul: A Visual Guide, this book sets the ministry of Jesus into the culture and politics of the first century.

The first chapter surveys the historical background of Jesus’s world, beginning I better with Alexander the Great. He focuses on the history of the Seleucids, especially Antiochus III the Great and Antiochus IV Epiphanes, since these kings led to the Maccabean Revolt and the establishment of the Hasmoneans. The Hasmoneans were the Jewish dynasty that resulted from that revolt. After 63 BC, Rome controlled the region and ruled through Herod the Great, a Roman client king. Discusses the Roman governors after Herod the Great’s death. The introduction ends with a brief discussion of the two Jewish revolts in A.D. 70 and 135. Readers interested in additional details of this rich history should read deSilva’s Judea under Greek and Roman Rule (Oxford, 2024). This book is less than 200 pages and covers the same range of history as the first chapter of Archaeology and the Ministry of Jesus, but in far more depth.

After the introduction, the book is divided into three sections. First, chapters 2-10 cover the regions of Antipas and Philip, essentially, the region of Galilee. DeSilva points out that the region is more than just the Sea of Galilee. Nazareth, for example, was a full day’s walk to the western shore of the Sea. There are excavations throughout the region indicating Jewish settlements, but they were surrounded by Greek cities, especially on the eastern side of the lake (the Decapolis, two of this book). The section includes chapters on Nazareth, Cana, the Greco-Roman cities of Sepphoris and Tiberius, Bethsaida and Chorazin, Magdala, Caesarea Philippi, and Machaerus (where John the Baptist was beheaded). The chapter on Magdala includes information on the Galilean fishing industry as well as the recently discovered first-century synagogue.

The second section of the book discusses the Decapolis (chapters 11-15). Like the first section, the part of the book begins with a general introduction to the “ten cities,” the Decapolis. Beginning with Alexander the Great and his successor, Greek cities were established in the region. He provides a brief discussion of what the Greeks considered a city (a polis). Since the Hasmoneans expanded into the region (there was a short time when Jews controlled some of the territory), many of the locations have a mixed population. After Pompeii (63 B.C.), the Decapolis became Roman cities with Jewish minorities. The section includes chapters on Gadara, Gerasa (modern Jerash), Hippos, and Beit Shean. If you cannot visit Jordan and see Jerash, then Beit Shean is an excellent location in Israel to get the feel for a Roman city in the first century (theater, baths, etc.)

The third section (about half the book) focuses on the realms of the Roman prefects (chapters 16-28). deSilva begins with a general chapter on Samaria, where several locations covered in this section are located Sebaste and Mount Gerizim). The history of Samaria dates to the Old Testament, as the city was the capital of the northern Kingdom of Israel. He outlines the history of hostility between Jews and Samaritans. The main focus of this section is on locations in Judea and Jerusalem. There are chapters on Judea, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Emmaus. Three chapters cover Herod’s Temple, the city of Jerusalem, and the Via Dolorosa. In addition, there are chapters on two of Herod the Great’s fortresses, Masada and the Herodium, and a chapter on Qumran, the area where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The chapters on Jerusalem are excellent. He includes sections on the elite priestly homes and Jerusalem’s necropolis (Jerusalem has an incredible number of tombs to visit!)  Most tours miss these important sites in the short time they can spend in Jerusalem. Even the chapter on the Via Dolorosa is not a pilgrimage-oriented one, despite the number of people carrying crosses and worshiping along the way towards the Holy Sepulcher.

The book is richly illustrated with color photographs. These photographs are recent, which is important for active archaeological sites like Magdala. Nothing frustrates me more than a guidebook that has twenty-year-old photographs. The only exception is the Pool of Siloam (235), but the ongoing excavations there change every few months. deSilva’s explanations of the history and the importance of the location are clear, and there are plenty of footnotes to professional academic literature on the location. This is not a “pilgrim’s guide to the holy places.”

Conclusion. Like his book on the archaeology of Paul and his ministry, this book serves two purposes. First, it is a guide for people reading the Gospels. Not everyone can travel to Israel to expand their historical and cultural imagination. Second, this book will be valuable for anyone taking a tour to Israel in the near future. I will ask people on my tours to buy and read this book before we travel and bring it with them to review before visiting the sites. If visiting a site is the best way to understand the cultural and geographical context, preparing well for that visit is essential. deSilva’s Archaeology and the Ministry of Jesus is an excellent first step in understanding the world of Jesus and the Gospels.

I look forward to the third book in this series, Archaeology and the Revelation of John: A Visual Guide (Baker Academic, scheduled for September 2026). That book will cover the “seven churches of Revelation” and much more.

NB: Thanks to Baker Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work. See also my review of deSilva’s Galatians commentary in the NICNT series (Eerdmans, 2018) and Archaeology and the World of Paul.

Michael H. Burer and David B. Kieffer, 1 Corinthians (Kerux)

Burer, Michael H. and David B. Kieffer. 1 Corinthians. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2026. 367 pp. Hb. $34.99   Link to Kregel Ministry  

Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines an exegetical commentary with preaching pointers to help pastors and teachers prepare sermons and lessons for the church. In this new commentary on 1 Corinthians, Michael H. Burer (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary) has served as dean of faculty and professor of New Testament studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. Lexham published his commentary on Galatians in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series (reviewed here). He was an editor and assistant project director for the NET Bible and edited John Glynn’s Best Bible Books (Kregel 2018, reviewed here). David B. Kieffer has a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary with an emphasis in homiletics. He served as pastor of Redemption Bible Church in McKinney, Texas.

Burer 1 Corinthians Kerux

The authors divide 1 Corinthians into eight sections (including an introduction and conclusion, so really six major sections). First Corinthians has a very clear outline, and these sections are not unusual. They further subdivide these sections into twenty-six preaching units. In the brief nine-page introduction, they state that 1 Corinthians is best seen through a pastoral lens rather than a single theological theme (43). Members of the Corinthian church struggled with their identity in Christ and with how to live it out in a cosmopolitan city like Corinth.

That Paul is the author of the letter is not controversial, nor is their assertion that it is the second letter written to the church. The first is lost and not interpolated into 1 Corinthians (38). After briefly reviewing the church’s founding (Acts 18), the introduction offers a short overview of Corinth’s history (both Greco-Roman and Jewish backgrounds). Since Greco-Roman culture plays a critically important role in interpreting 1 Corinthians, more than any other of Paul’s letters, this section should have been more developed. This is especially true since the church struggled with its Christian identity while living in a thoroughly Roman context.

The exegetical sections of each preaching unit move through the text several verses at a time, commenting on key words and phrases. Burer’s exegesis is not overly technical, although he must occasionally deal with Greek syntax. Occasionally, this is accomplished in sidebars. For example, he comments on the phrases “faith in the Spirit” or “faith (given) by the Spirit” in 12:9, discussing the difference between the two prepositions (267). More often, Burer compares English translations in a different-looking sidebar entitled “Translation Analysis.” These will be very helpful for pastors, since most congregations use several translations that can differ at times. These sidebars help a busy pastor explain why the NIV uses one phrase, while the ESV uses a slightly different one. Even though Greek is not transliterated, the body of the commentary will not be difficult for readers without Greek training. Although Burer interacts with major commentaries, they are cited briefly in the text and do not disrupt the commentary’s flow.

Although Kieffer’s homiletical section is briefer than those of other recent Kerux commentaries, it is still helpful because it draws out the key theological themes from the preaching unit and offers an outline for a sermon. Each preaching and teaching strategies section concludes with  “creativity in presentation.”  Here, Kieffer suggests several illustrations to help draw people into the sermon. There is less “pop culture” than usual (no C.S. Lewis, Lord of the Rings, or superhero movies). Many suggestions are more “active,” asking the audience to consider something (and at one point, even assigning homework!)

There are several controversial passages in 1 Corinthians that some readers will immediately check to gauge the commentators’ theology. I am not sure this is fair, but it often helps. For example, Paul makes some difficult comments on the veiling of women in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16. After reviewing some Greco-Roman background, Burer suggests that Paul makes a Reductio ad absurdum argument: if a woman is going to ignore cultural norms, she should go all the way and “appear mannish” (239). Commenting on 11:3, “Man has authority over woman in the church” (240), and a woman removing the veil for prayer is disrespectful toward those in authority over her. In the preaching strategies section, Kieffer observes that this is indeed one of the most difficult passages to preach in the New Testament because it concerns cultural standards at the time. He states that the passage focuses on the hierarchy between men and women, but also on how men and women glorify God in complementary ways.

A similar difficult passage is 1 Corinthians 14:34-35, where Paul says women ought to remain silent in church. Burer dismisses Fee’s argument that these verses are a later interpolation into the text in a footnote. “I do not agree with his conclusions, but any serious student must understand and wrestle with his arguments” (303). For Burer, silence is contextual, not absolute. Paul is addressing disruptions during worship, leading to chaos in the church. Since the context is “leading and guiding the church,” women need to be subject to male leaders. Earlier in the chapter, Paul tells people to speak in tongues one at a time, with the rest remaining silent in order to avoid chaos during worship (303). In this passage, he tells women who are asking disruptive questions to remain silent. He points out that both men and women learn during a church service, but it is shameful to be disruptive. Kieffer addresses this in the preaching strategies section by focusing exclusively on orderly worship (as Paul does) to attract outsiders.

For both issues, the culture of Roman Corinth sheds more light than this commentary allows. Although there is some recognition of this fact, sidebars might have been used to develop relevant cultural issues more fully. For 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, there is one sidebar on Paul’s Argument from Culture, but nothing illustrating the culture of Rome. Burer approves of Keener’s argument that women were less educated in a footnote, but also points out that Paul is not discussing educating women in this passage. This shortage of cultural data is likely a result of constraints on commentary size and series requirements. I also recognize this critique is “that’s not what I would have done,” which is not always appropriate in a book review.

Conclusion. Bruer and Kieffer achieve the goals of the Kerux series by providing quality exegesis and relevant preaching tips. Busy pastors will find much in this commentary to help them prepare sermons or Bible studies.

Other volumes reviewed in this series:

NB: Thanks to Kregel for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.