Renberg, Lynneth Miller, and Adam R. Renberg. Candles in the Darkness: Experiencing Advent with the Early and Medieval Church. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2026. 182 pp., Hb. $29.99 Link to IVP Academic
Candles in the Darkness is not simply a Christmas devotional book. The book combines the insights of a historian (Lynneth) and a theologian (Adam). In their introduction, the Renbergs introduce the reader to Egeria, a woman who made a pilgrimage from Spain to Jerusalem in AD 382. In a letter, she described a Christmas procession from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, “walking from cradle to cross” and celebrating the coming of the Light of the World. The authors of this set of Christmas devotionals invite their readers to make the same kind of pilgrimage over the four weeks of Advent and the twelve days of Christmas.
Each daily reading for Advent and the twelve days of Christmas includes Scripture to read, explore, and meditate on. Following Scripture is a meditation from a historical figure and a modern meditation written by the authors. Finally, each devotion ends with a prayer intended to spark the reader’s own prayers, drawn from Scripture or another historical figure. Each day’s readings are brief, rarely more than three pages.
Most readers will be familiar with Augustine, Anselm, or Francis of Assisi (or at least have heard of these names). But the Renbergs include readings from many unheard voices, including women who wrote spiritual reflections and had a significant impact on the church’s spiritual life. Hildegard of Bingen (ca. 1089-1179) is perhaps the most well-known female mystical writer included in the book. But readers will sample Macrina the Younger (ca. 327-379), the ninth-century Frankish noblewoman Dhouda, and Paula the Elder (ca. 347-404). The book also includes several obscure medieval liturgies, such as the Gregorian Sacramentary and Ethiopian liturgies, and books of poetry such as the Book of Exeter (ca. 970). At the very least, reading Candles in the Darkness may spark an interest in church history beyond “the usual suspects.”
Some readers might wonder how helpful an ancient writer can be. After all, many writers use typological or allegorical interpretations that miss the meaning of Scripture (from a modern reader’s perspective). As the Renbergs explain in their introduction to the book, ancient writers invite readers to “enter the text as active participants” (9). Any allegorical readings are faithful attempts to read behind the text. This sort of reading requires both the discipline of the mind and the heart (10).
Conclusion. Candles in the Darkness is a well-written Christmas devotional that invites readers into the unfamiliar world of medieval Christianity to think more deeply about Christ’s coming into the world. Although intended for reading during the Advent season, the book will reward readers at any time of the year.
McKinion, Randall L. and Jason K. Lee. Joshua. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2026. 301 pp. Hb. $28.99 Link to Kregel Ministry
Kregel’s Kerux commentary series combines rich exegetical commentary with timely preaching to help pastors and teachers prepare sermons and lessons for the church. In this new commentary on 1 Corinthians, Randall L. McKinion (PhD, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) provides the exegesis. McKinion is Professor of Old Testament at Cedarville University. Jason K. Lee (PhD, University of Aberdeen) contributes to the preaching helps for the commentary. Formerly Professor of Theological Studies, Director of Center for Biblical Integration at Cedarville, Jason K. Lee (PhD, University of Aberdeen) now serves as Provost and Vice President of Academic Administration at the University of Mobile and is a Discipleship Pastor at Heritage Fellowship Church in Springfield, Ohio. Lee edited the Matthew volume of the Reformation Commentary on Scripture.
Like other volumes in the Kerux series, McKinion and Lee divide Joshua into “preaching units” in three parts: Entering the Land (Joshua 1-12, twelve units), Distributing the Land (Joshua 13-21, five units), and the Final Days of Joshua (Joshua 22-24, four units). Observe that more than half the commentary covers the first twelve chapters of Joshua. This reflects the main problem with any commentary on Joshua, especially for one focusing on preaching the text. The first half of the book has all the exciting, preachable stories. The second half is rich in geographical detail but very difficult to preach or teach through. Except for the final challenge from Joshua, the second half of the book makes for difficult (boring?) sermons.
The twelve-page introduction begins with a brief discussion of authorship. Joshua 24:26 indicates that “Joshua wrote a book called torah” (34). But even the most conservative reader should not assume that the author of the biblical book is Joshua. McKinion and Lee do not accept the compositional theories of the Deuteronomic historian, as expressed by Martin Noth (34). Nevertheless, they state, “when considering the Books of Joshua through Kings, the reader, and the preacher of the Old Testament may no longer do so without recourse to the claims made about the Deuteronomic history” (35). Throughout the commentary, they consider how Josh will relate backward to the Torah, especially the book of Deuteronomy.
All this affects the book’s date. If the book’s origin is with the “historical Joshua,” even this depends on the date of the Exodus. But the final form of the book dates to the exile. The book uses the phrase “to this day” several times (e.g., 4:9, 5:9; 7:26). This may reflect an explanation of a given condition, an unusual object, or a practice. (an etiology). However, this is of no help since we do not know when “this day” was (37).
McKinion and Lee “take seriously, the historical veracity of the book’s claims” (37). They agree with a lengthy citation from Brevard Childs, distinguishing between the tasks of biblical interpretation and historical reconstruction. Both conservatives and liberals overemphasize historical reconstruction when approaching Joshua and miss the biblical and theological message. “This commentary has tried to take this warning seriously” (37). Are McKinion and Lee successful? In the main commentary, there is a little historical argument. Joshua is assumed to be accurate, so there are no lengthy excurses on the walls of Jericho, for example. There are other resources for the archaeology of the conquest, both positive and negative. This commentary is focused on preaching and teaching Joshua in the local church.
Regarding the theology of Joshua, McKinion and Lee focus on three major themes drawn from Joshan 21:43-45. First, Yahweh gave all the land to Israel that he had promised their fathers (21:43). Second, Yahweh gave Israel rest from their enemies as he promised their fathers (21:44). Third, none of Yahweh’s good words to Israel has failed (21:45). These main contours of the books theology are developed into a series of paragraphs on the promises to the fathers, the promise of the land, rest in the land, the coming heir the king, the importance of the Torah, serving the Lord, Joshua has a spirit filled wise man, and faith and trust in the Lord.
The theological section avoids making Joshua into a type of Jesus and interpreting everything in the book as foreshadowing Jesus. It also avoids the annoying tendency to make Joshua a model for contemporary leadership (Joshua the CEO?). They do discuss Joshua-Jesus typology. (59–60), but they avoid flattening out the book to the extent that Joshua is just a pattern for future Christology.
The Kerux series uses sidebars in the body of the commentary. In this volume, McKinion and Lee frequently provide a sidebar entitled “Where Have I Seen This Before?” (including an excellent chart on pages 80-82). These are intertextual links to the Torah. But these are far more than “Joshua is a new Moses.” In addition to these, there are several examples of intratextual illusions within Joshua. For example, there is a box comparing Joshua 3:7 and 4:14. McKinion and Lee include additional notes on the influence of Deuteronomy 31 on the book of Joshua and Chronicles (57-58).
The exegetical notes are based on the Hebrew text, which appears without transliteration. Grammatical and lexical details appear in sidebars labeled Translation Analysis. Readers without Hebrew will have no trouble reading the body of the commentary. Since chapters cover large sections of Joshua (often two or more chapters), the exegetical comments mostly cover paragraphs and individual verses.
In the commentary’s preaching sections, Lee offers assistance to the pastor or teacher preparing sermons on Joshua. This is much easier in the first twelve chapters of the book. The distribution of the land (Joshua 13-21) is divided into four parts (with the Levites and Cities of Refuge as a separate chapter. It is possible that this whole section could have been a single sermon on the theme of land and rest (see the sidebar on rest, 242-44). Lee divides his “creativity in preaching” section into a historical/literary option and a digital/life experience. For the first option, he gives an illustration drawn from history (although sometimes recent history). For the second, he offers an illustration that is more modern (popular books, films, YouTube videos, or common life experience).
I notice one shortcoming of the commentary. McKinion and Lee do not deal with the problem of violence in Joshua. Other than a sidebar on “devoted things” (125), little is said about God’s command to completely destroy Jericho and kill everyone in the city. Often, Joshua commentaries devote a section of the introduction of a major excursus to the “Canaanite Genocide.” For example, in his recent commentary in the Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary (reviewed here), David Firth observes that Joshua narrates history in accordance with the conventions of the period. Following John Walton, he observes that ancient people believed land belonged to their god, who gives it to whom he chooses. The land did not belong to any one people. The land always belongs to God, who gave it to Abraham and his descendants.
Conclusion. This criticism aside, McKinion and Lee provide good exegetical notes and preaching tips to help pastors and teachers present Joshua to their congregations, which is the goal of the Kerux series. The commentary will be helpful to anyone wanting to dig deeper into this important Old Testament book.
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).
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
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).
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 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
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.
