Coppins, Wayne, and Jacob Cerone, eds. Accessible German New Testament Scholarship.
Wayne Coppins and Jacob Cerone have launched a new open-source journal, Accessible German New Testament Scholarship. This is an excellent collection of translated German for New Testament Studies, and best of all, it is available for free.
Cerone is a tireless German translator and scholar. For example, he translated three volumes of Strack and Billerbeck, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud & Midrash (Lexham Press, reviewed here) and Adolf von Harnack, The Letter of the Roman Church to the Corinthian Church from the Era of Domitian: 1 Clement (Pickwick, 2021, reviewed here). Along with Matthew Fisher, he edited Daily Scriptures: 365 Readings in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin (Eerdmans, 2021). Coppins has edited and translated many important New Testament studies, including Martin Hengel and Anna Maria Schwemer, Jesus and Judaism (Baylor, 2019), Christoph Markschies, Christian Theology and its Institutions in the Early Roman Empire (Baylor, 2015), and Jens Schröter, Jesus of Nazareth: Jew from Galilee, Savior of the World (Baylor, 2014). Check out all his translation work at his blog, German for Neutestamentler.
Accessible German New Testament Scholarship (AGNTS) is a curated collection of significant contributions to New Testament scholarship from the German-speaking world. I took theological German years ago, but, like most Americans, I did not continue reading German, so my skills have atrophied. I do not regularly use German commentaries or monographs, and I rarely read German articles in academic journals. This means I miss out on quality scholarship published in German journals.
AGNTS helps people like me in two ways. First, AGNTS translates articles and book sections that are unlikely to be translated and republished elsewhere. Although Christoph Heilig often publishes in English (see his The Apostle and the Empire: Paul’s Implicit and Explicit Criticism of Rome, Eerdmans, 2022, reviewed here), his Paulus als Erzähler? Eine narratologische Perspektive auf die Paulusbriefe (BZNW 237; de Gruyter, 2020) has never been published in English, and at 1000+ pages, this seems unlikely. The first volume of AGNTS includes the conclusion to the book (pages 991-1015), making this scholarship available to non-German readers.
Second, the journal is curated. As with English academic journals, hundreds of articles are published in German every year that are not accessible to non-German readers. But not all are equally worthy of translation. Coppins and Cerone selected journal articles and book sections due to their contributions to New Testament Studies. This includes two items of historic interest by William Wrede. The editors observe that these letters show how Wrede “subsequently reconsidered the influential viewpoint that he developed in The Messianic Secret with respect to the question of whether Jesus regarded himself as designated to be the Messiah.”
Now that the AGNTS exists, I want more. From a historical perspective, I would like to see excerpts from Adolf Jülicher’s often-cited but rarely read Die Gleichnisreden Jesu (Parables of Jesus). I would love to read some of Joachim Jeremias’s untranslated essays. As long as I am dreaming, someone should launch a similar project for Old Testament Scholarship or for French scholarship.
The final pages of the journal contain original publication information. I did not see any information on the AGNTS website indicating plans for the frequency of publication. Be sure to visit the AGNTS Website and subscribe to notifications of future volumes.
Here is the contents of AGNTS Volume 1:
William Wrede, Self-Review of The Messianic Secret
William Wrede, Letter to Adolf von Harnack on Jesus as Messiah and Paul as a New Beginning
Matthias Kontradt, The Commandment of Love for Enemies in Matt 5.43-48 and Its Early Jewish Context
Peter Stuhlmacher, The Tübingen Biblical Theology of the New Testament – A Retrospective
Oda Wischmeyer, Canon and Hermeneutics in Times of Deconstruction. What New Testament Scholarship Can Achieve Hermeneutically in the Present
Christoph Heilig, Paul as Storyteller? Conclusion
Christine Jacobi, Perfect Life Through Special Nourishment: Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses 5
Chisholm Jr., Robert B., and Michael Hontz. Isaiah 1-39. A Commentary for Biblical Preaching and Teaching. Kerux Commentaries. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Ministry, 2025. 579 pp. Hb. $43.99 Link to Kregel Ministry
In this new volume in Kregel’s Kerux commentary series, Robert Chisholm, Jr. and Michael Hontz combine detailed exegesis of the Hebrew text of Isaiah 1-39 with homiletical insights to help preachers and teachers present this Old Testament book to their congregations. The Kerux series pairs an exegete with a pastor. Chisholm is Department Chair and Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary. He served as the Senior Old Testament Editor of the NET Bible. Chisholm’s other publications include numerous articles on hermeneutics and the prophets, Interpreting the Minor Prophets (Zondervan, 1990), Handbook on the Prophets (Baker, 2009), Interpreting the Historical Books in Kregel’s Handbook for Old Testament Exegesis series, and the Kregel Exegetical Library volume on Judges and Ruth (reviewed here). He has been paired with Michael Hontz, senior pastor of Pleasant View Bible Church (Warsaw, Indiana), since 2011.
In a brief fifteen-page introduction, Chisholm States that this commentary will approach Isaiah 1-39 as “essentially Isaianic” with minimalist redactions (41). The introduction includes a brief survey of reduction criticism as applied to Isaiah (Clement, Kaiser, and Williamson). He obviously does not like the methodology of redaction criticism, suggesting “questionable premises” and “methodological flaws” (such as assuming that the redactor did sloppy work; 41). In the commentary itself, he will address some of these reduction concerns (see 5:25; 6:11-12; 8:2; 11:1, 11-12; 18:7; 31:4; 34:5). Aside from these notable exceptions, the commentary assumes Isaiah is the author of the text and attempts to exegete the text as it appears in the Bible. In the body of the commentary, Chisholm also occasionally comments on form criticism (see, for example, on the woes in Isa 5, 131-32).
Although he identifies Isaiah as the author, “a robust view of biblical inspiration” does not preclude “inspired additions,” similar to the book of Deuteronomy (someone has clearly added Moses’s death). He offers three examples of these additions. First, Isaiah 2:2-4 is identical to Micah 4:1-3, and it is impossible to determine which is the original or if they both borrowed from a common source. Second, Isaiah 36-39, except for Hezekiah’s prayer in 38:9-20, is the same as 2 Kings 18:17-20:19. Third, Isaiah 37:38 mentions the assassination of Sennacherib in 681 BC. A later editor likely added this historical note.
The introduction includes a historical and cultural context, 42-47. This section tracks the rise of the Syrian Empire from Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727) through the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. This historical setting includes Babylon’s entry into politics. He describes this. Chisholm describes this period as one of “societal disintegration” (47). This disintegration includes “big government” radically disturbing the socioeconomic equilibrium envisioned in the covenant. The remainder of the introduction focuses on literary forms in Isaiah and the theological focus of Isaiah. Most of these points will be developed throughout the body of the commentary.
The commentary divides Isaiah 1-39 into four sections with twenty-five “preaching passages.” Each preaching section includes an exegetical idea, a theological focus, and a preaching idea. These are brief statements which will be familiar to readers of Hadden Robinson. Following these statements are two paragraphs of “preaching pointers,” helpful suggestions for those presenting this material from the pulpit (or in a Sunday school class or small group Bible study). Some units cover two or more chapters, including a single unit on the Oracles concerning Various Nations (Isaiah 15-23), which spans nine chapters of Isaiah in a single preaching unit. I am not sure if many pastors are preaching from that section of Isaiah (although they should). This material is summarized on pages 13-33 and repeated at the beginning of each chapter.
Each unit of the commentary begins with a summary of the literary structure and themes, setting the unit in the context of the whole book of Isaiah. These included a detailed outline of the section. The exposition is based on the Hebrew text, and the Hebrew appears without transliteration. Some Hebrew training is helpful when Chisholm comments on wordplay in the Hebrew text (135). Some sidebars discuss Hebrew syntax without additional explanation (hiphel vs. piel, for example). But for the most part, the exposition is clear and should be accessible to most readers, even if they have forgotten their seminary Hebrew.
Embedded in the exposition are occasional sidebars entitled “Translation Analysis.” Here, Chisholm deals with lexical details and compares various English translations. Chisholm does not deal with textual issues, although he occasionally refers to the Septuagint if there is a significantly different reading. These sidebars are helpful since most congregations use a variety of translations. This material will help answer the common question for Bible teachers, “Why does my NIV say something different than the ESV?”
As with other volumes in the Kerux series, the commentary includes several sidebars on more technical topics, as well as historical and cultural contexts. (Sidebars appear in a light grey box.) I will illustrate this with Chisholm’s commentary on Isaiah 7:14, one of the more controversial passages in the book due to its declaration of fulfillment in Matthew 1:23. He discusses the meaning of עַלְמָה (ʿalmâ), noting that in the Old Testament, the word’s meaning is ambiguous. Sometimes the word refers to a virgin, sometimes a young woman (179). In one sidebar, he compares the word to a Ugaritic cognate to support this view. “The woman’s status and conception are not the central ingredient in the sign,” the meaning of the child’s name is what is important: “God with us” (180). In a lengthy two-page sidebar, Chisholm surveys fulfillment of prophecy in Matthew. In addition to Isaiah 7:14, he examines Hosea 11:1 in Matthew 2:15, Jeremiah 31:15 in Matthew 2:18, and the identity of Jesus as a Nazarene in Matthew 2:23. Chisholm concludes, “Matthew sees fulfillment in a subtle manner” (191). There is an underlying pattern that is filled out more completely in Jesus.
Another sidebar explores a potentially controversial issue: “Does Isaiah 14:12-15 describe Satan’s fall?” Although popular among evangelicals, John Calvin called this view “useless” and based on “great ignorance” (293). Chisholm examines the evidence for the passage as the Fall of Satan, with parallels to Ezekiel 28 (a jeweled cherub in Eden who is cast out). Both passages, he suggests, refer to humans and are best explained by intertextual links and parallel Ancient Near Eastern motifs (294).
Michael Hontz’s “preaching and teaching strategies” are particularly well done. After the exegetical section and theological synthesis, Hontz repeats the preaching idea for the section and then offers a few pages on “Contemporary Connections.” Like other Kerux commentaries, he answers three questions about the text: “What does it mean?” “Is it true?” and “Now what?” Some of this material may be described as intracanonical connections, as Hontz draws parallels between the text of Isaiah and the New Testament. These extend beyond the fulfillment of prophecy, focusing on broader questions of biblical theology. The “Now what?” section is important since “Why should I be preaching from Isaiah 5?” is a legitimate question for a contemporary preacher. Most of the preaching sections are smaller units (one or two chapters), but the authors treat Isaiah 14:23-23:18 in a single unit. How can you preach on nine chapters of oracles against the nations? Hontz suggests the theme of the whole section is “God’s future, worldwide, messianic kingdom.” A preacher or teacher should focus on that theme and select a few key sections to illustrate it in their sermon.
For many readers, “Creativity in Presentation” is the most appealing aspect of the preaching strategies (or at least the first thing they will turn to). In this section, Hontz offers two or three tips for preaching, primarily in the form of illustrations or suggestions for sermon introductions on the unit. Hontz includes many references to pop culture, sports (including my favorite athlete of all time, Rosie Ruiz), or recent news stories (sometimes with links to websites for more information). Having reviewed many volumes of the Kerux series, I found Hontz’s illustrations to be well chosen and interesting. Each unit concludes with five discussion questions (which may prompt application in the mind of a preacher). The commentary has a bibliography, but no indices.
Conclusion. Chisholm and Hontz’s commentary on Isaiah 1-39 is an excellent contribution to the Kerux series. Chisholm’s exegetical work is well done, and Hontz’s homiletical comments will be of value to any preacher or teacher working on this important prophetic book.
NB: Thanks to Kregel for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.
Abernethy, Andrew T. The Book of Isaiah and God’s Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach. NSBT 40; Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity, 2016. 245 pp. Pb; $25. Link to IVP
This new contribution to the New Studies in Biblical Theology series focuses on the theme of Kingdom in the book of Isaiah. The topic of kingdom in the whole canon of Scripture is too large for a short monograph, but by limiting the discussion to Isaiah Abernethy is able to provide a reasonable foundation for understanding the book of Isaiah and its foundational role in a Christian understanding of Jesus. Abernethy’s previous book on Isaiah focused on the theme of food in Isaiah (Eating in Isaiah: Approaching the Role of Food and Drink in Isaiah’s Structure and Message. Leiden: Brill 2014, reviewed here).
In his introduction, Abernethy describes his approach in this book as synchronic since he is interpreting the book of Isaiah as a literary whole without being concerned about the historical formation of the book. This approach recognizes the coherence of the whole book of Isaiah through a network of intentional literary associations in each of the major sections of the book. Be he is quick to point out that although questions of historical process for the formation of the book are set aside, history is important for interpreting the book of Isaiah. He will divide this large book into the standard three sections commonly used by scholars so that Isaiah 1-39 are rooted in the Assyrian era, Isaiah 40-55 are rooted in the Babylonian era (with 44-45 in the Persian era). Isaiah 55-66 represent the struggles of the post-exilic period in the light of the eschaton. This “metahistory” is derived from the final form of the book regardless of how the book was formed.
The whole book of Isaiah “endeavours to orient the allegiance of its readers around a king, namely YHWH” (13). The first three chapters survey what Isaiah says about God in the three major units of Isaiah. After commenting on a unit in Isaiah, Abernethy offers a few paragraphs on the unit in the canon of Scripture, specifically on how the unit “bears witness to Christ: (29). These brief reflections are intended to be more than sterile “Old Testament in the New” lists. Isaiah 1-39, especially since some of the texts Abernethy uses are not directly cited in the New Testament. For example, there is no direct citation of Isaiah 25:6-8 in the New Testament, but Abernethy finds intertextual allusions or echoes in the Last Supper (cf. Brant Pitre, Jesus and the Last Supper, 448-58 or my Jesus the Bridegroom, 202-4). Other canonical reflections seem strained For example, Abernethy relates Isaiah 36-37 to kingdom language in Matthew, especially the interactions between Jesus and Pilate. This particular example falls well below even a nebulous allusion, although the point may be more clear if this were a monograph on a biblical theology of Kingdom in Matthew.
Chapter 1 reviews the presentation of God as the “king now and to come” (Isaiah 1-39). Abernethy begins with Isaiah’s throne vision to argue that God is the only king and that he is about to render “purifying judgment” on his people (20). In fact, the theme of Isaiah 1-39 can be fairly described as “who is the real king?” The king in Jerusalem is dead, and despite his boasts, Sennacherib is not the true king. The throne vision therefore stands in the center of Isaiah 1-12 in order to throw light on the narrative of Isaiah 1-5 and 7-12 by focusing on the thrice-holy enthroned king. This king will judge the nations and rule from Zion (24:21-23) where he will host a feast for all people, destroying the ultimate enemy, death (25:6-8). This king will reign in beauty, and the eyes of the people will see him (Isaiah 33:17). Abernethy points out this is particularly stirring when read in the light of Isaiah 6. Isaiah sees God and is filled with dread; in Isaiah 33 seeing God is a “vision of hope” (43-4).
In the chapter 2, Abernethy examines Isaiah 40-55 and describes God as the only saving king. Much has happened between Isaiah 39 and 40; Israel has been sent back out into the wilderness and they are to prepare for God’s return. Although it is possible the wilderness is a positive image recalling Israel’s early, pure relationship with God, for Abernethy the wilderness “symbolizes Zion’s destruction” (57). God’s kingly presence will manifest itself as a shepherd king who leads his people out of the dangerous wilderness and back to the good land. Abernethy draws parallels between Isaiah 40:1-11 and 52:7-10, arguing these texts function “to orient our hopes, our desires for comfort, our longings for vindication around the prophetic declarations that God himself is promising to come as king” (65).
In his third chapter, God is “the warrior, international, and compassionate king” (Isaiah 56-66). These chapters are concerned with “eschatological judgment as a collar to salvation” (83), looking forward to a time when God will function as warrior king who will pacify the nations. In order to demonstrate this, Abernethy lays out a chiastic arrangement of 56-66 which sets Isaiah 60-62 in the center. This chapter examines the fourth level of the chiasm, the anticipation of God’s coming salvation (59:15-21) and the final expression of that salvation (63:1-6). The warrior king appears but only sees injustice (59:15a-16), therefore delaying his vindication of his people. When he finally arrives, it is a day of fury and vengeance (63:4-6). Here Abernethy draws a canonical refection to two images of Jesus in the New Testament, first initiating redemption (Luke 1:51) and rendering final judgment (Rev 14:9-11; 19:15-16).
As a conclusion to the first three chapters, Abernethy offers a short theology of kingship in Isaiah (112-17). The recurring themes in Isaiah are seeing the glory of the king, the international king enthroned in Zion; the coordination of judgment and salvation; history and eschatology. These themes are tied to the historical situation of the book (Assyrian, Babylonian, and Persian eras) but by the end of the book Isaiah “directs our attention to the eschatological future” (117).
Having surveyed what Isaiah says about the kingship of God, Abernethy devotes chapter 4 to the “lead agents” of the king in each subsection of the book. First, by “lead agent” Abernethy means the character through whom God acts to accomplish salvation and judgment. Although the obvious term to use is “messiah” Abernethy prefers “lead agent” in order to avoid confusion about how Isaiah presents the agent of salvation in each unit of the book. He finds a different lead agent for each of the three units of the book. For Isaiah 1-39, the lead agent is a Davidic ruler who establishes righteousness and justice in the land. In Isaiah 40-55 the lead agent is the Servant who also brings justice to the nations by providing atonement. In Isaiah 56-66 it is the “messenger” of Isaiah 61 who declares God’s salvation at the very beginning of the eschaton. As Abernethy concedes, most Christian evangelical readers will see all three of these figures as the Messiah, Jesus (169). However, each lead figure functions in their own historical context and are distinct characters from the perspective of the book of Isaiah. The claim of the New Testament is that Jesus takes on all three distinct roles.
Abernethy is content to allow some ambiguity in Isaiah with respect to how these lead agents function as messianic figures. I would suggest the ambiguity explains the variety of messianic expectations in the Second Temple period. If Abernethy is correct and there are at least three lead agents of the eschaton in Isaiah, Second Temple readers of Isaiah seem to have developed one aspect of the coming messiah (such as a Davidic king) and downplayed or missed the others (such as the suffering servant). Early Jewish Christianity may be unique in associating Jesus with all three of the lead agents described by Abernethy.
Finally, chapter 5 concerns “the realm and the people of God’s kingdom.” Abernethy describes Isaiah’s view of the kingdom as “bifocal” since sometimes God’s kingdom is the entire cosmos (40:28) in in other contexts the kingdom is particularized as Zion (65:17). Jerusalem and Zion are a microcosm of the universal kingdom of God (176), and Abernethy refuses to discuss how physical Jerusalem “fits into God’s plan on this side of the cross” (179). Isaiah is clear, however, the people who participate in this future kingdom will be purified and redeemed remnant who are obedient to the King and trust completely in God. The theme of trust is clear in the Ahaz and Hezekiah stories, but Abernethy shows how this theme appears in each of the sections of the boo (Isa 50:10, for example). This kingdom will also be an international community. Abernethy shows that Isaiah 2:2-4 and 66:18-24 frame the book with the prediction that in the latter times Gentiles will be part of God’s kingdom. Although the nations do participate in the eschatological kingdom in some way, I would point out the blood staining the warrior king in Isaiah 63:3 is that of Gentile nations who have opposed God and oppressed his people.
Conclusion. Abernethy contributes an overview of the whole book of Isaiah using the theme of the kingdom of God. Although there are other themes in Isaiah, kingship provides the reader with enough structure to make sense of the massive amount of material in the book of Isaiah. By describing the lead agents of God’s salvation in each unit of the book, Abernethy has provided a useful rubric for understanding how messianic expectations developed in different directions in the Second Temple period.
This is a very readable book for both scholar and layman. Abernethy is clear and structured in his presentation with occasional allusions to pop culture (Batman, the Matrix and Lord of the Rings). Although presenting an important scholarly argument about the book of Isaiah, his canonical reflections have a pastoral interest for the Christian reader. In fact, Abernethy offers two possible teaching outlines in an appendix for use in a small group Bible Study or Sunday School class.
NB: Thanks to Intervarsity Press for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.
