Book Review

James M. Hamilton Jr. and Matthew Damico, Reading the Psalms as Scripture

Hamilton Jr., James M., and Matthew Damico. Reading the Psalms as Scripture. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2024. 142 pp.; Hb.; $19.99. Link to Lexham Press

James M. Hamilton, Jr. serves as Professor of Biblical Theology at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and as preaching pastor at Kenwood Baptist Church. He contributed a volume to the NSBT series, With the Clouds of Heaven: The Book of Daniel in Biblical Theology (IVP Academic 2014; see my review here). Hamilton has written extensively on biblical theology and typology, including What Is Biblical Theology? (Crossway, 2014). Matthew Damico is pastor of worship and operations at Kenwood Baptist Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where Hamilton is the senior pastor.

Typology Psalms

This new book is a short introduction to Hamilton’s method for reading the Psalms. This method is detailed in his recent monograph, Typology—Understanding the Bible’s Promise-Shaped Patterns: How Old Testament Expectations are Fulfilled in Christ (Zondervan Academic, 2022) and further demonstrated in his Evangelical Biblical Theology Commentary on the Psalms commentary (Lexham Press, 2022, reviewed here).

Chapters 1-4 describe and support Hamilton’s first three theses. First, the Salter was intended to be read in sequence like any book. The psalms are strategically arranged, and the final form of the Salter has cohesive features that unify its message. Second, doxologies, changes and authorship, super prescriptions, and common vocabulary create cohesion and a “set of characters whose actions unfold a discernible plot.” Third, earlier scripture is the most significant backdrop that the Psalter must be read. The authors learned from Moses, and they believed in the promises made to David. In short, the Psalter reflects an “Old Testament worldview.” For the most part, scholarship now recognizes the hand of editors in the arrangement and final form of Psalms. For example, it is almost axiomatic to describe Psalms 1-2 as an introduction to the entire collection, highlighting eschatology and wisdom as key themes found throughout the Psalter.

Hamilton’s fourth thesis is perhaps more controversial. He believes David deserves much more credit for being well-versed in scripture as a brilliant theologian than he is typically given. Chapter 5 offers examples of this by examining Psalms 18, 72, and 78. Not every psalm draws on earlier scripture as much as these, but Hamilton uses them to sketch out allusions to earlier scripture, primarily Samuel. This kind of inner-canonical exes is always tricky because it is difficult (or impossible) to know precisely when Samuel or the Psalter were finally edited. Hamilton’s inner-canonical method works because he assumes traditional dates and authorship for the Psalms.

He goes further than this in his fifth thesis. Hamilton argues. David understood the patterns and promises of early Scripture, discerned how his own experiences fit into them, and prophetically presented himself as a type of the one to come. Hamilton traces key parallels between Moses, Joseph, and the next step in this pattern of events, king David. This raises several thoughts in my mind. What if Joseph is not a “type of Christ”? This classic view was recently argued by Samuel Emadi (From Prisoner to Prince: The Joseph Story in Biblical Theology. NSBT 59; Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP Academic, 2022, see my review here). However, Jeffrey Pulse recently called this into question (Figuring Resurrection: Joseph as a Death and Resurrection Figure in the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism. Studies in Scripture and Biblical Theology; Lexham Academic, 2021; read my review here). A second concern: What if David did not write all of the “to David” Psalms? Many psalms are called a “Psalm of David,” or even more simply “of David” (לְדָ֫וִ֥ד). Most major commentaries on Psalms discuss what the preposition le means in a Psalm header.  Although authorship is an option, it is not the only way to understand the word. Therefore, messianic typology may have happened at the editorial level when the Salter was arranged in its final form. Does it necessarily have to go back to David?

Hamilton’s sixth thesis concerns reading the Psalms with a messianic typology. “Typology is a God-ordained, author-intended historical correspondence and escalation in significance between people, events, and institutions across the biblical storyline” (80, his monograph, Typology). The Kiefer Hamilton is the phrase “author intended.” He argues that Moses intentionally forged connections between himself and Joseph, and these connections and these connections look forward to David as a messianic type. Hamilton uses Psalms 2, 16, and 22 as examples. Psalm 16 is a miktam of David and the details drawn from 1 Samuel fit well into the life of David. Peter quotes this Psalm as the authentic voice of David in Acts 2:25-28 and applies the words to the resurrection of Christ.

It is undoubtedly true that scripture often reuses themes and motifs (the Exodus is a clear example). However, it is quite another thing to argue that David wrote Psalm 2 to connect himself intentionally to earlier messianic texts. It is difficult to say that David wrote Psalm 1 or Psalm 2. There is no header, so it is possible, but if the first two psalms are a “gateway” to the Psalter (as they are often described), then the two psalms may have been joined at the editorial level when the book of Psalms reached its final form.

Hamilton’s final thesis is that the maximum spiritual benefit for believers today comes from rightly understanding what the psalmists meant to communicate. This is true, but for Hamilton, their message is (only) fulfilled in Christ. While this may be true for Psalms 22 and 23. However, it is difficult to say this for every Psalm. In fact, it only works if the New Testament use of the Psalm is imported back into the Psalms or New Testament Theology is allowed to dictate the meaning of a Psalm. What was the point of Psalm 22 in its original context? To do so is to ignore the original setting of the psalm and the original author’s intention.

Conclusion. This guide to reading the Psalms is aimed at a popular audience. If anyone wants Hamilton’s detailed argument for this typological method, they will need to read his other work. If you like typology, then this book is a good introduction to reading the Psalms. Physically, this is a lovely small (5×8 inches) book.

 

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

 

 

Mark J. Keown, Pneumaformity: Transformation by the Spirit in Paul

Keown, Mark J. Pneumaformity: Transformation by the Spirit in Paul. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Academic, 2024. 440 pp.; Pb.; $31.99. Link to Kregel Academic.

Mark Keown wrote an extensive two-volume commentary on Philippians in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (Lexham Academic, 2017; see my review here) and a three-volume introduction, Discovering the New Testament (Lexham Academic 2018, 2022; see my review of vols. 1-2 here, vol. 3 here). Based on this work, Keown observes that Paul’s Understanding of the Christian life was “profoundly pneumatological.” Even as early as the book of Galatians, believers are not under the law but are living a life led by the Holy Spirit. This book corrects what Keown sees as a missing piece of Pauline theology, the centrality of the Holy Spirit.

Pneumaformity

Two writers influence this book. First, Keown acknowledges the importance of Michael Gorman’s Cruciformity: Paul’s Narrative Spirituality of the Cross (Eerdmans, 2001). Gorman is widely recognized for coining the term cruciformity, by which he means “to live as cross-shaped people who seek to transform their world.” Scot McKnight modified this as “Christoformity,” and David deSilva tried “Resurrectiformality,” but both Keown, none of these neologisms quite capture the essence of Paul’s view of the Christian life. Therefore, in this book, he suggests Pneumaformity to emphasize the work of the Holy Spirit.

The second writer Keown cites as a guide is Gordon Fee. Fee’s God’s Empowering Presence (Baker, 1994) was one of the first exhaustive studies of Paul’s understanding of the Holy Spirit. Fee’s focus was on references to πνεῦμα (pneuma) that apply to God in Paul’s letters. Keown sees this as too narrow since “living in the spirit” can also use Christological or eschatological language. For example, πνεῦμα only appears in Philippians four times. But Paul stresses God’s power (2:13). In 1:6, Paul says, “he began a good work in you.” Who is the “he” in this verse? God? Christ? The Holy Spirit? All members of the godhead are involved in saving and in harmony in the believer’s life. Keown interacts with Fee throughout the book, often agreeing or disagreeing with God’s Empowering Presence in the footnotes.

This is Keown’s motivation for coining the term “pneumaformity.” He defines pneumaformity as “the process of God’s transformation of his people” (21). He is not opposed to the term christoformity or the other terms, but this book focuses on how the Holy Spirit works in the life of believers to transform them. The work of the spirit is ethical, but it is more than just ethics, social or behavioral, etc. The spirit transforms the believer to devoted worship and service to Christ and impels believers to fulfill their mission to the world.

Chapter 1 reviews the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Old Testament. Keown argues that Paul inherited his view of the Spirit from his Jewish heritage, but he reads the text through the lens of being in Christ, the suffering servant. Most Christians have been led to believe that the Holy Spirit is not particularly active in the Old Testament. To a certain extent, that is true, but Keown develops a long list of the Holy Spirit’s activities in the Hebrew Bible. This goes beyond texts, which include the word “spirit.” Compared to his sections on the New Testament, this chapter seems brief, which is necessary given Keown’s goals in this monograph. An examination of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament could be expanded into a book.

Chapters 2-3 detail the role of the Holy Spirit in conversion. The Holy Spirit is active in the conversion of believers by sending the word, shaping the life of “soon to be converted,” and persuading them of the truth of the gospel. He calls this a “pneumaphany.” The converted “drink and receive” the spirit and become one with God. The immediate impact of the Spirit begins with “spirit baptism” (which he calls “transformational cleansing”; 2 Cor 1:21–22). Receiving the Holy Spirit is a guarantee of future salvation. The Holy Spirit justifies the believer, liberates them from the bondage of law, and sets them free from sin.

Chapters 4-11 are thematic. Keown canvasses the Pauline letters to describe the Holy Spirit and Christian community, worship, Christoformity (conforming to the image of the Son), ethics and virtue, suffering, participation in the life of the church, mission, and eschaton (the spirit and the future resurrection). Keown provides exegesis for all relevant verses in the thirteen Pauline letters for these themes.  In fact, Keown’s exegesis is intense and as detailed as his Philippians commentary. Greek is left untranslated, but most electrical and syntactical details are placed in the footnotes. He interacts with a wide range of secondary literature. This is remarkable detail for a popular-level book, which might cover all these themes in a chapter or two with just a handful of proof texts. He goes deep into each text, providing substance for his descriptions of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion. Do we need another -formity word to describe God’s work in the believer’s life? Maybe not, but an emphasis on the Holy Spirit in the life of God’s people is long overdue. Keown’s book should take its place alongside Gordon Fee’s God’s Empowering Presence (1994). Yet he forges a new path in Pauline studies by focusing on the Holy Spirit as central to Christian spiritual formation. In this clear and scholarly work, Keown challenges Pneumaform people to be devoted to worship and to participate in God’s mission in the world.

 

NB: Thanks to Kregel Academic for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book, both in print and Logos format. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Thomas Kazen, Dirt, Shame, Status: Perspectives on Same-Sex Sexuality in the Bible and the Ancient World

Kazen, Thomas. Dirt, Shame, Status: Perspectives on Same-Sex Sexuality in the Bible and the Ancient World. Foreword by William Loader. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 2024. xvii+208 pp.; Pb.; $24.99. Link to Eerdmans.

Since 2002, Thomas Kazen has taught at the School of Theology at University College Stockholm (since 2010, as a professor of Biblical Studies).  Dirt, Shame, Status was first published in Swedish (Smuts skam, status, Makadam, 2018). Although not a comprehensive survey of biblical and Greco-Roman attitudes toward homoerotic behavior, Kazen offers a stimulating study of the data used in the often heated of homosexuality today.

Same-Sex Sexuality in the Bible

Chapter 1, “Homoeroticism and Human Sexuality,” introduces the problems associated with studying ancient cultural attitudes towards homosexuality. “The way in which we understand sexual identity and sexual orientation today has no obvious counterpart in the ancient world “ (4). To oversimplify matters, people engaged in same-sex acts were not considered a “special category” with a different sexual orientation or as belonging to a different gender. They were men and women who transgressed certain boundaries. (5). Kazen explains throughout the book that modern discussions about homosexuality ask questions that would never have arisen in the ancient world.

Kazen then surveys the biblical texts on homosexuality (Chapter 2). Beginning with the holiness code in Leviticus, lying with a man the way one would lie with a woman is prohibited. This activity is described as “low sum “or “abominable” (Lev 18:22-30; 20:13). Kazen traces the interpretation of Sodom and Gomorrah through the rest of the Old Testament and Second Temple literature. He points out that the issue is more about sexual violence than homoeroticism. It is not until Wisdom 19:14–17, the Book of Jubilees, and the Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs that Sodom’s sin becomes sexual. In the Testament of Naphtali, Sodom “departed from the natural order of things.” In the New Testament, Paul’s attitudes towards homoerotic behavior (1 Cor 6:9-10; Rom 1:18-32; 1 Tim 1:8-10) are easy to explain in the context of Hellenistic Judaism. Of course, he draws on the holiness code, but he does so within the context of the Greco-Roman world (41).

Chapters 3-5 discuss that context. In this section, Kazen discusses various cultural factors pertaining to homosexual acts in the Roman world. He begins with “Impurity, Disgust, and Sex” (ch. 3). To understand impurity, he begins by outlining Jewish concepts of purity in the holiness code. Impurity is something that causes “disgust.” An impure thing is a trigger or an elicitor that causes feelings of disgust. This might be caused by some foods, corpse contact, poor hygiene, or some sexual activity. In the Holiness Code, male homosexual activity was “unclean,” so it provoked disgust. Alternatively, it was disgusting and considered “unclean” (53). For Jewish Hellenistic writers like Paul or the Wisdom of Solomon, connecting illicit sex with impurity was a rhetorical strategy. Greeks and Romans would understand.

The key to understanding sexual activity in the Greek and Roman world is the concepts of power and subordination (ch. 4). “Very little of the pressing issues of our time – sexual orientation, discrimination, same-sex marriage, and so on – would have made any sense at all in Paul’s day (95).  Sex was an exercise of power, so Greek and Roman literature often condemns the passive man. The Greco-Roman ideals of masculinity and femininity relate to what is honorable or shameful (ch. 5). It is disgraceful for a man to play a passive role in sex, but a passive role is expected of a woman (125).  Kazen argues that Paul shares the Hellenistic Jewish interpretation of a Stoic-Platonic view of reason, emotion, and self-control (121). For the Jewish philosopher Philo, the law provides a framework for self-control. The difference is that Paul the Holy Spirit is the solution, rather than the law (Gal 5:22-23, the Fruit of the Spirit).

In his final chapter, “Homoeroticism Then and Now,” Kazen draws a few implications from his survey of the cultural data he has gathered. He begins with the observation that we can never fully understand the behavioral values of the ancient world. He suggests that “In the ancient world, sexual acts were not expected to take place in equal relationships” (127). A man expressed his power over a subordinate through a sexual act, whether this was a slave, a prostitute, or even a wife. For Kazen, the significant difference between the ancient and modern world is a better understanding of biology concerning sexual preference or sexual orientation, even if there is no consensus on biological or social factors (128). The modern world is interested in human rights in a way the ancient world never was, explaining why the modern world rejects pederasty, human trafficking, etc., that was common in the ancient world

Kazen frequently refers to images in the book. Enskilda Högskolan Stockholm is hosting a PDF with links to the artifacts mentioned in the footnotes. Aside from these links to images, the book has no footnotes. The book concludes with “notes on sources (pages 137-46). This method of documentation is standard in popular history. A bibliography includes all primary sources used in the book (pages147-52). The bibliography of secondary literature is annotated by Ida Simonsson (pages 152-92). This annotated bibliography is an excellent guide for further study on this topic.

Conclusion. Kazen provides an excellent foundation for understanding what ancient Greek and Roman writers thought about homoerotic behavior as a background for reading Hellenistic Jewish writers (like the New Testament) in the correct context. Readers on either side of modern arguments may not appreciate the implication that these ancient texts do not (always) answer modern questions. No one, for example, considered gay marriage a possibility even if they regularly engaged in homoerotic behavior.

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

John C. Peckham, Why We Pray: Understanding Prayer in the Context of Cosmic Conflict

Peckham, John C. Why We Pray: Understanding Prayer in the Context of Cosmic Conflict. Grand Rapids: Mich, Baker Academic, 2024. pp.; Pb.; $24.99. Link to Baker Academic

This new book deals with a particular issue raised in Peckham’s award-winning monographs, The Love of God: A Canonical Model (IVP Academic, 2015; my review here) and Divine Attributes: Knowing the Covenantal God of Scripture (Baker Academic, 2021). In the second chapter of Divine Attributes, Peckham dealt with the problematic theological issues of aseity, immutability, and passibility of God. Does Scripture teach that God needs nothing from his creation (aseity) and does not feel emotions or passions like humans do (passibility)? That God does not change (immutability) seems clear from passages like Malachi 3:6. Still, some verses imply prayer changed God’s mind or regrets his actions (1 Samuel 15:11). To complicate matters, if God does know everything (omniscience), why does he need us to pray and call on him to act? His answer in Divine Attributes was about a page at the end of the chapter, with some interaction with David Crump and T. F. Torrance. Why We Pray is a book-length answer to the theological problem of unanswered prayer.

Peckham Why We Pray

In my experience, there are two extremes in answering these questions. Some have denied that God’s omniscience includes future events, so our prayer can change God’s mind or prompt him to act (sometimes called Open Theism). This view often limits God’s immutability so that God does change and develop in his relationship with humans (Process Theology). A cursory survey of Moses’s prayers in the Book of Numbers should prove that God changes his mind in response to intercessory prayer.

The other extreme questions the need for prayer since it cannot change God’s mind. I have known people who refused to bring “prayer requests” to God because he will not (or cannot) do anything about them. This view sometimes sees unanswered prayer as a pastoral issue since it implies God will answer prayer, even though that is not true.

A third approach is somewhere in between and focuses on the person praying. Peckham cites Kierkegaard, “Prayer does not change God, but it changes the one who offers it” (quoted on page 6). I have heard variations of this quotation attributed to C. S. Lewis and others. There is certainly some truth to this observation, and we often pray for things in ignorance or out of personal selfishness. We clarify God’s will for our lives by engaging in petitionary prayer. But this does not entirely explain why prayers of faithful, righteous Christians remain unanswered.

Peckham’s approach finds a way between these extremes by focusing on a “cosmic conflict model.” This cosmic conflict is a background that pervades Scripture (74). Essentially, God has entered a covenant with creation that morally prevents him from bringing about certain good things in certain cases without penitentiary prayer (17). Penitentiary prayer does not make God want to do good for us because he already wants to bless and deliver. But intercession “opens up avenues for God to justly bring about the good he already wanted to bring” (28). God does not need information or power, nor must he be convinced to do what is good. He also invites penitentiary prayer and often responds to it. In the Bible, “God is depicted as if penitentiary prayer sometimes actually influences his actions” (50).

For some readers, it might be a surprise to read that God cannot answer certain prayers because they are not morally justified. If God is truly omnipotent, then he can do anything he wants. Peckham argues that this is not the case. Consider my example from the Book of Numbers. God’s intention is often to judge the nation of Israel because of their rebellion in the wilderness. He is a gracious and merciful God who truly wants to forgive his rebellious children. However, he restrains himself until Moses makes intercession for the people. This is because of the nature of God’s relationship with the nation of Israel in the wilderness.

Peckham addresses the issue of praying God’s will in chapter three, “Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done.” In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus instructs his disciples to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt 6:10). It is evident that God’s will is not always done on earth. Why is this the case? The all-powerful God could force the issue and make everyone respond appropriately to God. However, God invites people to return to him and be saved, but not all do. Even though he “longs to be gracious” and wants to show compassion to everyone, God will not force people to repent and be saved against their will.

Chapter 4 outlines the rules to which God has committed himself in his relationship with his creatures. Because he has voluntarily committed himself to these “rules of engagement,” God is morally prevented from bringing about some good even when he might desire to do so (91). In response to the question, “Why would God agree to such rules in the first place, he wisely responded, “I do not claim to know.” Because this is a cosmic conflict, not only demonic forces oppose God’s kingdom, but also angels who serve the all-powerful God operating behind the scenes, citing 2 Kings 6:16–17 as an example (82). Peckham does not see this as a conflict between equals: God is all-powerful, and Satan and his demons are limited.

Chapter 5 examines the frequent command in Scripture to be persistent in prayer and ask God for anything. In the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8), Jesus taught his disciples “ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Jesus also tells his disciples that if they ask the Father for anything in his name, it will be given to them (John 15:7, 16; see here for my comments on this verse). This chapter outlines the “art of prayer in the midst of spiritual warfare” (109). In this section, Peckham illustrates from Scripture that prayer should be done with obedience and contrition and always with faith in God. Prayer must be unselfish.  Prayers should be offered with both hope and gratitude. Finally, prayer should be in accordance with the will of God. This means praying for “your kingdom come” and “your will be done” is to pray for God’s will to be done even if it is out of step with what we think we want to be done.

Conclusion: Why We Pray is no lightweight devotional book on Christian prayer. Readers will be challenged to think deeply about God’s nature and how we interact with God through prayer. He interacts with significant theologians on the issue of God’s nature and the nature of prayer. Peckham’s cosmic conflict model preserves the power of prayer and human free will, but it also works well with critical attributes of God, such as omniscience, omnibenevolence, and omnipotence. Throughout the book, Peckham’s pastoral heart is evident as he seeks to explain deep theological concepts to prepare God’s people for prayer and worship.

NB: I appreciate Baker Academic for providing a review copy of this book, but this did not influence my thoughts about the work.

Book Review: Murray J. Harris, Navigating Tough Texts, Volume 2

Harris, Murray J. Navigating Tough Texts: A Guide to Problem Passages in the New Testament. Volume 2. Bellingham, Wash.: Lexham Press, 2024. 175 pp.; Pb.  $23.99  Link to Lexham Press

Navigating Tough Texts Volume 2 is a follow-up to Harris’s 2020 collection of questions and answers on challenging topics in the New Testament. Like the first volume, the book is designed for pastors, teachers, and theological students who want to think more deeply about their faith and be exposed to some of the intricacies of the Greek language. Harris explains that the studies in this volume arise from his experience teaching the New Testament. The acknowledgment page indicates that some of his answers rely on his earlier published works.

Harris, Navigating Tough Texts

The book answers 89 questions in two sections (Gospels and Acts, Epistles) and is grouped by books. Harris explains that a text might be tough because it is difficult to understand from the perspective of a modern reader. Others may be tough because they have a history of controversy. The texts in this volume fall into five categories. First, some verses are significant in church history, such as the trinitarian baptismal formula in Matthew 28:19. Second, some tough texts are important for understanding the person of Christ, such as John 1:14. Here, Harris discusses the meaning of monogenes (usually translated as “only son”). A third type of tough text is an apparent contradiction. For example, how does Judas die? Does Acts 1:18 contradict Matthew? Fourth, sometimes tough texts relate to the Christian life, such as the meaning of homosexuality in Romans 1:17 or “choosing celibacy” in Matthew 19:12. A fifth category includes tough texts about the future, such as the meaning of 1000 years in Revelation 20. Harris briefly explains three positions on the millennium,  although he does not advocate for one particular view.

Harris’s approach to answering these questions is exegetical. This is not surprising, given his work on the NIV translation committee and excellent exegetical commentaries. Greek appears in transliteration. He does comment on grammatical and syntactical issues when necessary, but the discussion is presented clearly enough that a non-specialist will follow his point. He does not provide any footnotes to other works. Since these are all controversial topics, they have generated scholarly articles and pages in commentaries. This omission is understandable, given the goals of the book. Because chapters are only two or three pages long, advanced readers may find the answers basic. Most readers will find Harris’s answers direct, to the point, and a refreshing approach.

Conclusion. I have been teaching Bible and Theology for more than thirty years, so I can bear witness to the fact that the questions Harriss addresses in both volumes of Navigating Tough Texts are indeed common. This book will make an excellent devotional reader for the layperson who wants to go deeper than the English translation of the New Testament. In addition, it will be a good resource for the Bible teacher who is looking to clarify their thinking on some of these complex topics. My only concern with the book is the lack of resources for readers who want to investigate each topic. A “for further reading” section with two or three key academic studies for each chapter would help meet this need.

NB: I was kindly provided with a review copy of this book by Lexham Press, but this did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.