I’ve been reading David Alan Black’s mini-book on the synoptic problem since this morning. It’s almost done and I’ll be bummed when I’m through it. The bigger issue I’m having today is that I’ve been around the church for over thirty years and I’m just now getting to this stuff. Why is that? I guess it’s probably my own fault. Either somebody forgot to tell me that Paul and Luke were buddies, that Mark hung out with Peter and likely wrote his gospel as a shorthand narrative of Paul’s sermons to the praetorium, etc. or I was sleeping that day. I guess this kind of thing doesn’t come up in a thirty minute sermon titled “STOP BEING SO DUMB!” which is about the level that pastors today are able to get to with their stubborn and inattentive congregations.
So… as much as I’m a student of the many other thousands of interesting topics that seem to constantly be grasping for my attention, I’m also now a student of the Bible. Not just in a “a chapter a day keep the devil away” kind of lame-o kiddie story kind of way, but in a “hey these guys were real” kind of way.
Thanks Dave for putting what were notes for your students into a book. I’ve found it immensely helpful already and look forward to more. You will be publishing more, right?
