Table of Contents
Introduction 1
Part 1 Interpreting the Bible Responsibly
1 Serious Bible Study Isn't for Sissies 7
2 Getting Serious-and Being Honest-about Interpreting the Bible in Context 11
3 Sincerity and the Supernatural 16
4 Let the Bible Be What It Is 19
5 Bad Bible Interpretation Really Can Hurt People 23
6 Unyielding Literalism: You Reap What You Sow 27
7 Everything in the Bible Isn't about Jesus 32
8 Bible Reading and Bible Memorization Are Not Bible Study 35
9 Marxism and Biblical Theology Aren't Synonyms 39
10 How to (Mis)Interpret Prophecy 44
Part 2 Old Testament
11 Did Yahweh Father Cain? 49
12 All Your Genesis Commentaries Are 8-Track Tapes 52
13 What's in a Name? 56
14 Lost at Sea 59
15 The Slave before "Elohim" in Exodus 21:1-6 62
16 The Angel of Yahweh in the Old Testament 67
17 Salvation in Old Testament Israel 77
18 Where the Wild (Demonic) Things Are 81
19 The Secret Things Belong to the Lord 84
20 The Ongoing Battle of Jericho 87
21 Scripture's Sacred Trees 91
22 Boaz-the Lawbreaker? 94
23 Of Mice and Manhood 97
24 Samuel's Ghost and Saul's Judgment 100
25 The Politics of Marriage 103
26 Defeating Ancient Foes 106
27 Yahweh and His Asherah 108
28 Angels Aren't Perfect 113
29 From Intercessors to Advocate 116
30 Jurassic Bible? 119
31 Proverbs: The Wisdom of Egypt? 124
32 Heap Burning Coals on Their Heads 129
33 Denial of the Afterlife 132
34 Solomon's Bride or Jesus' Bride? 135
35 Gog of the Supernatural North 138
36 Filtering God 141
37 God of Fire and Storm 144
38 Zechariah's Divine Messiah 147
Part 3 New Testament
39 Mark's Use of Isaiah 153
40 Demons, Swine, and Cosmic Geography 157
41 Strange and Powerful Signs 160
42 Is Exorcism for Everyone? 163
43 The Word Was God 166
44 The Table of Nations and Acts 2 169
45 Paul's Missionary Goals 174
46 Divine Misdirection 178
47 Who is the God of This World? 181
48 New Testament Language of Spiritual Adoption and Sonship 185
49 The Lord, Who Is the Spirit 188
50 Paul, Puppies, and People with Tattoos 191
51 Watch Your Language! 194
52 No Longer Slaves 197
53 The Relationship of Baptism and Circumcision 200
54 Disarming the Powers of Darkness 204
55 Inspiration Was a Process, Not an Event 207
56 The Father of Lights 211
57 What Do Demons Believe about God? 214
58 Jesus, The Morning Star out of Jacob 218
59 Relying on Our Preconceptions 221
60 Jesus, Our Warrior 224
Abbreviations 229
Bibliography 231
Notes 235
Scripture Index 247