Logos.com has published Strack-Billerbeck's Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and the Midrash (published in the 1920s) in German; it will bring out the English translation in November, 2021. For years I've said this should be translated! And despite its flaws it's still unequaled, and the price of $149 for the English-only version... Continue Reading →
My Four Decades in the Bible, Part IV, Conclusion
Chapter Seven – I teach in seminary I’ve now been a professor, teaching in English and then in Spanish, for over 30 years. The first seminary where I taught put us through a sort of Professor Boot Camp. Our academic dean stressed: “Your students will remember only a portion of the content you teach; they... Continue Reading →
Gary and Karen Shogren – Who we are, what we do
As missionaries in Costa Rica since 1998, Gary and Karen Shogren have been following the Great Commission in strategic ways. In San José they train energetic Latin American leaders who will lead the church and spread the Gospel into nations where Americans cannot easily go. Second, they provide ongoing theological education online for those far-flung... Continue Reading →
1 Corinthians commentary, available from Logos!
Announcement! The English version of my 1 Corinthians commentary is now available from Logos.com; it is fully integrated with the Logos system. Only $19.95. Or you can download a pdf version for free from this blog! (https://openoureyeslord.com/2012/05/21/free-commentary-on-1-corinthians-2/) What does agape mean? What are the spiritual gifts? Should women wear veils to church? Or remain absolutely... Continue Reading →
Jesus? Yeshua? Yahushua? Which is the ‘real’ pronunciation?
From my ministry in Central America, I understand how names change from language to language: the English form of my name “Gary Shogren” is difficult for the Spanish-speaker – the “a” and the “e” don’t have exact counterparts in Spanish; nor does “sh”. I say my name one way if I’m speaking English and another... Continue Reading →
Is Bible memorization a good use of our time?
I just wrote a post in which I gave advice to a younger Christian, and I urged him to memorize Scripture. A reader questions the value of Bible memorization compared with other Bible activities. He says: I would say focus on reading comprehension and understanding what you are reading and ask questions whenever possible -... Continue Reading →
I have been to Magog, and seen the grave of Gog
Link - How to calculate when Jesus will come - without even being a prophet! In my first days as a Christian, they filled me in that the Soviet Union was predicted in Ezekiel 38-39 and that Russia and the Warsaw Pact countries would attack Israel at any time. Hal Lindsey’s The Late Great Planet Earth... Continue Reading →
Text criticism in the not too distant future!
I have used Logos for 20 years now. And speaking of futuristic software, I'm a fan of science fiction and occasionally write stories for my own amusement. For those with lots of imagination, enjoy a short story about the future of Bible study! This should be considered "hard" science fiction, since all the texts and technology... Continue Reading →
How to write a commentary when your library is 2000 miles away
[I wrote this post at the very end of 2012. In 2021 we relocated to the States, since all of my teaching at Seminario ESEPA is now done online. A lot has changed since I wrote this, especially in the possibility of accessing older printed works online. And when I visit the Westminster Seminary library,... Continue Reading →
My four decades in the Bible – Part III
Chapter Five – I start to teach others For two years I had been taking in the Bible and growing in prayer and evangelism. I served a summer as a camp counselor at Camp Pine Ridge in Rumney, New Hampshire. The older counselors were students at Bible college, and they told me that the New... Continue Reading →