Including Eerdmans Companion to the Bible as Study Bible in INFO Pane

[Daniel Francis]

I know we have Halley's Bible Handbook included in the INFO Pane under stud Bibles which lead me to wonder why EComB is not there as well....

 

a brief comparison of two sections to me shows they fall into ver similar categories...

 

 

1:19–34 The Witness of John the Baptist

 

In this Gospel, the primary importance of John the Baptist is his witness to the identity of Christ. When emissaries of “the Jews” (here the Pharisees; see v. 24) question John concerning his own identity, he first tells them who he is not — not the Messiah, a second Elijah, or the eschatological prophet anticipated by the Jews (cf. Mal. 4:5–6; throughout this Gospel, “the Jews” can refer to the religious authorities, the Pharisees, or the general populace — which included Jesus and the disciples). Rather, John claims identity as merely the prophesied “voice” whose testimony prepares the world for the arrival of the superior Word. On seeing Jesus, John acknowledges him as the “Lamb of God,” who will atone for the sins of the entire world. The title and image grow out of the Jewish sacrificial system, which prescribes the slaying of lambs and other animals to effect atonement from sin (cf. Leviticus 1). The Baptist’s identification of Jesus as the preexistent, divine redeemer of the world receives validation from John’s witnessing the visible descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus (cf. Luke 3:22). The Spirit’s remaining “upon” Jesus ensures his baptism of others “with” the Holy Spirit — a baptism superior to the water baptism of John.

“Bethany beyond the Jordan,” where John first carried out his ministry, names an unknown location in Perea (Transjordan, east of Judea), not the town outside Jerusalem where Jesus raised Lazarus and lodged prior to his passion.

 

Gordon D. Fee and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., eds. The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 585.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/Eerdmans_Companion#6994

 

 

 

John 1:19–34 John’s Testimony

 

After brief statements about the deity of Jesus and his pre-existence and incarnation, John’s Gospel, passing over Jesus’ birth, childhood, baptism, and temptation, starts with the testimony to the deity of Jesus given by John the Baptist to the investigating committee from the Sanhedrin.

This was at the close of the 40 days of Jesus’ temptation (Matthew 4:1–11). It is nowhere stated that Jesus returned from the temptation in the wilderness to the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The three Synoptic Gospels pass directly from the temptation to the Galilean ministry (Matthew 4:11–12; Mark 1:13–14; Luke 4:13–14). But the three successive phrases “the next day” (John 1:29, 35, 43), followed by “the third day” (2:1), on which he arrived in Galilee, make it evident that Jesus, before departing for Galilee, went back from the wilderness to the place where John was preaching.

The Prophet (v. 21) was a descriptive title of the Messiah and was generally understood as such by the people in Jesus’ day (6:14).

Note John’s profound humility in his devotion to Christ (1:27)—he did not consider himself worthy even to untie His shoe—a servant’s job. This is so noteworthy that it is recorded in all four Gospels (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16). What a powerful statement to the world if all Christians could exhibit the same humble adoration of the Lord!

Lamb of God (John 1:29), a descriptive title of Jesus used only here and in v. 36. John is foretelling that Jesus will be the sacrifice that atones for the sins of the world.

 

 

Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, Deluxe, Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), paragraph 7556.

https://accordance.bible/link/read/Halley’s_Handbook#7556

 

-dan

[Daniel Francis]

OPPS answered my own question. PLACING ECOMB in the Study Bible folder of the Library does indeed bring it up as a study Bible. Which is possibly something others may wish to do as well.

 

-dan

[Julia Falling]

Please tell me about Eerdman’s vs Halley’s - Do they have different emphases? Strengths? Weaknesses? How does the graphical content compare?

[Daniel Francis]

I will get back to you tomorrow about this, off the top of my head I would say E is far superior a bit more progressive but still on the conservative side of the evangelical spectrum. From memory the graphics in E are superior but like I said I will rather randomly pick three areas to compare to try to do a better comparison to answer you better as I am not as familiar with Halley as I should be (spent more time in the old 67 version than I ever have in the modern edition).

 

-dan

[sfarson]

Daniel... Thanks for the tip. Have moved Eerdman's Companion from the Biblical Studies folder to the Study Bible folder. Now will get much more use out of this resource. 

[Daniel Francis]

I jumped to Isaiah 7. Halley's (HH) was quite brief with fair amount of focus on Christ as the predicted in the famous 7:14 verse. In Eerdmans Companion (EC) you have a bit more expansive discussion in including this: God will not let Ahaz off so easily, however, and through Isaiah he provides an unsolicited sign, which will unfold over time: a “maiden” (the Hebrew word means merely a “young woman”; the Greek translation of the Old Testament, which Matthew quotes, indicates specifically a “virgin”) will bear a son and call him Immanuel (“God with us”). The name will signify both God’s initial protective presence with Judah and his eventual judgment of the southern kingdom (7:14). --Gordon D. Fee and Robert L. Hubbard Jr., eds. The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible. Accordance electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2012), 383. https://accordance.bible/link/read/Eerdmans_Companion#4896

 

After the discussion of Chapters 7/8 you have a few page Excursus on Nations, Peoples, and Empires  which includes two photos.

 

When I go to Acts 6 in EC I am immediately presented with a beautiful image of Herod the Great’s palace by the sea and amphitheater at Caesarea Maritima. An another Excursus on Paul's Cities presents me with a couple more photos (all theses I have mentions so far have been b/w, but the quality is good). 

 

Going to Revelation 1 both HH and EC have nice photos of Patmos but HH is in colour.

 

Lastly I thought of going back into the OT and went to Ruth 3, I am not on purpose seeking out passages with lots of extra information but was delighted to see in the EC a wonderful 3 page Excursus on Women in the Old Testament I was a bit shocked to find in HH that Ruth 2-4 is covered by 5 very brief paragraphs.

 

I hope this has been a little helpful. So in summery EC presents a more progressive evangelical viewpoint scholarship wise, and has lots of Excursus' often time with historical insight and photos. Most if not all photos and maps in the EC are b/w but the quality is good. I appreciate the articles and the insightful albeit brief commentary as well.

 

-dan

[Daniel Francis]

I thought I would also add in while all the articles are labeled as to who wrote them if you do not read the preface you may lose sight of a remarkable woman, who in my mind is the unsung hero of a contributor to this wonderful volume. To quote the preface: "Connie Gundry Tappy has provided with precision and clarity a wealth of information and practical interpretation in the Commentary."

 

Just wanted to include that as I remember years ago someone bemoaning the fact they didn't know who wrote the wonderful comments on x & y books, the information on authorship is findable just not as apparent as in some works.

 

-dan 

[markusvonkaenel]

Thanks for the explanations, Daniel. I was curious, was looking deeper in the offerings of Eerdmans. Bought another book of them and now hope of a good sale in the near future.

 

I'm just wondering, why the David Flusser books are missing? He was a great scholar and many Rabbis learned New Testament with him. So from a messianic perspective, an absolut must for Accordance.

Edited January 15, 2019 by markusvonkaenel

[Daniel Francis]

While Eerdmans in my mind has given us some of the best shorter works that are out there... Their one volume Dictionary and Commentary are without equal and their Companion is one of the finest handbook level products out there. That is not to mention all the wonderful more in-depth  academic works they offer as well.

 

-dan

[Daniel Francis]

Markus that is a good suggestion, we do of course have The Eerdmans Dictionary of Early Judaism, maybe we can get David’s works in the future.

 

-dan