Your weekly installment of things we’ve been reading around the web.
Book Review of the Week
The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption, Matt Chandler. Reviewed by Aaron Armstrong. “There are a dizzying number of marriage books available on the market—well over 150,000, in fact. And a few of them are even good. Clearly, we have a lot to talk about. With so many titles available, one has to wonder: what else is there to say? Can an author write a book on marriage that genuinely adds something of value? Thankfully, the answer is yes. And Matt Chandler’s latest, The Mingling of Souls: God’s Design for Love, Marriage, Sex, and Redemption, is a great example.”
Articles of the Week
A First-Century Fragment of Mark’s Gospel Emerges…So What? Justin Taylor. “How should we respond to something like this? I think it’s appropriate to be hopeful. As an evangelical, I believe the best historical evidence points to the New Testament gospels composed in the first century: Mark (mid- to late 50s), Matthew (50s or 60s), Luke (c. 58-60), John (mid- or late 80s or early 90s). If this discovery doesn’t pan out, it doesn’t affect our dating of the gospels because the dating of the autographs (the originals) is not dependent upon the dating of manuscripts (the copies). If it does pan out—especially if it can be dated with confidence to the 80s—it would be a major discovery, because the oldest of anything is always noteworthy.”
Four Solutions When No One Talks in Your Group, Michael Kelley. It doesn’t matter if you call them community groups or small groups or life groups or Sunday School groups. Sometimes it’s nearly impossible to get people to open their mouths and talk. Kelley gives four solutions, each of them simple, but sadly, hardly obvious.
How to Look Smarter, Sue Shellenbarger, Wall Street Journal. Nothing about how to be smarter? Well, in any case, this is interesting. Noteworthy how many of these habits seem to indicate not only intelligence, but sympathy and concern. In other words, act nice and people think you’re bright. Clever, indeed.
Five Simple Ways to Teach Your Kids Theology, Aaron Earls. Teaching kids should be an integral part of any graduate level program. If you can get a child to understand a complex thought (theological or otherwise), that proves you have a firmer handle on it more than most written tests. For parents, this isn’t an educational exercise; it’s a daily reality. And it’s usually a reality they feel ill equipped to tackle. Earls gives some pointers for those of us attempting to “teach God’s word diligently to our children” (Deut 6:7).
On The Lighter Side
“Shake It Off” as performed by a random Dover police officer. We’re by no means the first to point out this delightful little romp. But it brought such joy that we couldn’t help but share. Imagine that the police you see are doing this 50% of the time they drive around, and your days will be that much brighter.
Wisdom For Your Weekend is presented to you by Chris Pappalardo, with occasional guidance from J.D. Greear. This is our attempt to reflect Proverbs 9:9, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.”
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