Wrestling with Truth

In "Confronting Old Testament Controversies" Tremper Longman III uses his usual sound scholarship and insightful meditations as he wrestles alongside the reader, discussing and discovering the truth behind the Old Testament's presentation of Evolution, Sexuality, History, and Violence. As Longman approaches each of these topics, he does so with sensitivity, considering perspectives that are divergent from his own, but always arriving at a place that is consistent with the witness of Scripture. The section on Evolution/Creation allows the reader to discover the Ancient Near Eastern context in which the creation narratives were written. Presenting the theological narrative in light of the world in which it was written allows for deeper discovery of the purpose behind the creation narratives - that of glorifying God, declaring God as Creator. The section on history looks at archeological discoveries that seem to contradict Biblical testimony and intelligently provides argument for the historical reliability of Scripture. Longman again offers the reader insight into the point of the historical narratives - to declare God's grand plan and love for all peoples. As Longman explores violence (God as the warrior and God as wrathful) we discover that God truly presents as a warrior and this is consistent throughout the Old and New Testaments. This helps the reader to discover God's sovereignty, holiness, and desire to bring deliverance. Finally, in the most controversial section of the book, Longman discusses the current debate raging around homosexuality. He affirms a traditional interpretation of the passages, but then challenges the church to consider how we use (abuse) such passages, harming people whom Christ loves and desires to draw into His grace. Anyone wrestling with these important controversies would do right to read this text and wrestle along with Longman, discovering truth along the way.
This book was given to me as part of the Blogging Program with Baker Books.