The new issue of Lifeway's Biblical Illustrator is out. BI is geared as an extra resource for Sunday School teachers but is appropriate for anyone who is interested in biblical history and backgrounds. Biblical Illustrator provides supplementary articles related to Lifeway's Sunday School curriculum including Bible Studies for Life, Explore the Bible, and MasterWork. Although some other passages are covered as well, most of the articles this quarter focus on the Gospel of John and 1 & 2 Peter.

Biblical Illustrator is a resource anyone can use, however --even those who are not directly involved in these studies. The magazine itself has about twenty new articles each quarter, but the real goldmine of information is found on the CD which will add another seventy or so articles from past issues. These articles are in Adobe PDF format with full color (in most cases) pictures from archaeological digs or landscapes from biblical sites. Although the CD comes with a Macromedia-based graphical interface for accessing the articles according to lesson date, I tend to copy all of the PDF's over to my hard drive and then sort them by book of the BIble. Carrying them around with me on my laptop gives me quick access to information if I am working on a lesson or sermon, regardless of the curriculum context in which they were originally written.



Spring 2007 New Articles:
"Village, Town or City" by G. Al Wright, Jr. (John 11:1-44)
"Peter's Eschatological Understanding" by Mark R. Dunn (1 Pet 4:7-19; 2 Pet 3:1-18)
"New Testament Canonization" by William Warren (2 Pet 3:1-18)
"Meekness: A Word Study" by Bill Patterson (Gal 5:13 - 6:5; Col 3:12-17)
"Joseph: Ruler in Egypt" by Harold R. Moseley (Gen 50:15-21)
"The Reality of Jesus' Resurrection" by Jerry Batson (Luke 24:1-49)
"With a Voice of Singing: Hymns in the Early Church" by Becky Lombard (Phil 2:5-11; Col 3:12-17).
"The Holy Mountain" by Lynn O. Traylor (2 Pet 1:12-21)
"Deserving of Death: Stoning in the Old Testament" by T. Van McClain (John 8:2-47)
"Cappadocia in the First Century" by Alan Ray Beuscher (1 Pet 1:1-12)
"All Your Conduct" by Terry Ellis (1 and 2 Peter)
"First Century Clothing" by Roberta Jones (1 Peter 3:1-12)
"First Century Teaching Practices" by Norma S. Hedin (John 8:2-47; 11:1-44; 13 - 19)
"Of Spices and Perfumes" by Argile A. Smith, Jr. (Jhn 18:1 - 19:42)
"Simon Peter: the Man and His Ministry" by Bobby Kelly (1 & 2 Peter)
"Signs in the Gospel of John" by Robert E. Jones (John 9:1-41; 11:1-44)
"The Role of a Steward" by Terry L. Wilder (1 Peter 4:7-19)
"The Pool of Siloam" by Stephen M. Ortiz (John 9:1-41)
"Peter's Use of Word Pictures" by Gregory T. Pouncy (1 & 2 Peter)
Book Review: George W.. Knight, The Illustrated Everyday Bible Companion. Reviewed by Jerry M. Windsor
ARTIfacts: "Gezer: A Sleeping Giant"
"From the Upper Room to Golgotha" --center spread (see above; John 13-19)

Articles from Previous Issues
"Where Jesus Ascended" by Lynn O. Traylor (Luke 24:1-53; Acts 1)
"The Riddle of Suffering" by Curtis Kent Horn, Jr (John 9:1-41)
"Raising Lazarus" by Bob Simmons (John 11:1-57)
"Describing the Enemy" by Lynn O. Traylor (John 10:1-42)
"Andrew: Just Peter's Brother?" by Steve Lemke (John 6:1-59)
"Passover in the First Century" by Robert Earl Jones (John 13; 14)
"Jesus' Last Week: Map and Chart"
"The Mount of Transfiguration" by Glen McCoy (Matt 17:1-13)
"Peter, Babylon, and Rome" by E. Randy Richards (1 Pet 1:1-12)
"Gnosticism" by Cecil Ray Taylor (1 John 3:1-5, 9-18)
"Faith Affirmed" by Timothy Trammell (1 John 5:1-12)
"Euodia and Syntyche" by Buelah Thigpen (Phil 4:2, 4-13, 16-19)
"The Life Situation and Purpose of 1 Peter" by Garland R. Young (1 Peter)
"Pilate's Power and Authority" by Sharon H. Gritz (Matt 28)
"The Background of Jesus' Covenant" by David E. Lanier (Matt 26:26-29)
"Peter's Messages" by Jerry N. Barlow (Acts 2; 3; 4; 5 10; 15)
"Women in Jesus' Ministry" by Julie Nall Knowles (Mark 15:40-41; John 20:1-18)
"First Century Women's Dress" by Mona Steward (1 Pet 3:1-12)
"Joseph and His Brothers" by Ken Cox, Jr. (Gen 50:15-21)
"Freedom and the Christian" by Larry McGraw (Matt 18:15-17; Gal 5:13-15; 6: 1-5)
"The Meaning of Violence" by Jerry McGraw (Gen 6:11-13; Ps 55:9-11; Jon 3:6-10; 1 Pet 3:9-12)
"God's Revelation in the Sinaitic Covenant" by Jerry W. Lee (Ps 99:9; Ex 19:1-12, 16, 18a; 1 Pet 1:13-16)
"Jesus and Peter--Peter's Use of Jesus' Teaching in His Letters" by Timothy Trammell (1 & 2 Peter)
"Sin, Iniquity, Transgression: What's the Difference" by John T. Bunn (Ps 51:1-2)
"Wine in the Roman World" by W. Murray Severance (1 Pet 4:3)
"Rome's Political System in the First Century" by Harold S. Songer (1 Pet 2:13-14)
"The New Testament Concept of Covenant" by Robert M. Shurden (1 Peter 2:9-10)
"Peter's Use of the Old Testament" by C. Alan Woodward (1 Peter)
"Aliens: A Study of Two Words" by James Wiles (1 Pet 1:1-12)
"Paul vs. Peter" by Mack Roark (Gal 2:1-21)
"A Christian Ethic of Business" by Paul N. Jackson (James 4:1-17)
"The Servant-Christ" by Bob Evans (Phil 2:1-13)
"Tetelestai" by Bennie R. Crockett Jr. (John 19:16-18, 28-30; 20:11-18)
"Jesus the Teacher" by Robert J. Dean (John 13:1-17)
"Jesus' Post-Resurrection Appearances" by Tony Tench (Luke 24:13-21a, 27, 30-35)
"Counselor: The Meaning" by Mark R. Dunn (John 14:15-31; 15:26-27; 16:5-15)
"Early Christian Eschatology" by Lynn Jones (1 Pet 4:7; 2 Pet 3:3)
"The Holy Spirit: A History of Interpretation" by Mikeal C. Parsons (Rom 5:5)
"Liberty" by Elmer L. Gray (Gal 5:13)
"The Early Church's Use of Messianic Passages" by Thomas D. Lea (Isa 53; Acts 28:23)
"Beams and Motes" by L. Milton Hankins (Matt 7:1-12)
"The Reality of Jesus' Resurrection" by Terry Ellis (Luke 23:24)
"Lazarus: All We Know" by D. Paul Smith (John 11:1)
"Pharisee!" by Dennis J. Horton (Luke 16:14; 18:10; John 9:40)
"Jesus' Use of Allegory" by Larry V. Crutchfield (John 10:9, 14)
"The Life of Simon Peter" by John Polhill (Luke 9:20)
"Judas Iscariot" All We Know" by Vernon O. Elmore (Luke 22:3; John 12:4)
"Hypocrite" by Elmer L. Gray (Matt 6:2)
"Herod Antipas: The Builder and Ruler" by Timothy N. Boyd (Luke 23:1-56)
"Slaves in First Century Israel" by R. Garland Young (John 15:1-17)
"A History of Footwashing" by Gary M. Poulton (John 13)
"Eyewitness Accounts in the New Testament" by Gary Hardin (2 Pet 1:12-21)
"The Counselor" by Bob Dean (John 14; 15; 16)
"The Spirit World in the First Century" by Paul N. Jackson (2 Pet 2:10b-11; col 2:18-19)
"Prayer: A Word Study" by Fred Howard (Ps 28:6-7; Col 4:2-4; 1 Thess 5:16-18; 1 Pet 5:6-7)
"Who Was the Adulterer?" by Rick Byargeon (Ex 20:14)
"Teachers in the First Century Church" by Bob Dean (Gal 6:1-10)
"Egyptian Culture in Joseph's Time" by Janice Meier (Gen 37:2-4, 26-28; 50:15-21)
"The Covenant with Israel" by Thomas J. Delaughter (Ex 19:4-6)
"The Meaning of Truth" by Terry Ellis (John 14:15-26; 16:5-15)
"The Meaning of Joy" by Kendell H. Easley (Phil 1:18 - 4:19)
"Idolatry in Colossians" by R. Garland Young (Col 3:1-17)
"Son of Man in John's Gospel" by Argile R. Smith, Jr. (John 1:19-51; 3; 5-6; 8-9; 12)
"Introducing John's Gospel" by Leslie Thomas Strong (John 1:1-18)
"The Feast of Dedication" by Elias Coye Still, III (John 10)
"Bethany" by William B. Tolar (John 11)
"Philip's and Peter's Missionary Work" (Acts 6:1 - 8:40)
"Peter's Miracles" by Charles W. Draper (Acts 3; 4; 5; 12)
"Controversy and Response" by C. Mack Roark (Acts 15:1-35)

The Biblical Illustrator Plus CD also contains an audio/video interview with SBTS professor, T. J. Betts regarding his recent participation in an archaeological dig in Hazor.



The cover of Biblical Illustrator contains the image above described internally as the "Traditional site of the Upper Room in Jerusalem, which was restored in the 14th century. The stone flooring is possibly, for the most part from the original flooring.

Subscriptions for Biblical Illustrator magazine ($24.95/4 issues) and Biblical Illustrator Plus CD ($34.35/4 discs) are available from the Lifeway website.

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