How important is biblical creation for one's theology? Self-professed evangelicals increasingly say, “Very little.” A surprising number of theologians downplay its importance. Wayne Grudem, while agreeing that the biblical data favors young-earth creationism, argues...
In this episode of Theologically Driven, Dr. Dunham joins the conversation to explore his recent article published in the Spring 2025 edition of the Master's Seminary Journal. He presents a compelling case for the Abrahamic Covenant as the biblical foundation for...
Some time ago I took up the question of whether God intended ancient Israel to serve as a verbal witness proclaiming God’s salvation to the nations. In other words, did Israel have a “missionary mandate” in that she was commissioned directly by God to be a missionary...
The origins of the Septuagint (hereafter, LXX) remain murky despite the evidence of its wide dissemination in the Hellenistic world.[1] Clues to its existence begin to emerge as early as the mid-second century B.C. Historical details, however, concerning the identity,...
Intertextual links between Ecclesiastes and John have been noted by a few scholars but remain largely unexplored.((Dr. Dunham is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. Of Dr. Compton he writes, “With profound appreciation for his...
An often overlooked aspect of sermon preparation is time in the original languages. Phil Cecil talks with Kyle Dunham and Ryan Meyer about why the languages are important. They also discuss practical tips for keeping your Greek and Hebrew.
This week Phil Cecil talks with Dr Kyle Dunham (Associate Professor of Old Testament at DBTS) and Dr Ryan Meyer (Assistant Professor of Biblical Languages at DBTS) about the connection between Proverbs and the writings of Amenemope. Some think Solomon possibly...
One of the many interpretive challenges in Ecclesiastes revolves around the meaning of the closing poem in 12:1–7. Interpreters have often read the poem as an allegory of old age. There are a number of problems with this view, however, including inconsistency in the...
Recently in my work on the Ecclesiastes commentary, I came across the enigmatic proverb “Cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you may find it” (Eccl 11:1). This rather puzzling advice has given rise to no fewer than nine interpretations as to its...
We talked with Dr. Kyle Dunham about his most recent article in the Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal. You can download the article here: The House of Feasting and the House of Mourning: Ecclesiastes and John in Establishing Jesus as the Consummate Sage
We live in a post-secular age. Spirituality is on the rise but is often devoid of any Biblical principles. We talked with Dr Kyle Dunham about how Ecclesiastes reignites wonder towards God in a fallen world.
We talked with Dr Kyle Dunham about the message and theme of Zechariah.
Did Jesus talk about the rapture during his earthly ministry? The majority position in the pretribulational camp thinks that Jesus talked about being taken away to judgment in Matthew 24:36-41. However, some have made arguments to the contrary. They think that it is...
I’ve been teaching through the book of Hosea recently and have been struck by some fascinating parallels to modern American culture. Hosea prophesied in the northern kingdom of Israel around 755–710 B.C., during the final decades of its existence. The northern kingdom...
Ben Edwards discusses interpretations of Genesis 1 with Kyle Dunham.
Today we talked with Kyle Dunham about how to study through the Poetic books.
Ever wondered what Proverbs is all about? Listen in to a conversation with Phil Cecil and Kyle Dunham about the major themes of Proverbs and how the pastor can preach through them.
Ben Edwards talks with Dr. Kyle Dunham about the theology of the Psalms.
Ben Edwards talks with Kyle Dunham about his most recent DBSJ article.
Over the past few years, I’ve had the opportunity to study the Psalms for various academic projects. One of the areas of research has been the presence of wisdom elements in the Psalter. This study culminated in the recent publication of an article in Old Testament...
Studies of the creation account in Genesis 1 show no sign of abatement. A recent addition to the literature by Gregg Davidson and Kenneth Turner proposes a middle way between proponents of young-earth creationism and old-earth approaches (The Manifold Beauty of...
Ben Edwards talks to Kyle Dunham about the apologetical difficulties of the Canaanite War and answers to the problems.
Ben Edwards talks with Dr. Kyle Dunham about understanding and preaching the Old Testament Law.
In this episode Ben Edwards talks with Dr Dunham about the identity of the woman in Ecclesiastes 7 and controversy surrounding the passage.
Today we talk about how the Pentateuch sets the foundation for the rest of Scripture. As well, we address several problems that come up when studying the first five books of the Bible.
Despite many advances over the last century in archaeology and biblical backgrounds, together with a growing field of studies in biblical theology, consensus concerning ancient Israel’s perspective of the afterlife remains elusive. The view that conscious life...
We talked with Dr Dunham about how to study through the historical books and how to wrestle with some of the problems that may come up.
Recently, I came across a Reddit thread with a provocative title: “The Bible’s God-inspired book of Proverbs is plagiarized from the Egyptian Teachings of Amenemope.” The thread was of interest because I had recently finished working through the section that allegedly...
Introduction Interpreters of the Levitical cult have long speculated over the rationale for and difference between Israel’s sin offering and guilt offering. ((Dr. Dunham is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.)) In spite of the...
In what may be the most highly contested passage of Ecclesiastes, the writer Qohelet((Given that the author of Ecclesiastes does not identify himself outside the nom de plume Qohelet (Heb. קֹהֶלֶת), I will use this nomenclature to designate him. ((Dr. Dunham is...
Lately, as a result of three factors I’ve been thinking a fair bit about the potential role Joseph plays in biblical typology. First, I recently read Samuel Emadi’s new book From Prisoner to Prince: The Joseph Story in Biblical Theology. Emadi makes a good case for...
Writing after World War I, the British War and Air secretary Winston Churchill avouched his support for Zionism, a movement that afforded in his view a welcome counterpoise to the menace of communism: “Some people like the Jews and some do not; but no thoughtful man...
Ben Edwards and Kyle Dunham discuss Dr Dunham's recent article in JETS, Challenges to Intertextuality and Christotelism: A New Model of Canonical-Linguistic Priming. You can access the article here.
In an earlier post I began to explore the notion of a “missionary mandate” for Israel in the Old Testament. In this and the next post I look at the background for this idea, namely, God’s concern for the nations in the OT. This post reflects the perspective of the...
Zechariah 11 and the Eschatological Shepherds - DunhamDownload
Writing near the end of the 1950s, the renowned dispensational eschatologist and professor of Bible exposition, J. Dwight Pentecost (1915–2014), formulated the standard dispensational understanding of the afterlife in the Old Testament (OT). “[Sheol],” argued...
Yahweh War and Herem - DunhamDownload
Judgment & Salvation: A Rhetorical-Critical Reading of Noah’s Flood in Genesis, by Dustin G. Burlet. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2022. xxxv + 268 pp. $40.00. As a corollary to debates about the age of the earth, discussions about Noah’s...
The Book of Deuteronomy: Chapters 1–11, by Bill T. Arnold. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2022. xli + 660 pp. $60.00. Among the most theologically profound books of the Old Testament,...
The Manifold Beauty of Genesis One: A Multi-Layered Approach, by Gregg Davidson and Kenneth J. Turner. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2021. 210 pp. $22.99. Creation studies show no sign of abatement as interpretive disputes on the meaning of...
Discovering Dispensationalism: Tracing the Development of Dispensational Thought from the First to the Twenty-First Century, edited by Cory M. Marsh and James I. Fazio. El Cajon, CA: SCS Press, 2023. x + 386 pp. $29.95. ...
A Short History of Christian Zionism: From the Reformation to the Twenty-First Century, by Donald M. Lewis. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2021. x + 373 pp. $36.00. Writing a few years after the end of World War I, the British War and Air secretary Winston...
Daniel, by J. Paul Tanner. Evangelical Exegetical Commentary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham, 2020. xxii + 803 pp. $49.99. J. Paul Tanner has provided a noteworthy addition to the corpus of Daniel studies with his recent commentary in the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary...
Genesis, by Andrew E. Steinmann. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019. xxi + 474 pp. $28.00. As the first and foundational book of Scripture, Genesis casts a broad shadow on the biblical canon. In turn, the interpreter’s...
The Suffering Servant of the Lord: A Prophecy of Jesus Christ, by David J. MacLeod. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2018. xviii + 265 pp. $32.00. David MacLeod is Professor Emeritus of Bible and Theology at Emmaus Bible College in Dubuque, IA. In this second...
The Law and the Prophets: A Study in Old Testament Canon Formation, by Stephen B. Chapman. Updated edition. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2020. xviii + 412 pp. $55.00. Stephen Chapman is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School in Durham, NC. First...
Bloody, Brutal, and Barbaric? Wrestling with Troubling War Texts, by William J. Webb and Gordon K. Oeste. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2019. 397 pp. $45.00. William J. Webb is adjunct professor of biblical studies at Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, while Gordon K....
The Case for Biblical Archaeology: Uncovering the Historical Record of God’s Old Testament People, by John D. Currid. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R, 2020. xviii + 263 pp. $29.99. John Currid is Chancellor’s Professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary. His...
The doctrine of biblical creation is often viewed as incidental, if not detrimental, to the task of defending the Christian faith.((Dr. Dunham is the Associate Professor of Old Testament at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary.)) ((By biblical creation I mean the...