I have just returned from speaking at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society and visiting with friends (and buying books) at the meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. The ETS meeting was in Providence RI and the SBL in Boston.  In addition to reading a paper on the syntax and vocabulary in the “longer ending of Mark” (more on that later). My friend and colleague Buz McNutt also interviewed some prospects for our theology professor at Knox Seminary.

Here is a photo of me delivering my paper.

DrSamLam

Attending my paper was the great scholar, Dr. Bruce Waltke.  Dr. Waltke is one of the most respected reformed scholars in the country and I was thrilled, yet frightened to see him come walking into my presentation.  Here is a shot of Dr. Waltke speaking to me after the paper.  He is very, very kind and spoke well of my work despite my own feelings about the paper’s shortcomings.  Dr. Waltke is the gentleman with the glasses, facing me.

I always stay with one of my dear friends from my Ph.D. days in Chicago.  Here is a picture of my friend Fred and myself.  Fred is an assistant pastor at a church called “The Chapel” in the North Shore area of Chicago.

Of course one of the things that I did at both seminars was buy books.  Because the publishers know that selling theological books to professors may lead to that text being adopted as a required book and thus many more sales.  For this reason books are usually discounted by as much as 50%.  This, along with the fact that many new books are rolled out at this time and some even given away, leads to several heavy suitcases on the return trip.  Here are some photos of the books that I picked up.  You will notice books on Greek, theology, preaching, etc.

The paper that I wrote and delivered had to do with what is called the “longer ending of Mark.” If you look at Mark 16 in your Bible, you will note that may English versions will state that the verses that occur after 16:8 are not found in the “earliest and best manuscripts” as well as some notes stating that the vocabulary and syntax being “non-Markan.”

My paper argued that the statements about the vocabulary and syntax being “un-Markan” are overstated at best and simply wrong at worst.  I pointed out that there are many passages in Mark’s gospel with the same number or a higher number of unusual vocabulary.  In addition I pointed out that the stylistic problems that are sometimes used to argue against the authenticity of the passage are not that different from many other (non questioned) passages in Mark’s gospel.

I also had a great time visiting with my friend Scot McKnight.  His new book, The Blue Parakeet is a wonderful book about how to read the Bible.  I’ll blog about some of the great things in the book, as well as a few things that I strongly disagree with, but overall this is one of the best books for a non-scholar on how to read the Bible to come out in years.  I will try to write a review, along with providing a link to both Scot’s blog and to the book.

I’ll write more about the paper and the event later, but for those of you at Coral Ridge, at least you now know why I wasn’t there this Sunday and that I wasn’t just out fooling around.  I missed all of you and look forward to a Christmas series on “Why Jesus Came.” More about that in a day or so as well.

Blessings,