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CURRENTLY IN BOOKS
MB Bible scholar displays expertise in New Testament

Pierre Gilbert

Searching the Scriptures David Ewert. Winnipeg: Self published, 2001.

Every so often, we come across a passage of Scripture that leaves us wondering what in the world was the author trying to say. Unfortunately, we seldom take the time to research the issue, and life goes on.

For those who have questions but do not have the resources to answer them, renowned Mennonite Brethren biblical scholar David Ewert has recently published a book in which 77 New Testament problems are dealt with in concise and clear two-to-three-page responses.

Searching the Scriptures is a compilation of short articles that first appeared in the German-language periodical Die Mennonitische Rundschau, beginning in 1992; now Ewert has translated these articles into English. The questions appearing in the book cover a wide range of texts and provide insights on a variety of theological and pastoral issues. The following is a representation of the questions discussed by Ewert:

Why was Jesus baptized (Mark 1:9-11)? Why did Jesus go into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil (Mark 1:12,13)? According to Mark 4:12, it almost seems as if Jesus spoke in parables to hide the truth from His hearers. But surely, that cannot be so. Then how are we to understand this saying of our Lord? Why did Jesus curse the fig tree (Mark 11:12-14)? According to Luke 1:34, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a virgin when she conceived our Lord. How significant is it for us today to hold to the virgin birth of Christ? Jesus cast out demons (Luke 11:14-23). How should we view exorcism today? Why did the rich man, in the “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31), go to hell? What did Paul mean when he said that he had given the Corinthian who lived in incest over to Satan “for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 5:5)? The apostles frequently speak of the imminent return of Christ. In the last chapter of Revelation (22:7,20), the promise of Christ’s imminent return is given twice. What do we say to such promises after almost 2000 years of waiting?

Those who have heard Ewert speak or have read any of his works will not be disappointed by this latest book. The author’s answers display his expertise in the New Testament while remaining clear and accessible to lay people. I highly recommend this book for both personal enrichment and for use in Bible study groups and adult Sunday school classes.

Pierre Gilbert is associate professor of bible and theology at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg and Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary in Fresno, Calif.

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Last modified April 30, 2002.

© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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