Between Babel and Beast
(America and Empires in Biblical Perspective)

The Glory of Kings: A Festschrift for James B. Jordan

Fyodor Dostoevsky
(Christian Encounters Series)

Athanasius
(Foundations of Theological Exegesis and Christian Spirituality)

The Four: A Survey of the Gospels

Defending Constantine: The Twilight of an Empire and the Dawn of Christendom

From Behind the Veil: The Epistles of John

Deep Exegesis:The Mystery of Reading Scripture

1 & 2 Kings
Brazos Theological Commentary

The Promise Of His Appearing: An Exposition Of Second Peter

A Great Mystery: Fourteen Wedding Sermons

Deep Comedy: Trinity, Tragedy, And Hope In Western Literature

Miniatures & Morals: The Christian Novels of Jane Austen

The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism

A Son To Me: An Exposition of 1 & 2 Samuel

From Silence to Song: The Davidic Liturgical Revolution

Ascent to Love: A Guide to Dante's Divine Comedy

Blessed Are the Hungry: Meditations on the Lord's Supper

A House For My Name: A Survey of the Old Testament

Heroes of the City of Man: A Christian Guide to Select Ancient Literature

Brightest Heaven of Invention: A Christian Guide To Six Shakespeare Plays

Wise Words: Family Stories That Bring the Proverbs to Life

The Kingdom and the Power: Rediscovering the Centrality of the Church
Perry Hall offers this intriguing analysis of the chiastic relationship between the prophecy of the servant (Isaiah 42) and the baptism of Jesus (Matthew 3):
A – “This is My Servant; I strengthen Him, this is My Chosen One; I delight in Him (Is.42:1a).
B – “I have put My Spirit on Him” (Is.42:1b).
C – “He will bring justice to the nations” (Is.42:1c).
C’ – “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Mt.3:15).
B’ – “The heavens suddenly opened for Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on Him (Mt.3:16).
A’ – “This is my beloved Son, I take delight in Him.” (Mt.3:17).
As Hall comments, this sheds particular light on the perennial crux of Matthew 3:15: “To fulfill all righteousness simply means to bring justice to the nations. The baptism of Jesus is not the only act of fulfilling all righteousness, it is simply the beginning (Isaiah 42:4).”
This is also posted at his web site: http://www.perrydox.com/
posted by Peter J. Leithart on Friday, June 22, 2012 at 8:46 am
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