Jon C. Laansma

Christ the Gift and the Giver

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“With clarity and erudition, Enoch Okode convincingly explains how Paul’s Letter to the Romans creatively deploys the Roman social construct of royal benefaction to mark out the unexpected act of God in his Son which transforms his beneficiaries’ character and strengthens hope through adversity. Okode’s is a vital contribution on which future work can and must build.”

In Your Light We See Light

Theology

“charity and understanding to the broad assembly of illumined believers across the church. Beyond exegesis and retrieval, he proffers a Reformed dogmatic account of the economy of illumination. This is a work to be read more than once.”

One Bible, Many Versions

Biblical Studies & Commentaries

“The gospel was originally spoken to us in the historically conditioned forms of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek languages of antiquity, and the Lord commanded us to pass that gospel on to all nations until the end of the age. Faithful and reliable translations of those Scriptures are the essence of obedience to that commandment. And what a task it is! Translation is the responsibility of the entire church even if in particular ways it is the labor of specialized professionals. Ultimately the work of translating the Bible into English, to limit ourselves to this one language, requires knowledge across a range of fields, among which are translation theory, the original languages of Scripture, the English language, linguistics, exegesis and theology, and the history, aims and users of previous and existing English translations--not to mention a stance of faithfulness from within the life of that very gospel. It is to be expected that so great a task would strain our best minds, and it is understandable if it should occasion principled disagreement. For the non-specialist some of this disagreement is bound to breed uncertainty. Understanding and confidence are what we seek. What is therefore to be hoped is that a voice such as Dave Brunn's will be heard, combining as it does theoretical and practical knowledge with a spirit of charity, peace and faithful devotion. Among his credentials, Brunn spent two decades translating the Scriptures into a language outside the Indo-European family to which English belongs, affording him invaluable comparative perspective. To this he adds the graces of a gifted teacher: clarity, patience, humility and remarkable empathy for readers who have little or no experience in the languages and other challenges of translation. Easy-to-understand charts and illustrations abound. Moreover, his aims are not bound up with any particular translation but with the interests of the church and the gospel. Without presuming to have written the final word, Brunn has written a good book and modeled for us how to have a conversation.”