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Meet our

faculty & Staff

David deSilva

941-626-9226

ddesilva@ashland.edu

David deSilva

David A. deSilva, Ph.D.

Trustees' Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek
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Dr. David A. deSilva, Ph.D. is Trustees’ Distinguished Professor of New Testament and Greek and an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. He is the author of over twenty-five books, including Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt (Kregel, 2015), The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude: What Earliest Christianity Learned from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Oxford, 2012), Seeing Things John’s Way: The Rhetoric of Revelation(Westminster John Knox, 2009), An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation (InterVarsity, 2004), Introducing the Apocrypha (Baker Academic, 2002), Honor, Patronage, Kinship & Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (InterVarsity, 2000), and Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-rhetorical Commentary on the Letter “to the Hebrews” (Eerdmans, 2000). He was involved in several major Bible translation projects, serving as the Apocrypha Editor for the Common English Bible and working on the revision of the Apocrypha for the English Standard Version. He has also created several video resources and Mobile Ed courses for Faithlife, including “The Apocrypha: Witness Between the Testaments” (BI 291), “The Cultural World of the New Testament” (NT 201), and “Interpreting the Epistle to the Hebrews” (NT TBA).

Dr. deSilva leads his students into challenging and rewarding topics, not just for the sake of learning but also for the sake of transformation. One of his many contributions to the Kingdom is his collection of published works. In particular, he is most proud of An Introduction to the New Testament, which has nurtured thousands of Christian workers in English, Arabic, Chinese, and Korean contexts even beyond the walls of Ashland Theological Seminary.

A landmark in Dr. deSilva’s spiritual life was the Gospel of Matthew, which he read in its entirety as a young boy. God used that reading to bring him into an encounter with Jesus. Dr. deSilva also cites the liturgy and hymnody of the Episcopal Church as very formative in his walk with Christ.

Dr. deSilva has a gift for music, having been an organist and choir director in the church setting since his undergraduate years. He’s even had some anthems and organ arrangements published. His favorite types of music are Renaissance and Baroque.

In addition to his musical interests, Dr. deSilva enjoys pulse-pounding movies, Indian food, and traveling to Sri Lanka and around the Mediterranean with his wife Donna Jean.

Academic Books

  • Judea Under Greek and Roman Rule (New York: Oxford University Press, 2024).
  • Ephesians (New Cambridge Bible Commentary; Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2022).
  • Discovering Revelation: Content, Interpretation, Reception (London: SPCK and Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2021).
  • Fourth Maccabees and the Promotion of the Jewish Philosophy: Rhetoric, Intertexture, and Reception (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2020).
  • The Letter to the Galatians (New International Commentary on the New Testament; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018).
  • Galatians (Baylor Handbooks on the Greek New Testament; Waco: Baylor University Press, 2014).
  • The Jewish Teachers of Jesus, James, and Jude: What Earliest Christianity Learned from the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2012).
  • The Letter to the Hebrews in Social-Scientific Perspective (Cascade Companions; Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2012).
  • Jude, in James and Jude, with John Painter (Paideia Commentaries; Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2012).
  • The Apocrypha (Core Biblical Studies; Nashville: Abingdon, 2012).
  • Global Readings: A Sri Lankan Commentary on the Letter to the Galatians (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2011). Sinhalese translation (Kohuwala, Sri Lanka: CTS Publishing, 2015).
  • Seeing Things John’s Way: The Rhetoric of the Book of Revelation (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).
  • Despising Shame: Honor Discourse and Community Maintenance in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Revised Edition) (Studia Biblica 21; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2008).
  • 4 Maccabees: Introduction and Commentary on the Greek Text of Codex Sinaiticus (LXX Commentary Series; Leiden: Brill, 2006).
  • An Introduction to the New Testament: Contexts, Methods & Ministry Formation (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004; 2nd ed., 2018). Chinese translation (Taiwan: Campus Evangelical Fellowship Press, 2013). Korean translation (Seoul: Christian Literature Crusade, 2013). Arabic translation (Beirut: Dar Manhal al Hayat, 2014). Vietnamese translation (Ho Chi Mihn City: Institute for Bible and Theology, 2019).
  • Introducing the Apocrypha: Message, Context, and Significance (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002; 2nd ed., 2018). Chinese translation, 2010.
  • New Testament Themes (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 2001).
  • Honor, Patronage, Kinship, and Purity: Unlocking New Testament Culture (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000). Published in Armenian as Պատիվ, հովանավորչությունը , ազգակցություն և մաքրության: Բացահայտելով նորկտակարանյան մշակույթը (Springfield, MO: Assemblies of God World Missions, 2016). Korean translation (Seoul: Holy Wave Plus Publishing, 2019). Chinese translation in process.
  • Perseverance in Gratitude: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000).
  • The Hope of Glory: Honor Discourse and the New Testament (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1999; repr. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2009). Published in Portuguese as A Esperança da Glória (Säo Paulo, Brazil: Paulinas, 2005).
  • 4 Maccabees (Guides to the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha; Sheffield: SAP, 1998).
  • Despising Shame: Honor Discourse and Community Maintenance in the Epistle to the Hebrews (Society of Biblical Literature Dissertation Series 152; Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1995).

Books for Ecclesiastical or Popular Audiences

  • The Christian Faith: An Annotated Catechism for the Global Methodist Church (Franklin, TN: Seedbed, 2024).
  • One Another: The New Testament Prescription for Transformation (Franklin, TN: Seedbed, 2021). With accompanying DVD containing eight session videos.
  • A Week in the Life of Ephesus (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2020).
  • Hebrews: Grace and Gratitude (Nashville: Abingdon, 2020). With accompanying DVD.
  • In Season and Out: Sermons for the Church Year (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019). Day of Atonement. A
  • Novel of the Maccabean Revolt (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2015).
  • Transformation: The Heart of Paul’s Gospel (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2014).
  • Unholy Allegiances: Heeding Revelation’s Warning (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2013). Published in slightly revised form, with an additional chapter, as Reading Revelation: From Ancient Asia Minor to
  • Modern South Asia (Kohuwala: Columbo Theological Seminary Publishing, 2017; Sinhalese translation, 2019; Tamil translation, in process).
  • Apocrypha (Immersion Bible Studies; Nashville: Abingdon, 2013).
  • Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation through the Book of Common Prayer (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2008).
  • Paul and the Macedonians (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2001).
  • Praying with John Wesley (Nashville, TN: Discipleship Resources, 2001).
  • Bearing Christ’s Reproach: The Challenge of Hebrews in an Honor Culture (N. Richland Hills, TX: Berkeley Institute for Biblical Archaeology and Literature Press, 1999).
  • The Credentials of An Apostle: Paul’s Gospel in 2 Corinthians 1 through 7 (N. Richland Hills, TX: Berkeley Institute for Biblical Archaeology and Literature Press, 1998).
  • Untold Stories of the Bible (co-authored with Dr. Victor Matthews; Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Ltd., 1998). Republished as Missing Stories of the Old Testament and Missing Stories of the New Testament (Lincolnwood, IL: Publications International Ltd., 2013).

Books in Press or Preparation

  • Archaeology and the World of Jesus and Archaeology and the Ministry of Paul (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, forthcoming in 2025).
  • The Revelation of John (NICNT; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, due in 2025).
  • Revelation (New Word Biblical Themes; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, due in 2026).
  • An Introduction to the Pseudepigrapha (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, due in 2028).
  • Hebrews (WBC; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, due in 2030).
  • 4 Maccabees (Hermeneia; Minneapolis: Fortress, due in 2032).

Selected Articles in Journals and Collections of Essays

  • “The Noble Contest: Honor, Shame, and the Rhetorical Strategy of 4 Maccabees,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 13 (1995) 31-57.
  • “The Wisdom of Ben Sira: Honor, Shame, and the Maintenance of the Values of a Minority Culture,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 58 (1996) 433-455.
  • “The Dead Sea Scrolls and Early Christianity,” Sewanee Theological Review 39 (1996) 285- 302.
  • “Fourth Ezra: Maintaining Jewish Cultural Values Through Apocalyptic Rhetoric,” in L. G. Bloomquist and Greg Carey, eds., Vision and Persuasion: Rhetorical Dimensions of Apocalyptic Discourse (St. Louis, MO: Chalice Press, 1999), 123-139.
  • “Why Did God Choose Abraham?” Bible Review 16.3 (June 2000) 16-21, 42-44.
  • “The Sinaiticus Text of 4 Maccabees,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 68 (2006) 47-62.
  • “Seven Papyrus Fragments of a Greek Manuscript of Exodus,” Vetus Testamentum 56 (2006) 143-70.
  • “The Perfection of ‘Love for Offspring’: Greek Representations of Maternal Affection and the Achievement of the Heroine of 4 Maccabees,” New Testament Studies 52 (2006) 251-268.
  • “Judith the Heroine? Lies, Seduction, and Murder in Cultural Perspective, Biblical Theology Bulletin 36 (2006) 55-61.
  • “‘And Not a Drop to Drink’: The Story of David’s Thirst in the Jewish Scriptures, Josephus, and 4 Maccabees,” Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha 16 (2006) 15- 40.
  • “Never Without a Witness: The Apocrypha and Spiritual Formation,” Ashland Theological Journal 38 (2006) 77-89.
  • “Five More Papyrus Fragments from a Greek Codex of Exodus,” Bulletin of the International Organization of Septuagint and Cognate Studies 40 (2007) 1-29.
  • “Using the Master’s Tools to Shore Up Our House: A Postcolonial Analysis of 4 Maccabees,” Journal of Biblical Literature 127.1 (2007) 99-127.
  • “Jesus and James in the School of Ben Sira: The impact of an extracanonical sage on the first founders of Christianity,” Theologie für die Praxis 33 (2007) 84-97.
  • “Jewish Martytology and the Death of Jesus,” in Gerbern Oegema and James H. Charlesworth, eds., The Pseudepigrapha and Christian Origins: Essays from the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas (London: T. & T. Clark, 2008), 51-67.
  • “‘An Example of How to Die Nobly for Religion’: The Influence of 4 Maccabees on Origen’s Exhortatio ad Martyrium,” Journal of Early Christian Studies 17 (2009) 337-355.
  • “Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha” in Christopher Matthews, ed., Oxford Bibliographies in Biblical Studies (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010; rev., 2015).
  • “The Human Ideal, the Problem of Evil, and Moral Responsibility in 4 Maccabees,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 23 (2013) 57-78.
  • “Jews in the Diaspora,” pp. 272-290 in Joel B. Green and Lee M. McDonald, eds. The World of the New Testament: Cultural, Social, and Historical Contexts (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2013).
  • “The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs as Witnesses to Pre-Christian Judaism: A Re Assessment,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 22 (2013) 21-68.
  • “The Hellenistic Period,” pp. 426-459 in Rick Hess and Bill Arnold, eds., Ancient Israel’s History: An Introduction to Issues and Sources (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2014).
  • “Ambrose’s Use of 4 Maccabees in De Jacob et Vita Beata: Some Correctives,” Journal of Early Christian Studies 22 (2014) 287-293.
  • “The Author of 4 Maccabees and Greek Paideia: Facets of the Formation of a Hellenistic Jewish Rhetor,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 26.4 (2016) 501-531.
  • “4 Maccabees,” forthcoming in Randall Chesnutt, ed., Blackwell Companion to the Old Testament Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell).
  • “The Apocrypha and the Earliest Christian Movement, Interpretation 72 (2018) 396-407.
  • “Biblical Theology and the Apocrypha,” forthcoming in Gerbern Oegema, ed., The Oxford Handbook of the Apocrypha (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press).
  • “Despising Shame: A Cultural-Anthropological Investigation of the Epistle to the Hebrews,” Journal of Biblical Literature 113 (1994) 459-481.
  • “Exchanging Favor for Wrath: Apostasy in Hebrews and Patron-Client Relations,” Journal of Biblical Literature 115 (1996) 91-116.
  • “The Epistle to the Hebrews in Social-Scientific Perspective,” Restoration Quarterly 36 (1994) 1-21.
  • “Hebrews 6:4-8: A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation,” Tyndale Bulletin 50 (1999) 33-57, 225- 235.
  • “Eschatology, Rest, and the Rhetorical Strategy of Hebrews,” Trinity Journal 21NS (2000) 25-43.
  • “The Invention and Argumentative Function of Priestly Discourse in the Epistle to the Hebrews,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 16 (2006) 295-323.
  • “How Greek Was the Author of ‘Hebrews’?” pp. 629-650 in Stanley Porter and Andrew Pitts (eds.), Christian Origins and Greco-Roman Culture. Early Christianity in Its Hellenistic Context. Volume 1 (Leiden: Brill, 2012).
  • “Rhetorical Argument and Artistry in Hebrews,” forthcoming in Mark D. Given, ed., The Oxford Handbook on New Testament Rhetoric (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press).
  • “The Social Setting of the Apocalypse of John: Conflicts Within, Fears Without,” Westminster Theological Journal 54 (1992) 273-302.
  • “The Revelation to John: A Case Study in Apocalyptic Propaganda and the Maintenance of Sectarian Identity,” Sociological Analysis (now Sociology of Religion) 53 (1992) 375-395.
  • “The Image of the Beast and the Christians in Asia Minor,” Trinity Journal 12NS (1991) 185-206.
  • “The Construction and Social Function of a Counter-Cosmos in the Revelation of John,” Forum 9:1-2 (1993) 47-61.
  • “Honor Discourse and the Rhetorical Strategy of the Apocalypse of John,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 71 (1998) 79-110.
  • “The Persuasive Strategy of the Apocalypse: A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation of Revelation 14:6-13,” Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers 37 (1998) 785-806.
  • “A Socio-Rhetorical Investigation of Revelation 14:6-13: A Call to Act Justly toward the Just and Judging God,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 9 (1999) 65-117.
  • “Final Topics: The Rhetorical Functions of Intertexture in Revelation 14:14— 16:21,” pp. 215-241 in D. F. Watson, ed., The Intertexture of Apocalyptic Discourse in the New Testament (Symposium Series; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2002).
  • “Toward a Socio-Rhetorical Taxonomy of Divine Intervention: Miracle Discourse in the Revelation to John,” in D. B. Gowler, L. G. Bloomquist, and D. F. Watson (eds.), Fabrics of Discourse: Essays in Honor of Vernon K. Robbins (Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press International, 2003), 303-316.
  • “The Revelation to John and the Practice of Christian Counseling,” Asbury Theological Journal, 60/1 (2006) 67-87.
  • “What Has Athens To Do with Patmos? Rhetorical Criticism of the Revelation of John (1980-2005),” Currents in Biblical Research 6.2 (2008) 256-289.
  • “X Marks the Spot? A Critique of the Use of Chiasm in Macro-Structural Analyses of Revelation to John,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 30 (2008) 343-371.
  • “The Strategic Arousal of Emotions in the Apocalypse of John: A Rhetorical-critical Investigation of the Oracles to the Seven Churches,” New Testament Studies 54 (2008) 90-114.
  • “Seeing Things John’s Way: Rhetography and Conceptual Blending in Revelation 14:6- 13,” Bulletin for Biblical Research 18 (2008) 271-298.
  • “The Strategic Arousal of Emotions in John’s Visions of Roman Imperialism: A Rhetorical-Critical Investigation of Revelation 4-22,” Neotestamentica 42 (2008) 1-34.
  • “Out of Our Minds? Appeals to Reason (Logos) in the Seven Oracles of Revelation 2-3,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 31 (2008) 123-155.
  • “On the Sidelines of the πίστις Χριστοῦ debate: The View from Revelation,” pp. 259-274 in Michael Bird and Preston Sprinkle (eds.), The Faith of Jesus Christ” Exegetical, Biblical, and Theological Studies (Carlisle: Paternoster and Peabody: Hendrickson, 2009).
  • “Reading Revelation in Sri Lanka,” Asia Journal of Theology 27 (2013) 21-37. “Rhetorical Features of the Book of Revelation,” in The Oxford Handbook of the Book of Revelation (ed. Craig Koester; New York: Oxford University Press, forthcoming).
  • “Testament of Levi and Revelation 4: Ascent to the Heavenly Throne,” pp. 52-58 in Ben C. Blackwell, John K. Goodrich, and Jason Maston, eds., Reading Revelation in Context: John’s Apocalypse and Second Temple Judaism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019).
  • “Measuring Penultimate Against Ultimate Reality: An Investigation of the Integrity and Argumentation of 2 Corinthians,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament 52 (1993) 41-70.
  • “Recasting the Moment of Decision: 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1 In Its Literary Context,” Andrews University Seminary Studies 31 (1993) 3-16.
  • “No Confidence in the Flesh: The Meaning and Function of Phil 3:2-21,” Trinity Journal 15NS (1994) 27-54.
  • “Meeting the Exigency of a Complex Rhetorical Situation: Paul’s Strategy in 2 Corinthians 1 through 7,” Andrews University Seminary Studies 34 (1996) 5-22.
  • “Worthy of His Kingdom: Honor Discourse and Social Engineering in 1 Thessalonians,” Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 64 (1996) 49-79.
  • “‘Let the One Who Claims Honor Establish that Claim in the Lord’: Honor Discourse in the Corinthian Correspondence,” Biblical Theology Bulletin 28 (1998) 61-74.
  • “Neither Tamil Nor Sinhalese: Reading Galatians with Sri Lankan Christians,” pp. 39-55 in Craig Keener and M. Daniel Carroll R. (eds.), Global Voices: Reading the Bible in the Majority World (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2013).
  • “Grace, the Law, and Justification in 4 Ezra and the Pauline Letters: A Dialogue,” JSNT 37 (2014) 25-49.
  • “Appeals to Logos, Ethos, and Pathos in Galatians 5.1-12: An Investigation of Paul’s Inventio,” pp. 246-64 in Stanley Porter and Brian Dyer, eds., Paul and Ancient Rhetoric (Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2015).
  • “Honor, Shame, and the Letters of Paul,” pp. 26-47 in J. Paul Sampley, ed., Paul in the Greco-Roman World. Volume 2 (2nd edition; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 2016).
  • “‘We Are Debtors’: Grace and Obligation in Paul and Seneca,” pp. 150-178 in Joseph Dodson and David Briones, eds., Paul and Seneca in Dialogue (Leiden: Brill, 2017).
  • “The Feast in the Text: The Sermons of Lancelot Andrewes,” Anglican Theological Review 76 (1994) 9-26.
  • “At the Threshold of Heaven: The Preaching of John Donne as Sacrament of the Word,” Anglican & Episcopal History, 43 (1994) 5-34.
  • “Investigating Honor Discourse: Guidelines from Classical Rhetoricians,” Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers 36 (1997) 491-525.
  • “1 Peter: Strategies for Counseling Individuals on the Way to a New Heritage,” Ashland Theological Journal 32 (2000) 33-52.
  • “Embodying the Word: Sociological Exegesis of the New Testament,” pp. 118-129 in S. McKnight and G. Osborne (eds.), The Face of New Testament Studies (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004).
  • “The Pattern for Preachers: Archbishop John Tillotson and the Reform of Ecclesiastical Oratory in the Seventeenth Century,” Anglican & Episcopal History 75 (2006) 368-400.
  • “Turning Shame into Honor: The Pastoral Strategy of 1 Peter,” pp. 159-186 in Robert Jewett, Wayne Alloway, Jr., and John G. Lacey (eds.), The Shame Factor: How Shame Shapes Society (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2010). Published with a new section (“Embodying 1 Peter Among Sri Lanka’s ‘Elect Resident Aliens’”) in Journal of the Colombo Theological Seminary 7 (2011) 21-56.
  • “Attentive to the Word: Biblical Scholarship and the Devotional Life,” Ashland Theological Journal 45 (2013) 29-52.
  • “Faith’s All-Star” (Hebrews 12:1-2) and “Advice to Christian Husbands” (1 Peter 3:7), pp. 129-130, 134-36 in Paul N. Jackson, ed., Devotions on the Greek New Testament, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2017).
  • “The Social and Geographical World of Pisidian Antioch,” “The Social and Geographical World of Rome,” “The Social and Geographical World of Roman Corinth,” “The Social and Geographical World of Ephesus,” “The Social and Geographical World of Smyrna,” “The Social and Geographical World of Pergamum,” and “The Social and Geographical World of Sardis” in Barry Beitzel, ed., Lexham Geographic Commentary on Acts through Revelation (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2019), 323-31, 430-49, 464-82, 537-53, 629-54, 665-73.

Contributions to Reference Works

  • “Galatians” in Kenneth Collins and Robert W. Wall, eds., Wesley One Volume Commentary (Nashville: Abingdon, 2020), 772-82.
  • “Apocrypha, ‘Old Testament’,” in Daniel Gurtner and Loren Stuckenbruck, eds., T. & T. Clark Encyclopedia of Second Temple Judaism. Volume 2 (London: T. & T. Clark, 2020), 43-45.
  • “4 Maccabees” in Katharine Dell and David Lincicum, eds., The New Oxford Commentary on the Bible (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, forthcoming). Introduction and Annotations to 4 Maccabees and Hebrews, New Oxford Annotated Bible, 5th edition (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2018), 1751-1773, 2147- 2164.
  • “Jason, 4. The High Priest,” cols. 783-84 in Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception. Volume 13 (edited by Dale C. Allison, Jr., et al.; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2016).
  • “Exodus, The. II. New Testament,” cols. 467-71 in Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception. Volume 8 (edited by Dale C. Allison, Jr., et al.; Berlin: de Gruyter, 2014).
  • “Revelation,” pp. 215-220 in Oxford Encyclopedia of Bible and Ethics. Volume 2 (gen. ed. Robert Brawley; New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014).
  • “Hebrews,” pp. 625-653 in Fortress Commentary on the Bible: New Testament (ed. Margaret Aymer, Cynthia Briggs Kittredge, and David A. Sanchez; Minneapolis: Fortress, 2014).
  • “Rhetorical Criticism,” pp. 273-283 in Oxford Encyclopedia of Biblical Interpretation (gen. ed. Stephen McKenzie; New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013). Introductions and Annotations to
  • “Wisdom of Ben Sira,” “2 Esdras,” “4 Maccabees,” and “Additions to Daniel,” in The Common English Bible Study Bible (ed. Joel B. Green; Nashville: Abingdon, 2013).
  • Introduction and Annotations to 4 Maccabees, Outside the Bible (3 vols.; ed. James Kugel, Lawrence Schiffman, and Emmanuel Tov; Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 2013), 2362-2398.
  • “The Apocrypha and the Old Testament Scriptures” and “The Apocrypha and the New Testament,” pp. 265-268 in Edward A. Engelbrecht (gen. ed.), The Apocrypha: Lutheran Study Edition with Notes. English Standard Version (St. Louis, MO: Concordia, 2012).
  • “Pseudepigrapha,” Oxford Encyclopedia of the Books of the Bible (ed. Michael Coogan; Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2011), 212-28.
  • “Apocrypha,” in Cambridge Dictionary of Judaism (ed. Judith Baskin; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011), 19-21.
  • “Circumcision” in Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (ed. Joel B. Green; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 139-40.
  • “Clean and Unclean in Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (ed. Joel B. Green; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 145-47.
  • “Deuterocanonicals/Apocrypha” in Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (ed. Joel B. Green; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 221-24.
  • “Hebrews” in Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (ed. Joel B. Green; Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2011), 360-61.
  • “Nations, Peoples, and Empires, Part II,” in Gordon D. Fee and Robert Hubbard (eds.), Eerdmans Companion to the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2011), 492-95. Introduction and Annotations to 4 Maccabees, New Oxford Annotated Bible, 4th edition (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2010) 359-380.
  • Introduction and Annotations to Hebrews, The Wesley Study Bible (ed. Joel Green and William Willimon; Nashville: Abingdon, 2008), 1483-1497.
  • “Honor and Shame,” in Tremper Longman and Peter Enns (eds.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom and Poetical Books (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2008), 287-300.
  • “Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha,” in Craig A. Evans (ed.), The Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus (NewYork and London: Routledge, 2008), 15-22.
  • “Martyr and Martyrdom in Jewish Late Antiquity,” in Craig A. Evans (ed.), The Encyclopedia of the Historical Jesus (New York and London: Routledge, 2008), 386-393.
  • “Maccabees, Fourth Book of” in Katherine Doob Sakenfeld (gen. ed.), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2008), 746-750.
  • “Social Scientific Criticism, NT” in Katherine Doob Sakenfeld (gen. ed.), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2009), 311.
  • “Hebrews, Epistle to the” in Katherine Doob Sakenfeld (gen. ed.), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Volume 2 (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2007), 779-786.
  • “Gratitude,” in Katherine Doob Sakenfeld (gen. ed.), The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Volume 2 (Nashville, TN: Abingdon, 2007), 662-663.
  • “Apocrypha/Deuterocanonicals,” in Katherine D. Sakenfeld (ed.), New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible. Volume 1 (Nashville: Abingdon, 2006), 195-200.
  • “Cultural Relationships in the World of the New Testament,” in Stanley Porter (ed.), Dictionary of Biblical Criticism and Interpretation (London: Routledge, 2006), 67-69.
  • “Hebrews,” “1 & 2 Peter,” and “Jude” in C. A. Evans (ed.), Bible Knowledge Background Commentary, vol. 3, pp. 199-256 and 289-340 (Elgin, IL: Cook Communications/ Chariot Victor Publishing, 2005).
  • Introductions and Notes on 1-4 Maccabees and 1-2 Esdras, pp.1405-1470, 1493-1611 in Richard Foster, Dallas Willard, Walter Brueggemann, and Eugene Peterson (eds.), The Renovaré Spiritual Formation Bible (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2005).
  • “Apocrypha,” pp. 53-57 in K. J. Vanhoozer (gen. ed.), Dictionary for Theological Interpretation of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2005).
  • “4 Maccabees,” pp. 888-901 in J. D. G. Dunn and J. W. Rogerson, eds., Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2003).
  • “Honor and Shame,” pp. 431-436 in D. W. Baker (ed.), Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002).
  • “Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha,” pp. 58-64 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000). Repr. in D. G. Reid, ed., Dictionary of the New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2004).
  • “Honor and Shame,” pp. 518-522 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “Patronage in the Greco-Roman World,” pp. 766-771 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000).
  • “Ruler Cult,” pp. 1026-1030 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove. IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “Sirach,” pp. 1116-1124 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “Testament of Moses,” pp. 1192-1199 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “3 and 4 Maccabees,” pp. 661-666 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of NewTestament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “Wisdom of Solomon,” pp. 1268-1276 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000).
  • “Writing and Literature — Jewish,” pp. 1289-1299 in C. A. Evans and S. Porter, eds., Dictionary of New Testament Backgrounds (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2000).
  • “Grace,” pp. 524-526 in D. N. Freedman, ed., Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000).
  • “Maccabees, Third and Fourth Books of,” pp. 839-841 in D. N. Freedman, ed., Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000).
  • “Exaltation, Enthronement,” pp. 359-63 in P. H. Davids and R. P. Martin, eds., Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1997).
  • “Heaven, New Heavens,” pp. 439-43 in P. H. Davids and R. P. Martin, eds., Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 1997).
  • “Repentance, Second Repentance,” pp. 1011-15 in P. H. Davids and R. P. Martin, eds.,
  • Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997).
  • “Visions, Ecstatic Experience,” pp. 1194-98 in the Dictionary of the Later New Testament and Its Developments (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1997).

Bible Translation and Editorial Work

  • Apocrypha Editor, The Common English Bible, Abingdon Press (2007-2011). Recruited translation teams for each book of the Apocrypha; edited their work after receiving reports from readability consultants and reading groups. Also served as first translator for Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, and 4 Maccabees; consulting translator for the Epistle to the Hebrews; and editor for Revelation. Published in The Common English Bible with the Apocrypha (Nashville: Abingdon, 2011).
  • Translator/Reviser, The Apocrypha: English Standard Version, Oxford University Press. Responsible for the translation/revision of Sirach 1-26, Letter of Jeremiah, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, 3 Maccabees, 2 Esdras, and 4 Maccabees. Published in The English Standard Version Bible with the Apocrypha (New York: Oxford University Press, 2009), pp. 1237-64, 1299-1301, 1378-1438. Further translated Tobit (following GII) for the Catholic Edition of the ESV (to replace the first ESV Tobit, which followed the GI recension, as did the RSV).
  • Contributing Editor, Lexham Septuagint Project, Logos Research Systems (2005-2007). Developed prospectus for project and guidelines for the work of contributors, and recruited scholars to work on each book.