Sign and Shadow

About

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:38:43 -0400

I am the Academic Dean and Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington, D. C.. I previously served as the Associate Pastor of Christ the King Presbyterian Church in Conshohocken, PA (part of the Presbyterian Church in America) and also teach for Westminster Theological Seminary, PA.

Publications

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 25 Oct 2026 21:38:43 -0400

Blogs, Podcasts, and Online Resources
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“Theonomy and Eschatology,” Westminster Theological Seminary, March 7 2024.
Christianity and Liberalism: “Supernatural,” Westminster Theological Seminary, July 27 2023.
Additional articles and blog contributions available via Tabletalk, The Gospel Coalition, and The Christward Collective.

Select Sermons and Videos
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“Scoffers, Scoffing, and Scripture,” NAPARC Reformation Day Service at Wallace Presbyterian Church, Oct. 30 2023.
“The Gated Community,” Christ the King PCA, Conshohocken PA, Oct. 23 2022.
“Heaven is a Tent,” New Hope Presbyterian Church, Fairfax VA, Jan 9 2022.
Weekly contributor to The Faculty Podcast: iTunes, PocketCasts, Soundcloud.
Additional media including the commencement address “Shepherds are Sheep” and past sermons available from Christ the King PCA.

Academic Publications
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“Luke-Acts and Early Catholicism.” Issues in Luke-Acts. Edited by S. A. Adams and M. W. Pahl. Gorgias, 2012.
Articles in The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary and The Baker Illustrated Study Bible.
Dissertation: “Heaven is a Tent: The Tabernacle as an Eschatological Metaphor in the Epistle to the Hebrews," Westminster Theological Seminary, PA.

Academic Presentations
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Papers presented at annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (2011–2023), including topics on Cognitive Metaphor Theory, The Authority of the Septuagint, and Allegorical Interpretation.

Francis Turretin on AI

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Yes, I will admit that title is more-than-a-little click-baity, but I didn’t get dozens of readers by playing it safe. And also, I’m not here trying to chime in on the recent controversy provoked by TGC’s AI stance; though it was occasioned by it. Nevertheless, the controversy did help coalesce a variety of thoughts, and as it also happens I am doing some research on angels for my 2 Peter commentary (2:4), and so…blog post.

Sequels in the New Testament

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The Second Epistle of Peter is a sequel, and should be read as such.

The Death of the First Apostle

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 11 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

What does the church do after the death of the first Apostle? Nothing. It’s a surprising but informative reaction.

Why does he Tarry? The Patience of God and the Glory of Humanity

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000

The following is the (slightly modified) conclusion of a paper I recently delivered at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society entitled, “What is He Waiting For: Apocalyptic Delay in 2 Peter 3.”

Why did the NT authors seem to prefer the Greek translation of the OT? (Forthcoming Book)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I recently had the honor of contributing the “NT Perspective” to a forthcoming book, The Authority of the Septuagint: Biblical, Historical, and Theological Approaches, edited by my RTS colleagues Greg Lanier and Will Ross (and available here).

"All Things New," not "All New Things"

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 00:00:00 +0000

If you read 2 Peter 3:7, in which the world burns and the heavens melt, you may think that the end of the world is a kind of cosmic reset, but that’s not actually what’s going on. Like the Flood before it, the end that awaits the present world is not only judgment and destruction, but renewal and restoration. What does Jesus mean when he says he “will make all things new” (Rev. 21:5)? He does not mean that he will make all new things.

The Bible is Just so... Extra

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve finally finished Hurtado’s Destroyer of the Gods, which is an excellent historical argument for the uniqueness of Christianity within the Roman world. Highly recommended. One of the points he makes along the way is that Christian literature is unique. Christianity is not just unique religiously, but also literarily—it’s an unprecedentedly “bookish” religion. His point coordinates well with another book I’m working through, Andrew Judd’s Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies. Judd’s aim is for reader’s to better appreciate the way in which genre affects the way we read, and so if you want to understand how the Bible means what it means, you need to understand the kinds of literature represented in the Bible.

Why does it take Jesus two visits to accomplish his work?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 31 Jul 2025 00:00:00 +0000

On the cross Jesus said “it is finished” (John 19:30). If Jesus completed his work as the Messiah on the cross, then why does he need to come back to the earth? Why does Jesus come twice?

Did the Apostles Know they Were Writing Scripture?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 00:00:00 +0000

There is a well known and (for evangelicals) well-loved section of 2 Peter (probably the verse most people are actually familiar with) in which Peter describes Paul’s writing as “scripture” (2 Peter 3:15-16). The problem is that this is very strange. At best, it is rare for NT writers to refer to other portions of the NT as Scripture (1 Tim. 5:18 is debated). This has led many to conclude that this section of 2 Peter is so blatantly anachronistic that it cannot be written by Peter.

A Wizard is Never Late

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

God is often late. Or, at least, God is often later than we would otherwise expect. Peter puts it this way:

"The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ" is when, exactly?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 22 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0000

My pastor, mentor, and friend Eric Huber once told me this wonderful truth: “beginnings matter, and so do endings.” It’s one of those lines that chimes in my mind from time to time. It resonated recently as I was studying the Gospels.

Pentecost: A Conversation with Dick Gaffin and Nancy Guthrie

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I recently had the great privilege of joining Nancy Guthrie and my mentor and friend Dr. Dick Gaffin for a podcast about Pentecost. Pentecost is a surprisingly under-appreciated moment in the history of redemption. As Nancy points out, we in the protestant church make a big deal about Christmas and Easter, but rarely do we celebrate or even mention Pentecost on the church calendar. Ironically, Pentecost is the only one of those “holidays” mentioned in the NT!

"Born again to a living hope" (1 Peter 1:3-4) [Greek Geek Weekly]

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Episode 2 of Greek Geek Weekly is up!

Announcing a New Experiment: Greek Geek Weekly

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Ever wish you could read the Greek New Testament alongside a distinguished professor of NT? Well too bad, they’re not available. But I’ll do it!

5 Signs your Thesis is Bad (and how to fix it)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 11 May 2024 00:00:00 +0000

In honor of “paper-writing season” at universities and seminaries everywhere, I present to you a brief list of Bad Theses. But despair not; if your thesis falls under one of these categories, there’s (usually) an easy fix. For our purposes, I’ll be focusing on classic exegetical and theological examples, but of course you see these in any discipline.

He Gave Us Fiction

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Should Christians read, and be shaped by, fiction? Yes, yes they should. (( The title of this post was inspired by Pratt’s excellent He Gave Us Stories. ))

Is the NT Reliable? Part 5: The "Hard" Problem

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What follows is a continuation of a talk I gave at RTS Washington’s Sed Contra series. The series of is intended to be a casual space for conversation about difficult or controversial topics. Since I decided to write up my presentation “conference style,” I thought I’d chop it up into bits and post it on the blog. Here’s the final installment (and links for the other parts should appear above).

Is the NT Reliable? Part 4: Historiography

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What follows is a continuation of a talk I gave at RTS Washington’s Sed Contra series. The series of is intended to be a casual space for conversation about difficult or controversial topics. Since I decided to write up my presentation “conference style,” I thought I’d chop it up into bits and post it on the blog. Here’s part 4 (and links for the other parts should appear above).

Is the NT Reliable? Part 3: Theology

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 00:00:00 +0000

What follows is a continuation of a talk I gave at RTS Washington’s Sed Contra series. The series of is intended to be a casual space for conversation about difficult or controversial topics. Since I decided to write up my presentation “conference style,” I thought I’d chop it up into bits and post it on the blog. Here’s part 3 (and links for the other parts should appear above).

Is the NT Reliable? Part 2: The Text of the New Testament

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 27 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Let us embark, then, on the easy problem. There are four reasons typically put forward to discount the reliability of the NT. Under scrutiny we should consider the text itself, the theology represented in that text, and the historical accuracy of the events the text records. I’ll take each of these in turn. In this post we’ll deal with the New Testament Text.

Is the NT Reliable? Part 1: Reliable for What?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 00:00:00 +0000

I was recently invited to speak at RTS Washington’s Sed Contra series of talks. The series of talks is intended to be a casual space for conversation about difficult or controversial topics. Since I decided to write up my presentation “conference style,” I thought I’d chop it up into bits and post it on the blog. Here’s part 1.

A Brief History of Time (According to 2 Peter)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 24 Jan 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Physics investigates, among other things, what we might call “the laws of the universe,” and I’m all in. I love all the books and videos targeting the amateur physicist (some favorites include: Minute Physics, Sci Show (not just physics), PBS Space Time, Kurzgesagt, and Sixty Symbols). And yet, one of the things that language like “the laws of physics” implies is a kind of absolute materialist detachment. The laws of the universe are what they are because they are. This is actually one of the big unanswered problems in physics: how did the laws of the universe get to be what they are? Does Planck’s constant equal 6.62607015×10−34 J⋅Hz−1 because it has to be that number, or are there other values that may exist in other possible universes, or did some cosmic being turn a dial somewhere to set it at that number?

Cognitive Metaphor Theory is True, but is it Useful?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 00:00:00 +0000

What follows is the draft script of a paper I presented at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in San Antonio on November 14th 2023.

Sola Scriptura. Also, God is Love

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I was recently given the privilege of preaching at Wallace Presbyterian’s annual Reformation Day service, and I was much encouraged. It was a great gathering of NAPARC churches in the DMV area, and the comradery, cheer, and adoration expressed in the service testified to the enduring spirit of unity and zeal of the reformation among our churches.

Confessionalism Promotes Academic Integrity

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

The WordPress “Headline Analyzer” algorithm has determined that my title is not all that provocative or interesting, scoring a mere 22/100. When I re-titled it “top ten reasons why confessional institutions are better than the ‘free academy’” it scored 84/100; however, because I’m a responsible academician and refuse to cave to click-bate, I’m sticking with the original and more boring (and accurate) title.

Is being biblical and confessional an academic liability?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

I teach at an academic institution (Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington DC, but that’s not the point of this post, and all opinions are my own) that prides itself on being both confessional and biblical, and while those two predicates may be popular in certain circles, they are more and more seen as an academic liability. I’m guessing that if I were to go out on the streets and take a poll of what people are looking for in seminary graduate education that neither “biblical” nor “confessional” would make the top 10. I’ll go even further: narrowing the field to Christians with a high view of Scripture, I might still be hard pressed to find biblical and confessional at the top of the list. Maybe biblical, almost definitely not confessional

The Law was Added: A Paraphrase of Galatians 3:15-29

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 12 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

When working through a text I often find it is helpful to write out an extended paraphrase–which is not the same as a translation–of the passage in question. Doing this forces you to answer those “second order” exegetical questions that don’t necessarily show up in the translation. It forces you to express the meaning of the text in (roughly) the order, cadence, tone, and language of the text. It takes a ton of time, but I always find that it is worth it, especially when there are a lot of little problems to solve and miscellaneous questions to answer.

Don't Lose the Languages

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As a teacher of Greek the question I get asked most is definitely: “how do I keep my Greek?” I have to restrain myself from rolling my eyes at this point because the answer is so simple, and because the person asking the question already knows the answer. There’s only one way to do it. There’s no shortcut, no trick, no special preservative. You can’t wrap up the languages in shrink wrap and stick them in the refrigerator.

Paul was not a Theologian

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 26 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0000

Here’s my claim: “Paul was not a theologian.” Click bait? Absolutely, but hear me out. Typical readings of Paul orient themselves (either consciously or sub-consciously) around the claim that Paul is something like “the greatest theologian in church history.” I don’t necessarily disagree with that claim (though if there’s going to be a competition, I’d like to put forward the author of Hebrews). The problem is I don’t think it’s very useful. Approaching Paul as a kind of “master theologian” begins in the wrong spot. He is a master theologian, but theological meditation is neither what motivates his writing or animates his ministry. Paul was not a theologian, he was a pastor. Paul’s theological endeavors are secondary to his pastoral purpose; he uses theology to address and resolve pastoral problems.

Only John Witnessed the Ascension Twice

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 14 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0000

As far as I can tell, there’s only one apostle that had the privilege of seeing the ascension twice, at two different times in his life, and from two different points of view: John, the “disciple that Jesus loved” (John 21:7).

Why is there no verb in Ephesians 3:1?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 24 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This series features “real questions” from students and emails, lightly edited to protect the innocent. In this case double spaces between sentences were removed from the original question because you only need one space between sentences people! (Seriously though, this was a great question).

Does Christmas Really Matter?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The first Christmas changed everything forever. ((This post is adapted from a devotional I wrote for my church, McLean Presbyterian.)) And let’s be clear about what that means. Christmas is not an idea, not an emotion or an attitude or an ethos or symbol. Christmas isn’t a metaphor; it’s an event. It’s a fact of history. It really happened, and when it happened everything changed. The King of Kings is born!

From Paper to Pulpit

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Returning to our “real questions” series, this particular issue deserves a full post, but for now, some initial reflections.

The Beginning of Things tells you Stuff: Determining Genre

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 02 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In the previous two posts of this series argued that one of the reasons we have trouble understanding the Bible is because we do not read it in the ordinary way that books are to be read. ((This article original appeared on the Christward Collective.)) We assume that because the Bible is the Word of God (which it most definitely is), and because it is therefore inspired and inerrant, that it must consequently “break the rules” of ordinary human communication. I argued, by contrast, that the miracle of the Bible is that it speaks to us about extra-ordinary things (and with extra-ordinary accuracy) in a nevertheless ordinary way. We concluded, then, that one should read any biblical book, be it a letter or a narrative or a history or a compendium of wisdom or a doctrinal treatise, in the same way that you would read any other book of that type. Read any biblical discourse as if it were a particularly exemplary instance of other similar kinds of discourse, even though the ultimate author of this discourse is the One True God.

Another way to Read the Lord's Prayer

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 16 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

The Lord’s Prayer isn’t just a timeless prayer; it’s also a timely one.

The Problem with Reading the Bible Verse-by-Verse

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In a previous post we established that good Bible reading requires us read the Bible as God speaking to us in a manner that we can naturally understand. But how do we actually do that? ((Note: a version of this article was originally published on Christward Collective.))

I will Tell you a Mystery: Translating μυστήριον

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 03 Nov 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A student recently posed an interesting translation curiosity. I’d be interested to hear from others about this one!

The Gated Community: Heaven's Open Gates

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I had the opportunity to preach at my former church last week, Christ the King Presbyterian in Conshohocken PA. The sermon was a look at the way the idea of “Gates” develops from Psalm 24 through Matthew 16:13-28 and concluding in Rev. 21:9-27. You can listen to it here or directly below.

The Bible isn't Just Extraordinary, It's Also Ordinary

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Sitting down to read the Bible isn’t enough. We need to learn how to read it well; and, reading it well is actually more difficult than one might think. Many of us want to grow in our relationship with God, in our knowledge of what he has taught, and in our spiritual lives, and we know that reading the Bible is central to that goal, but we often find our bible reading frustratingly fruitless. What am I supposed to be getting from this text? How does it teach me about Jesus? How does it help me to grow?

Let the Text Question You: Exegesis is Application

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 20 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I must confess that I don’t want to write this post. I sat down this morning to see what was next in the queue for the old blog, saw that it was “use the text to probe your own heart and mind,” and then immediately thought “yeah, I don’t want to do that.” I don’t want to write the post, to be sure, but the real issue is I don’t want to read the Bible in a probative, corrective, meditative, introspective, and convicting way.

How to Write a Seminary Paper, Part 4: Research as Conversation

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

You’ve got a thesis (or hypothesis), which is the most important thing. You’ve also started your research. Then it all gets a bit overwhelming. There’s so much to read, so many issues to discuss, and it often feels like you’ve got so little to contribute. Once you start to your research you realize that the issue isn’t “where to begin?” but rather “when will it all end?”

Seeing New Things in Old Texts: More Tips for Exegetical Inquiry

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

In the previous post I argued that one of the most important skills you can develop as an exegete is asking good questions of the text. Give yourself the challenge of coming up with as many questions as you can regarding a paragraph or so of Scripture. It’s actually pretty difficult! It requires practice and skill, just like anything else in life. How do you cultivate exegetical inquisitiveness? What are some ways to ask more questions of the text?

Exegetical Inquiry: The Question is more important than the Answer

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re trying to do rigorous exegesis of the Bible, but don’t know Hebrew or Greek, you may feel a bit handicapped. After all, students of the languages will regularly testify that they have transformed their ability to interpret Scripture. “They help me read the Bible more closely.” “I now see details in Scripture that I never noticed before.” “The Bible in English is black and white, while the Greek and Hebrew are technicolor.” Or to update that metaphor: “reading the Bible in one’s native tongue is oh so 480p; the Greek and the Hebrews is 8K HDR w/ Atmos Surround.”

Should I be more "literal" or more "readable" when translating the Bible?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

This series features “real questions” from students and emails, lightly edited to protect the innocent. Welcome to “episode 2.”

Everything I need to Know about Revelation I Learned in the First Eight Verses

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 21 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

There’s a saying I’m kinda fond of, though it’s not very sophisticated: “the beginning of things tells you stuff.” The idea is that writers tend to show their readers how to engage with and appropriate their work within the opening lines of their work. I’ve written about that elsewhere, and it’s true for most works, both ancient and modern, but it’s especially true of Revelation.

The Gated Community: A Biblical Theology of Gates

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 15 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

I recently had the privilege of writing about “Gates” over at TableTalk. Here’s an excerpt:

When to use the original languages. Part 3: The Point you are Making Must Be Sufficiently Important

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 12 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Three things must be true before you drop your knowledge of the original Hebrew or Greek in a sermon or paper or Bible Study. First, the knowledge must, in fact, be “your knowledge,” ie., you actually know the languages. Second, there should be no other way in which you can make the point you are trying to make, and there probably is and it’s probably a better way.

Save Time: Stop Doing Word Studies

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 06 Sep 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Word studies are a favorite tool of Biblical exegetes, but usually aren’t worth the time. Why not? Because either (1) the work has already been done for you, or (2) what you are trying to “find” can’t be found using a word study.

Real Questions: What does "the" mean?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 12 Aug 2022 00:00:00 +0000

Today marks the beginning of a new series on this blog: “real questions.” The more I teach and study the more I’m convinced that there’s nothing like a good question when it comes to advancing the body of human knowledge. A good question benefits both the asker and the asked! The asker (hopefully) gets an answer that assists and clarifies; the asked has the opportunity to reflect, refine, and reconsider. It’s a win win.

Why the NLT is Good, actually

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0000

It’s common in certain circles to hate on the New Living Translation. That hate is undeserved. I posted about that recently, promising to say more if the tweet got 500 likes, which it did.

Four Ways to Preach Jesus from James

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

So let’s return then to our original question: what should I do with this imperative heavy book? How do I read something so targeted towards my behavior? How, to put it succinctly, do I see Christ and the gospel in James, which seems on the surface far more focused on ethics than it is on Jesus?

The Working Wisdom of James

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 02 Nov 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Many of the literary features particular to James, such as the imperatival tone, the prophetic imagery, the use of metaphor and illustrative parable, and the tendency towards aphorism, far from being problems to be solved, are in fact guideposts for modern readers to better appropriate and appreciate this book. They are indicators of the literary character and genre of the book. What type of book is the “Epistle of James” and why might that help us?

Reading James: The Challenge

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 00:00:00 +0000

“I’m really struggling to preach about Jesus from the book of James.”

When to Use Your Language Knowledge, Part 2: Only if it's Absolutely Necessary (and it probably isn't)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 00:00:00 +0000

When is it appropriate to use the original languages of the Bible to prove or establish or accent a point you are trying to make? I have been arguing that three conditions must be true before you pummel your conversant with your knowledge of the Hebrew, Greek, or Aramaic text. First, you need to actually know the languages. The second condition, and here we turn to the subject of the present post: there must be no other possible way to make to point you intend to make.

The Best Translation to use for (Public) Exegesis

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 22 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

If you’re just joining us, we’ve been discussing how to do rigorous exegesis if you don’t know the original languages. In the previous post I argued that first you should “pick an English (or respective native-language) translation” and trust it, while appreciating its limits.

Just Not Good Business

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 17 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0000

I recently had the opportunity to contribute to Tabletalk Magazine for their issue on “The Parables of Jesus.” Most of Jesus’ parables are relatively lengthy and complex, but I was given the two shortest, for which I was very grateful (and not just because of the 900 word limit). There’s something very powerful about the compact metaphor. They’re sticky. And they provoke our curiosity.

How do I do good exegesis if I don't know Hebrew or Greek? (Part 1)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 11 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s say that you want to do some serious exegetical work on a passage of Scripture–perhaps you need to write an exegetical paper, or you’re running this week’s Bible Study, or counseling a client through a trauma, or answering your friend’s very specific and theological questions in a coffee shop–but you don’t know the original languages and therefore feel some lack of confidence when it comes to explaining what the biblical text really means.

Announcing a New Podcast!

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 01 Apr 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Join the faculty of Reformed Theological Seminary in Washington DC (Drs. Peter Lee, Thomas Keene, Scott Redd, and Paul Jeon) as we discuss weekly news, relevant issues, and all matters Biblical and theological.

All Prayer is Corporate Prayer

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 00:00:00 +0000

In these times of social distancing I hate to begin a blog post (my first after such a long delay!) with the now cliche opener “in these times of social distancing,” but, well, when the shoe fits… So, without further ado:

The Seven Letters in Revelation are Sermons on the Rest of the Book

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 00:00:00 +0000

(Note: you can find a simplified version of this article here).

When to use the original languages. Part 1: Only if you know them!

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 31 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0000

So you think that the person you’re talking to (or preaching at) needs to fully appreciate what the Greek or Hebrew really says? I recently tweeted out the following conditions that must be true before you answer that question affirmatively:

How to Write a Seminary Paper: Part 3. The Argument

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 07 Apr 2018 00:00:00 +0000

In our first post we looked at what makes a good thesis. In our second post we applied those insights to paper research. Now we turn to a third point: using your research to persuade your audience that your thesis is true, otherwise known as your argument. Finally we get to talk about actually writing your paper.

Witsius: We not only pray TO God, but FOR Him

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 24 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

The first petition of the Lord’s pray calls upon God to “hallow” his own name, which is remarkable for at least three reasons. Witsius argues that this is remarkable for three reasons:

How to Write a Seminary Paper: Part 2, Researching (And Perfecting) Your Thesis

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In our first post we looked at the most important aspect of a good seminary paper: the thesis. But the thesis is actually only one leg of a three legged school. A good seminary paper (or any paper, sermon, public speech, or argument, for that matter) contains three components: (1) a good question, (2) a good answer, and (3) a good argument.

Pray in the Plural

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 18 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I am really appreciating Witsius on the Lord’s Prayer (which is what I am currently preaching through at CTK). His insights are striking and perspective-changing, and his analysis is exhaustive.

How to Write a Seminary Paper: Part 1, The Thesis

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of year again. No, not Halloween. Not Thanksgiving. Those are just warning signs of the impending doom that awaits. The impending doom, of course, is the end of the semester at seminary. That’s right. Your semester paper is almost due!

New Blog Name and Address: Sign and Shadow

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Well, I’m sad to say it, but given the feedback I’ve received probably no one else will be: unfinalizable.com is now signandshadow.com.

David Garland's Mark Commentary is Free This Month

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 07 Sep 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Garland’s NICAC commentary on Mark is excellent, and you can get it free this month from Logos! We just went through Mark at our church, and this was a very helpful resource. Details here: Free This Month: NIV Application Commentary Mark | LogosTalk

Thank you Logos... This is Great

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Get the Free Version of Logos, Just for Scholars https://blog.logos.com/2017/08/get-free-version-logos-just-scholars/

"Thing" is now a Thing: What do recent changes to the English dictionary tells us about the meaning of Biblical words?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 01 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I’m just settling back into normal life after a week teaching “Advanced Biblical Exegesis” at RTS in Washington DC, and sure enough, just hours after I said said the sentence “it is actually good and necessary for the Oxford English Dictionary to release regular updates to its prestigious repository of words and their meanings,” the OED released just such an update. What is more, the actual update provides an interesting and helpful illustration of how words work, and how the way words work helps us interpret Biblical words. Have you ever looked at a translation and wondered “what does that word really mean?” If you have, you’re probably asking the wrong question.

Read this before Teaching Revelation (or other Apocalyptic texts)

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Interpreting, preaching, and teaching through books like Revelation, Zechariah, Ezekiel, and the latter half of Daniel can be a bit intimidating. There are some great technical resources out there for better understanding these apocalyptic texts (pride of place goes to Collins, The Apocalyptic Imagination), but most of these are pretty technical.

Why is the OT Sacrificial System so Bloody?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Modern readers can feel a little bit of reasonable queasiness when reading through the Torah–particularly the bits about the sacrificial system. It’s all so bloody! The NT book of Hebrews seems to sympathize a bit:

The Deer is Dehydrated

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite psalms is Psalm 42. It’s on many people’s top 10s, so I’m not special in this regard. It famously opens:

What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the OT?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 25 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

This week I’m preaching on Hebrews 8, which describes the betterness of the New Covenant using Jeremiah 31. The passage raises the question: if the NT is so much better because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, by which God implants the word upon our hearts, what was the role of the Spirit in the Old Covenant?

Like a Mother Hen

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 24 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I recently preached on John 19:23-27 at Christ the King. That’s the passage where Jesus gives his mother into the care of the beloved disciple. It was a privilege to consider a “mother’s comfort” on Mother’s Day (especially as one who was blessed to receive such comfort growing up). Here it is, for those interested.

Words that Lost their Pop

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 19 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

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http://brandonvogt.com/bible-in-word-clouds/

Get a Free Version of Logos

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 13 May 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Tim Challies has some great advice regarding Logos software here. If you are wondering when to buy books and resources from Logos, check out my analysis here.

An Anchor for the Soul

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Hebrews is written to provide Christians with a well-founded confidence. Here’s 6:19:

Pilgrims without a Pilgrimage

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It’s no accident that we sometimes call the Christian Life a “pilgrimage.” It’s a common metaphor, of course. Life, after all, is a journey, an adventure. I choose a path; I walk a way; I march to some particular beat. We are travelers, or wanderers, or pilots. This is how we talk about life, and this is also how the Bible describes the Christian Life. In fact, if you want to understand the Christian life—What difficulties should I expect? What goal should I pursue? Is there somewhere I can go for help?—then may I humbly suggest the book of Hebrews? It gives you a central metaphor to think about your life as a Christ-follower: you are a wilderness wanderer; you are a pilgrim seeking a promised land.

This Present Wilderness

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I’m preaching on Hebrews 3 this coming Sunday at Christ the King Presbyterian Church.

The passage is an important one, providing the central metaphor for the entire exhortation of this wonderful book, and as such it had a prominent place in my PhD dissertation.

Your Shoes on, and Your Bible Open

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I recently posted about the perils of laziness and said nothing about spiritual laziness. I was reminded today that spiritual laziness is also a great temptation. I’ve been working through Tom Schreiner’s Commentary on Hebrews in preparation for a review I’m writing for the WTJ and appreciated his comments regarding 5:11. He translates it as follows:

Don't Take off Your Shoes until Bedtime [Biblical Wisdom]

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been thinking recently about how reticent I am to do something I don’t have to do. If it’s not urgent, it can wait, and if it can wait, it can wait for-ev-er (pronounced this way).

Biblical Wisdom: A New Blog Series

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

It’s no accident that the Bible gives us multiple types of ethical exhortation. Not everything is a command. God doesn’t just give us “thou shalt nots;” in fact, since the beginning, those have been the minority. God had plenty for Adam to do in the garden, and only one don’t. The rest of the Bible follows suit: a number of prohibitions, to be sure, and plenty of commands as well, but also encouragements, suggestions, visions, advice, riddles, and wisdom.

Paul's Theology is His History

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sat, 14 Jan 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Wrede brought an end to 19th century liberalism by famously demonstrating that Paul’s religion is his theology. The liberals wanted to seperate the two–the modern Christian can and should extract Paul’s Christ mysticism and ethic of love from Paul’s outdated ideas about a retributive God and coming judgement. Wrede rightly pointed out that this attempt to remove some pure religious fruit (ethics) while discarding such an unpalatable theological husk (judgement) was no longer tenable. Paul’s religious practice is grounded in his theological dogma; the two are welded together, permanently indisoluble.

You Stole that from Us

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 30 Dec 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I’ve been working through Larry Hurtado’s Destroyer of the Gods with great appreciation. Here’s the wonderful way he describes his aim:

This Natural Miracle

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 00:00:00 +0000

The Bee

Recent Review from Tim Challies of the ESV Reader's Bible

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 02 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

I recently blogged about why am ESV Readers Bible is a must have. Tim Challies recently reviews the multi-volume edition here.

Why you should buy a Reader's Bible right now

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Why would you want a Bible with no verse numbers? Oh, and it also has no headings. No annotations. No notes. No references. No columns. No extras. Why would anyone want such a bible?

Should I use Logos, Google, or Amazon for Digital Christian Books?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Tue, 30 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

For the last 4 years I have told my students at Reformed Theological Seminary and Westminster Seminary to forego the expense of Logos (and, by extension, Accordance and BibleWorks, though each has different advantages and disadvantages) in favor of the relatively inexpensive subscription to BibleArc. I’m changing my tune a bit (though I still think the expense of Logos is formidable). My current recommendation for the cost-conscious Bible scholar is for a combination approach: (1) get a baseline package to logos to provide for an adequate library of daily resources (the bare necessities: a couple of English, Greek, and Hebrew Bibles, a Bible Dictionary or two, some helpful datasets, etc), combined with (2) an annual subscription to BibleArc for those who want to take advantage of Syntax and Discourse Analysis tools, and finally (3) a digital library of individually purchased reference books from the various platforms available, in the following order: Logos first, Google second, Amazon Kindle third.

Pray with Other People

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Sun, 28 Aug 2016 00:00:00 +0000

We have lost the art of corporate prayer, which is a shame because corporate prayer is particularly blessed by our God.

Why Church?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Some of us have been at Christ the King since the day it was planted. Others of us have joined the body more recently (and are thus confused when older members start talking about “the fire-house era).” Still others are visiting for the first time. And yet I bet all of us have at some point hit on some version of the question “why do we

Spring Cleaning

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 01 Apr 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Have you been doing any Spring Cleaning? There’s a reason, I think, that we like to get our homes (and lives) back in order this time of year. As the grass begins to green up, and flowers begin to bloom, and children go back outside to play, our hearts and souls shake themselves out of their winter slumbers. We want to take action. We want to plant and build and plan, and we are filled with a hope that our labors will bear fruit.

Should I Make a New Year's Resolution?

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Should I make a New Year’s Resolution?
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It may be a cultural tradition, but is resolving to “do better this year” good theology? If I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, why should I worry about making a New Year’s resolution? After all, God loves me “just as I am.”

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Fri, 25 Dec 2015 00:00:00 +0000

We Wish you a Merry Christmas
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One of the wonderful things about Christmas is that you begin to see everything through the lens of this Happy Season.

For a brief couple of weeks, everything you do is slightly transformed. You listen to different music, you cook different foods, you shop differently and play differently. The home smells sweeter; the fires are warmer; friends seem merrier. Even our worship changes. In every area of our lives it’s just beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

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tommy@signandshadow.com (Tommy Keene) — Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000