During the recent annual meetings for biblical studies scholars held in San Antonio, Dr. Heiser interviewed a number of scholars about their recent work. In Part 6 of those interviews, we chat with Stephen Huebscher (PhD candidate at Clarks Summit University), David DeSilva (New Testament professor at Ashland Theological Seminary), and Dr. Craig Keener (New Testament professor at Asbury Theological Seminary).

Recorded on the last day of the San Antonio meetings, Part 6 wraps the series with three focused conversations. Stephen Huebscher (author of the Naked Bible blog series on celestial worship) shows how the church’s gathering mirrors the heavenly council—a believer-oriented service in God’s presence that balances celebration and lament and prioritizes congregational singing (with instruments serving the people, not replacing them).
David deSilva introduces Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt, a historically grounded entry point into 175–166 BC that wrestles with Hellenism, fidelity, and the politics of Jerusalem, following three brothers down divergent paths.
Finally, Craig Keener surveys his two-volume Miracles, the scale of Acts and backgrounds work, the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, and his free church-level hermeneutics guide, “The Bible in Context,” designed to help readers move from proof-texts to context-driven interpretation.

Timestamp guide (mini-interviews)

00:00–02:20 — Intro / setup
Trey and Mike kick off the final conference episode and preview the day’s three guests: Stephen Huebscher, David deSilva, and Craig Keener.

02:20–28:40 — Interview 1: Stephen Huebscher — Celestial Worship, Liturgy, and the Church as “council-in-training”

• Huebscher’s background and how worship + Divine Council came together (“as in heaven, so on earth”).

• Worship is the gathered believers’ response in God’s presence; the service is designed for believers (with unbelievers welcome).

• Pastoral implications: “liturgical” structures that foreground Word/response/presence; celebration and lament (Rev 4–5).

• “Lord’s Day” as weekly foretaste of the future; congregational singing as formative sanctification; instruments serve the congregation.

• Research note: OT PhD on Hebrew verbal system in Zechariah.

28:40–40:05 — Interview 2: David deSilva — Day of Atonement: A Novel of the Maccabean Revolt

• Why a Second Temple period novel (175–166 BC) rooted in 2 & 4 Maccabees; navigating gray areas of Hellenism vs fidelity.

• Plot shape: three brothers take divergent paths (conservative, Hellenizing, Maccabean) to show the period’s tensions.

• Handling graphic martyrdom faithfully yet pastorally; availability (Kregel; Kindle/print).

40:05–59:30 — Interview 3: Craig Keener — Miracles, Backgrounds, and Free “Bible in Context”

• From a footnote to 1,100-page Miracles (two vols); eyewitness claims worldwide; reception across traditions.

• Acts commentary scale (~4,500 pages) and the IVP NT Background Commentary; why context matters for application.

• Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (OT ed. Walton; NT notes Keener) and a free church-level hermeneutics manual: “The Bible in Context” at craigkeener.com.

• Works in the pipeline: Galatians (Cambridge); Mind of the Spirit; Spirit Hermeneutics; memoir with Médine: Impossible Love.

59:30–end (~1:02:00) — Wrap-up
Reflections on the week of interviews; shout-outs to listeners; back to the Ezekiel series next.