There have always been problems with word dictionaries. Why? Because words don’t have meanings in isolation from their contexts. It is not true that ‘in the beginning was the Dictionary, and the Dictionary was good’. Every existing dictionary of whatever sort involves persons having done detailed study of the use of words in numerous contexts, to establish the semantic range of the word. And often enough, that range is broad, though not quite free range like the chickens. And the... Read more
On first glance, this book looks like an antique. It has a cover like 19th century literary works, like for instance the set I have of Charles’ Dickens’ novels. But don’t let the cover fool you. This is the latest, and most expansive ever attempt at doing a proper Biblical Theology. It weighs in at over 1,000 pages and deals in detail with the theology and ethics of every single book of the Protestant Bible. Andreas Kostenberger was wise enough... Read more
Paul was a skilled rhetorician. This is evident throughout his letters, but especially in the so-called capital Paulines, such as Galatians, 1 Corinthians and Romans. But one question that gets raised in regard to 1 Corinthians is why in the world does Paul leave the discussion of resurrection until last, when, along with the crucifixion it is crucial to his argument throughout. Timothy Christian’s fine monograph, done originally as a dissertation under me at Asbury Theological Seminary, and revised for... Read more
TEN THINGS CHRISTIANS SHOULD NEVER ACCEPT The premise of this post is that I’m talking about what counts as Christian behavior. (and ethical belief). I’m not dealing in this post with what the larger society deems moral or legal. That’s a discussion for another day. Christians should never assume ‘we live in a Christian country’ and assume that what the Bible says should be the law of the land. In fact, we live in a morally and religiously... Read more
I seldom promote my own books this far in advance, since this one comes out in October, but I think this one is my most important small book in a long time, due to the crisis of Biblical Authority in the Protestant and Catholic churches. The title has just gone up on Amazon, and soon you will be able to order it on Amazon. It is only 125 or so pages of text, but the argument is important, as it... Read more
Q. I certainly take your point about the persons Paul is talking about is one thing in his discourse, and the persons he is talking to is another. Nevertheless, there are parts of Romans which make better sense to me if Paul is not solely, though he is primarily, talking to Gentile Christians— for example in Rom. 2, Rom. 9-11 and Rom. 14-15. I do not think that the use of the diatribe device warrants us dismissing this likelihood, but... Read more
Q. Certainly second and third Isaiah were crucial texts for Paul in the way he not only conceived himself but also the way he conceived Christ, and that includes the reference to Rom. 11 where he says the Redeemer will return from Zion (in this case heavenly Zion, see the reference to the heavenly Jerusalem in Gal. 4.26—the Jerusalem that is from above) and turn away the impiety of Jacob. This surely must be a reference to the second coming... Read more
Q. Let’s talk about Paul as the apostle to the Gentiles. I certainly agree that that is the focus of Paul’s calling and ministry, but that’s not the only people he ever recruited for Christ. Not only in Acts, but also in 2 Cor. 11.24 it is clear enough he shared the Gospel in synagogues and paid the price for doing so. The fact that Paul says he received the 39 lashes five times means he kept going back to... Read more
Q. I agree entirely with you about Romans not being a sort of generic exposition of Paul’s thought, or even an introduction to his main ideas (notice how almost nothing is said about the resurrection of Christ, and nothing at all about the Lord’s Supper as in 1 Cor. 11). But taking this discourse as being a word on target meant specifically for the Roman audience does not mean we should not compare various of the ideas in Romans to... Read more
Q. Let’s talk about the notion that Jewish Christians in Rome were part of and meeting with the synagogue community. Where exactly is the historical evidence for this notion, as opposed to their meeting in homes and in workshops, as you mention at one point? I can’t find it. I see the evidence that people like Prisca and Aquila or Paul went and bore witness in synagogues, but the idea of their meeting regularly with Jews in the synagogue I... Read more
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