Mark’s penchant for sandwiches is universally recognized, a common feature in commentaries and NT Introductions. Generally, when we speak of “sandwiches,” we refer to “intercalations,” in which one episode is inserted within another, for the purpose of mutual interpretation (esp. 5:21–43; 6:7–32; 11:12–25). Yet this framing technique extends beyond intercalation, raising questions of how and … Read more
This paper asks whether the disputed Pauline letters in the New Testament should be used in forming a Pauline theology if they are truly pseudonymous. Increasingly, some evangelicals affirm that you can. However, this paper’s thesis is that you cannot form a Pauline theology from pseudo-Pauline letters. First, you cannot form a Pauline theology from … Read more
There is a long-standing pattern of interweaving Jesus’ Last Journey to Jerusalem found in the Synoptics (Matt. 16:13-20:34; Mk. 8:27-10:52; Lk. 9:18-19:28) with the events of Sukkot (Jn. 7:1-10:21), Hanukkah (Jn. 10:22-42), and the raising of Lazarus (Jn. 11:1-54). This is done without any parallel verses between the Synoptics and John. It also creates numerous … Read more
This essay will explore the explicit aspect of transitioning the community of Samaritans from worship practices on Mt Gerizim to worship in “spirit and in truth” πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ. Jesus expressed a divine need to go through Samaria as recorded in John 4. The Greek verb, ἔδει, is used as a literary device to direct … Read more
Abstract: This paper examines the Petrine household code (1 Pet 2:11–3:12) through the lens of Greco-Roman voluntary associations. Part one interprets the peculiar emphasis on slaves and wives in 2:18–3:6 through the larger context of 1 Peter, the New Testament, and Greco-Roman household codes. The focus on slaves and wives is not unusual compared to … Read more
In the introduction to his magisterial commentary on John’s letters, Robert Yarbrough devotes two paragraphs to what these letters contribute to our understanding of pastoral ministry. I have not found any similar attention to examining what we see of John as a pastor in his letters in other commentaries. However, John invites us to see … Read more
Scholarship is now decades removed from the era and influence of Martin Dibelius’s view that the letter of James has no essential structure and therefore no theology. Recent commentaries routinely treat James as a structured composition and usually include a section on the letter’s theology and/or prominent themes. Although the theology of James is “assumed … Read more
Scholars and theologians have wrestled with the meaning of the millennium for centuries. Is there a neglected key to its significance in the book of Revelation itself? The present paper proposes that Jesus’ message to the seven churches provides a controlling hermeneutic for the rest of the book. Each letter links the hearer thematically with … Read more
Attempts to understand the purpose of the Gospel according to John almost always and inevitably focus on John 20:30–31. This so-called true ending is an explicit purpose statement. The goal of this presentation, however, is not to recount how the scholars have spoken of purpose and John in former times up to the present, but … Read more
Matthew’s Eunuch’s: A Response to “Trans” Interpretations of Matthew 19:12 This paper responds to interpretations of Jesus’ saying about eunuchs in Mt 19:12 arrived at through the lens of non-gender-conforming ideology. These interpretations seek to justify a non-binary theological anthropology, as opposed to traditional Christian sexual mores. This paper seeks to address three arguments of … Read more