While past studies on apostasy in Hebrews have disproportionately focused on the warnings in Hebrews 6:4–12 and, to a lesser extent, Hebrews 10:26–31, I argue that the use of Deuteronomy 29:18–19 in Hebrews 12:15, the last of the book’s five warning passages, is uniquely illuminating to the author’s theology of perseverance and apostasy. This becomes … Read more
Hebrews scholars have noted the significance of the Christological titles, ἀρχηγός and πρόδρομος, in the author’s argument (2:10; 6:19; 12:2). However, an Old Testament background has remained elusive, leading many to favor a Hellenistic origin for the terms. This study argues that the story of the Kadesh rebellion (Numbers 13–14) is the background for both … Read more
Most churches support missionaries approved by various Missions agencies or denominational conferences. But very unique is the role of a person (this presenter) who serves as a “church missionary,” having made 36.00 international mission trips across Ukraine, Poland, Serbia, Africa, Armenia, Guatemala, and China — teaching theology & Bible classes and evangelizing. He has been … Read more
Although a Two-Minds Christology—whereby Jesus has a human mind in addition to his divine mind in the Incarnation—is arguably the traditional view, it has been challenged by what I call the Cartesian Intuition, which equates a person with a consciousness. Thus, some kenoticists, like William Lane Craig, object that a Two-Minds Christology is a form … Read more
Hardly any research on the concept of transfer of learning has been applied to teaching in theological education and to training for pastoral ministry. This paper addresses aspects of this gap in application. It reviews the research on transfer of learning in order to inform the broader conversation about formation for ministry in theological education. … Read more
The blues, born from African American suffering, offers a profound lens for theological reflection, particularly as a form of lament. This paper explores how the blues, exemplified by Blind Willie Johnson’s 1927.00 recording “Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground,” reimagines lament as a communal, improvisational act that both echoes and extends biblical traditions. … Read more
Scripture defines salvation as a “work of God.” Many in the church reduce God’s work to a simple “belief” in Christ, or Christ’s death on the cross. But the “work” of God has a definitive meaning and a unique sequence of steps, whereby salvation is the creative result, or “product” – the unsaved person is … Read more
Expository preachers have a difficult time knowing what to do with the Book of Proverbs. They may ask themselves, “Should I preach it sequentially, verse by verse?” “Should I preach it topically after collecting all the main themes into different buckets?” “Should I preach Collection I (Proverbs 1–9) expositionally, and then the rest of the … Read more
Proverbs 29:18 highlights the critical importance of prophetic vision (ḥazon), meaning divine revelation or clarity from God. Solomon warns that without this vision, people “cast off restraint” or run wild, becoming ungoverned. This verse is closely tied to Proverbs 29:17, which emphasizes the value of discipline, particularly in parenting. Without a clear, God-given vision for … Read more
The thesis of this paper is that the poetic structure in Daniel 7:14 and 7:27 serves as declaration that the Son of Man’s Kingdom ‘will never end,’ demonstrating how the strategic use of NW Semitic poetry within narrative text functions to emphasize the eternal nature of his dominion. In particular, this study finds in Daniel … Read more