While it might sound surprising today, many of the 1900’s dispensationalists held to some form of the covenant of redemption. Those such as Dwight Pentecost, Lewis Sperry Chafer, R. W. Newell, and John Walvoord all argued for the utility of what is often called the pactum salutis. They were not turned away by its link … Read more
This paper will conclude that the emphasis on the Shema and “Final Enemy” legends in the Jewish writings of the intertestamental period provide the necessary cultural background for the Mark of the Beast passages in John’s Apocalypse. The Second Temple period gave rise to new styles of writing and eschatological hopes previously unnoticed in Jewish … Read more
In the context of 1-2 Kings, the prophet Elisha serves as the Spirit-empowered man of God who walks with God, represents God, and points the way to covenant faithfulness with God through word and deed. Elisha shows Israel who God really is, particularly when compared to the false gods the people are choosing to worship, … Read more
Genesis 1-2 depicts an idyllic world in which humans occupy the prominent place of bearing God’s image and ruling over all creation. Notably, God creates these image-bearers as “male and female” (Gen 1:27), and his commission to multiply and rule well over the earth is directed to “them” (Gen 1:28), not just “him” or “her.” … Read more
For biblical authority, 2 Timothy 3:16 is generally the quintessential statement. As a result, inspiration is commonly understood to be the act of God breathing words as authors wrote. But that neglects the rest of the canon. The overwhelming evidence demonstrates that divine truth was revealed primarily by God speaking. Though there is still an … Read more
Christians have labored to define what it means for humans to be made in the image of God. Although a general consensus has been reached on certain points, there is not yet agreement on the essence of what is means to say humans have been created in the image of God. There is a long … Read more
Overview of Argumentation Seven canon-wide biblical theologies have emerged within the field of contemporary biblical theological scholarship, with each contending for a certain center or major theme of the Christian Bible (see T. Desmond Alexander and Simon J. Gathercole, eds., Heaven on Earth: The Temple in Biblical Theology (Carlisle, England: Paternoster, 2004); Walter C. Kaiser … Read more
Robert Alter, in his The Art of Biblical Narrative, argued that “narrative analogy” is an instance in which “one part of the text provides oblique commentary on another” and is imperative in biblical interpretation. In his 2015 publication entitled Text and Subtext: On Exploring Biblical Narrative Design, Jonathan Grossman defined narrative analogy as follows: “An … Read more
John’s Gospel features six Jewish festivals during its account of Jesus’s ministry. One is not identified by name (5:1), three are Passover Festivals (2:13; 6:4; 11:55), one is Tabernacles (7:2), and one is Dedication (10:22). All except the Festival of Dedication, also called the Festival of Lights, originated during the days of Moses, and are … Read more
For some, the book of Revelation serves as a “capstone” to the Christian Scriptures, providing the reader with the “climax of biblical prophecy,” and presenting Jesus as the ultimate fulfillment of all the prophecies and themes of the biblical narrative. If this is true then the twenty-second chapter of the Revelation might be understood to … Read more