The qualifications for pastors and deacons in the Pastoral Epistles place significant emphasis on marriage and family. Three times, Paul uses the phrase μιᾶς γυναικὸς ἄνδρα (1 Tim 3:2, 12; Tit 1:6), yet its precise meaning remains widely debated. Scholars primarily interpret the phrase in quantitative terms, focusing on the number of wives a man … Read more
The verb φρονέω (phroneō) is a significant word carefully chosen by Paul to highlight the importance of cultivating Christ-centered thinking in his urgent call for unity in his letter to the Philippians. It is remarkable in both frequency and significance. Despite its importance in the letter, φρονέω is not given enough attention. This paper proposes … Read more
The startling reality of Paul’s apocalyptic discourse in 2 Thessalonians 2:1–12 is that its purpose is comfort (vv 1-2). While much of scholarship attempts to identify the man of lawlessness, the question that this passage begs is how this apocalyptic teaching is comforting. I propose that Paul refers to the prophetic image of oppressive, non-Israelite … Read more
Thesis: This paper contends that Paul, an entrepreneurial apostle, shifted from causation as Saul to effectuation post-conversion, aligning with Sarasvathy’s theory, reinterpreting his eschatology and mission as flexible and means-driven rather than fixed. Abstract: Saras Sarasvathy’s Effectuation Theory has influenced fields beyond entrepreneurship, shaping decision-making under uncertainty in management, education, and social policy by emphasizing … Read more
Thesis: This paper contends that Romans 7:14–25 preserves a pre-Pauline liturgical lament which Paul strategically reframes in 16-17, 20-23, 25b to correct its misuse by affirming the law’s proper place and redirecting the antinomian faction in Rome’s church to recognize sin’s dominion rather than blaming sin on the flesh. Abstract: I argue that this chiastic … Read more
Modern scholarship has persistently wrestled over whether the so-called “Christ-hymn” in Philippians 2:6-11 is primarily ethical/paraenetic or soteriological/kerygmatic. Though, the most nuanced proposals have avoided driving a wedge between the two. Much of the debate turns on the significance of verses 9–11 and their relationship to the obedience required of believers (2:12) and their future … Read more
Scholars have proposed various paradigms to analyze Paul’s ethical reasoning and its deep connection to his theological convictions, drawing on diverse approaches such as social-scientific identity theory (e.g., Horrell’s concept of solidarity in Christ), Stoic moral reasoning (e.g., Engberg-Pedersen’s I–X–S model), philosophical ethics (e.g., Zimmermann’s notion of implicit ethics), and “gift” theory (e.g., Barclay). This … Read more
Many commentators, including Benjamin Merkle, Harold Hoehner, Darrell Bock, Constantine Campbell, and others, have viewed φύσει (by nature) in Eph 2:3 as portraying only a genealogical problem of sin. “By nature” refers to a person’s condition from birth, a condition that leads them toward God’s future wrath. However, one can understand φύσις in the Hellenistic … Read more
Union with Christ is crucial to Paul’s articulation of the gospel, as evidenced by his own writings and the observations of countless interpreters. Richard Gaffin, following John Calvin, boldly yet accurately asserts that “Union is the all-or-nothing reality on which everything depends in the application of salvation.” Constantine Campbell describes union with Christ as the … Read more
This presentation will argue that Ephesians describes a global perspective of the Church by recognizing the letter’s characterization of the Church, surveying discourse participants to identify the Church, and examining the letter’s portrayal of the Church through two verses as a test case. Ephesians is rife with imagery characterizing the Church. Scholars typically describe the … Read more