Paul’s references to eschatological loss and salvation “only as through fire” in 1 Corinthians 3:15 have long puzzled biblical scholars. The majority interpretation throughout history has understood the “suffering of loss” as receiving a lesser degree of eschatological rewards (e.g., Augustine, Schweitzer, Braun, Filson, Reicke, Sanders, Rosscup, Fuller, Ton, Piper). The phrase “but only as … Read more
In Romans 15:16, Paul describes his vocation as “the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” The priestly framing of his missionary vocation draws quite obviously from the old covenant priesthood but also from the servant prophecies of Isaiah. Others … Read more
This paper addresses the exegetical impasse regarding κατοπτριζόμενοι in 2 Corinthians 3:18, where Paul calls readers to “gaze as in a mirror” at the Lord’s glory that they might be transformed into the image of what they see. While some (e.g., Belleville, Wright) take this to mean “reflect,” the majority rightly affirm the more traditional … Read more
This paper will address the lacuna in Pauline scholarship regarding precisely what sort of “deadness” Paul (or whomever) envisioned in Ephesians 2:1, 5 (cf. Col 2:13). I will argue that Paul is best understood as participating in contemporary Platonic discourse regarding moral psychological weakness, and thus that ὄντας νεκροὺς τοῖς παραπτώμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν … Read more
Contemporary interpretation of 1 Cor 7:1-9 regularly speaks of marital sex as prophylaxis against sexual immorality, whereby the sexual needs of a spouse must be satisfied so as to prevent sexual immorality (7:2) and a loss of self-control (7:5, 9). This reading often assumes that Paul is both beginning a new literary unit in 7:1 … Read more
This paper will seek to explore Paul’s understanding of how our humanity will still be reflected in the resurrection state. Drawing on his argument from 1 Corinthians 15, we will look at the unique Pauline agrarian metaphor of resurrection as our grounding for a robust resurrection anthropology. Special attention will be given to the misunderstanding … Read more
Most modern scholars understand ἀνιέντες τὴν ἀπειλήν in Eph 6:9 as a command for slave masters to “give up threatening” (BDAG). Some argue further that a prohibition of threats entails a prohibition of violence, and thus Eph 6:9 severs “the thread that held the institution of slavery together” (Frank Thielman). However, modern commentators have given … Read more
Ephesians 6:10–20 describes how Christians should put on the armor of God and stand firm against a formidable force. It is the last metaphor in a book that argues for unity. Hoehner suggests that Paul used this image because he is chained to a Roman soldier. Arnold argues that Isaiah’s Divine Warrior primarily inspires Paul’s … Read more
This paper examines the enigmatic phrase in 1 Corinthians 7:1b (καλὸν ἀνθρώπῳ γυναικὸς μὴ ἅπτεσθαι) by investigating why some Corinthian believers advocated for sexual abstinence within marriage. While previous scholarship has attributed this position to Greek philosophical dualism or Stoic-Cynic ethical debates, this study proposes that the Corinthians’ stance resulted from their application of Paul’s … Read more
What has gone so terribly wrong in Ephesus that Paul feels compelled to write the longest marriage code in the New Testament? First Peter only has seven verses about marriage. Colossians only has two. Titus only has two. Why does Ephesians have thirteen? This paper, which presents the argument of my book (Artemis, Eve, and … Read more