In the ancient Near East, kings were viewed as having a level of access to the gods not available to ordinary people. In ancient Egypt, for example, this royal privilege is asserted both visually and textually. In countless reliefs, pharaohs are pictured standing beside one or another of the gods – sometimes holding hands with … Read more
Many interpreters view Lady Wisdom in Proverbs as the personification of Yahweh’s wisdom. Even more, her lengthy speech in Proverbs 8 affords her a quasi-divine status. This text in turn became the locus of debate over Christ’s nature among the church fathers, with many early theologians, Arians and orthodox alike, resorting to the text to … Read more
The books of Joel and Zephaniah depict divine judgment on the Day of YHWH through rich metaphors that evoke destruction, cosmic upheaval, and purification (Joel 2:1–11; 2:28–32; Zeph 1:1–18) This study applies Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) to analyze how these metaphors function cognitively and theologically with special attention to how the metaphors frame the Day … Read more
While Trinitarian theology has gained attention in biblical studies, the book of Chronicles has rarely been examined in relation to the doctrine of the Trinity. Most Trinitarian studies in the Old Testament focus on the Torah, Prophets, or Psalms, leaving a gap in theological interpretation of the Chronicler’s writings. Despite its rich theology and liturgical … Read more
The prevailing view in OT studies is that monotheism is a mistaken postbiblical construct that does not cohere with the biblical texts. This paper will admittedly swim upstream against this widespread view. It sketches out a contrary perspective, arguing that the OT is consistently monotheistic, by challenging ten relevant claims as misconceptions. (1) Is evidence … Read more
Most scholars agree that Haggai 1:15 contains a date formula that is unusual in its placement and form. Many have solved the issue by dividing the verse and attaching the second half (the year) to the following date (2:1, so also BHS). This division, however, may obscure an intentional literary structure. A close look at … Read more
This study analyzed how Martin Luther interpreted the reforming kings in 1-2 Kings and 2 Chronicles and determined that his understanding of biblical reform aligned with the theological objective of the First council of Nicaea. This corresponded with the efforts of the reforming kings to eradicate idolatry, restore temple worship, and re-establish the law. Luther did not interpret the narratives of … Read more
This paper argues that nearly every doctrine in the Old Roman Creed (an early variant of the Apostles’ Creed) appears in seminal form in Psalms 1-2. Despite differences in the level of clarity and precision as well as the literary medium (poetry vs credal statement), the doctrine of the Creed is not fundamentally different from … Read more