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The controversy over the so-called way of ideas and the British Trinitarian debates most famously intersected in the debate between Bishop Edward Stillingfleet and the polymath John Locke (The way of ideas was a philosophical movement moving through Descartes and Locke that, curtly stated, emphasized the importance of clear and distinct ideas). Stillingfleet accused Locke … Read more
It is widely recognised that Paul’s use of the term “righteousness” (δικαιοσύνη) must be understood against the background of the Hebrew equivalents צדק and צדקה. This paper explores the meaning of the Hebrew terminology and identifies various ways in which it has been misunderstood in Pauline scholarship. In particular, it will be argued that the … Read more
Today’s scholarship has mostly arrived at a consensus on atonement in the early church—there was no unified theory of the atonement (Pelikan, Kelly, Johnson). While we can grant that there were no clearly articulated theories of atonement, let alone a dominant one, it does not follow that there are no recurrent and leading pieces of … Read more
Recently I had a book published titled Introduction to Spirituality: Cultivating a Lifestyle of Faithfulness (Baker Academic, 2023). In this contribution to Baker Academic’s Foundations for Spirit-Filled Christianity series, I promoted a Pauline, fully trinitarian, theologically real, “I-Thou,” lifestyle spirituality. This is a Spirit-empowered, Christ-honoring, God-the-Father pleasing way of being in the world that produces … Read more
Contemporary evangelical systematic theology treatments on the doctrine of salvation often centers on historical tensions between Pelagian/Augustinian or Arminian/Calvinist viewpoints. Specifically, when discussing salvation by grace, theologians center discussions on grace on the Pelagian/Augustinian or Arminian/Calvinist positions on the role of humanity in salvation. This results in discussions on grace in salvation within the context … Read more
Since the beginning of global Pentecostalism in the early twentieth century, the movement has become highly significant throughout its rapid expansion across the globe. This paper asserts that although Pentecostalism has led to enormous growth in the number and spread of churches in Africa, it has also led to a deterioration in theocentric Christian spirituality. … Read more
The second phrase in Philippians 3:3, οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες, is either translated as “who worship by the Spirit of God” or “who worship God in Spirit” in all modern translations and commentaries. Yet it was not alway so. During the trinitarian debates of the fourth century (and echoed by Thomas Aquinas), this phrase was … Read more
Benjamin Keach (1640-1704), well-known for his role in the so-called hymn-singing controversy of the seventeenth century, initially rose to prominence as a catechist for baptists and like-minded associations within Protestant Reformed Orthodoxy. Despite the absence of formal educational opportunities (or perhaps because of that very lack), Keach’s pedagogical instinct reached far beyond mere theological indoctrination … Read more
Co-author: Leonardo Godinho Nunes The Scriptures emphasize the importance of remaining faithful to God’s covenant by following its requirements and stipulations. 1 Peter 2:9a reverberates the Sinaitic covenant made with the Israelites in Exod 19:5–6, while 1Pet 2:9b, introduced by the telic conjunction ὅπως (“in order that”), expresses the implication of this covenant. This way, … Read more
Handbooks on hermeneutics and commentaries on Proverbs have trained readers to interpret any proverbial promises as merely probable patterns. A scholarly consensus asserts that proverbs are general truths, not laws. Some readers are relieved to know that Prov 22:6 does not condemn good parents whose children turned out bad, because the proverb was never a … Read more