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Thesis: The present paper identifies the historical and literary cues in the text and argues that these cues suggest a Babylonian exilic setting for the passage. The relationship between MT-Jer 10:1–16 and its literary and historical contexts continues to pose challenges to interpreters. In a literary block (chs 7–10) dominated by a message of judgment … Read more
In the biblical narrative, humanity passes through three states: (a) they were created in a state with potential for a greater state before the fall; (b) they now exist in a post-fall state where they are subjected to sin, and (c) they might reach a final state where they become glorified. It is clear that … Read more
This paper argues that Paul’s theology in the epistolary framework of Romans is shaped by Isaianic motifs, especially those found in Isaiah 52:7–53:12. While other scholars have examined Paul’s quotations and allusions, I focus on Paul’s conceptual use of Isaiah in Romans 15:14–16:27. Following the principles of inner-biblical exegesis (cf. Fishbane 1985, 281–82), I propose … Read more
Jesus occupies a central place in the apocalypse of John. John’s opens by indicting that the text that follows is the “Ἀποκάλυψις Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ” (Rev. 1:1). The “unveiling” of Jesus occurs in numerous ways throughout the apocalypse, including the application of titles, the use of various images to describe Jesus, and the actions taken by … Read more
The reality of evil and suffering is one of the most persistent and philosophically serious challenges to theism. While several philosophers have offered robust solutions that seemingly negotiate the intellectual problems associated with evil and suffering, few, if any, of these solutions are emotionally or spiritually satisfying. To address the experiential, emotional, and spiritual issues … Read more
Following the incident of the golden calf in Exodus 32, God gave Moses a fuller revelation of Himself which underscored both His grace and His certain judgment against sinners. The text the paper will consider, Exodus 34:6–7, informs both the biblical-theological storyline and theology proper. Indeed, vv. 6–7 are cited some 27 times in the … Read more
The Nicene Creed’s chosen title for the Son is “one Lord Jesus Christ.” Lordship is an aspect of christology that is inextricable from the identity of Christ. “Lordship” has a verbal quality that implies a dynamic relationship between Lord and lorded. For this reason, Emil Brunner provides a dynamic picture of lordship that establishes Christ’s … Read more
It is an oft-noted fact that Qohelet speaks of God exclusively as אלהים, frequently accompanied by the definite article (ה). In light of the dominant scholarly view that associates Qohelet’s theological idiom with a picture of a particularly dark and distant God, this paper will offer an alternative explanation. I will begin by noting the … Read more
Messiah’s Songs: The Psalter’s Apex as Picture and Prophecy Much of the skepticism over canonical interpretation of the Psalter may itself be rooted in the incongruity between Western Aristotelian category logic in interpreting the Psalms and the ancient Hebrew preference for picture logic in writing them (Langley). My thesis is that Book V of the … Read more
This paper situates Paul’s language of πίστις in its first-century CE Greco-Roman political context. Together with δικαιοσύνη, πίστις carries social, political, and legal overtones, directing human-divine relationships. I argue that Paul’s language of πίστις in Romans relates to the defense of God’s δικαιοσύνη as part of an underlying theodicy motif. Within this framework, the Christ … Read more