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Much controversy has attended the question of whether the flood of Noah was local or global in extent. This paper suggests three considerations that commend a local flood view. First, the paper surveys forgotten historical testimonies for a local flood from Jewish writers, church fathers, and early modern Christians. Special attention is given to how … Read more
In this presentation, I argue that Matthew portrays faith as the individual virtue of discipleship directed toward God—that in trusting Jesus, motivated by one’s love for God, the disciple himself becomes righteous. First, I give an overview of the concept of faith in the ancient world. Second, I survey Matthew’s presentation of faith throughout his … Read more
The Song of Songs was composed in a patricentric context, yet most scholars argue that it presents egalitarian love. Phyllis Trible argued that the Song of Songs represented a return to the Garden of Eden, where the man and woman lived in peace, harmony, and equality (Depatriarchalizing, 44–45). Trible’s interpretation has been adopted en masse. … Read more
Within the context of multi-faceted debates about Rom 7:7-25, Will Timmins has persuasively shown (over against Stowers et al) that the “I” in that passage does refer to Paul and key aspects of Paul’s Christian experience. However, Timmins’s reading, while helpful, also creates significant difficulties for understanding Rom 7:14, which has traditionally been interpreted as, … Read more
The Book of Acts begins with an anticipation of the soon return of Jesus. Peter’s sermon on Pentecost connects the coming of the Holy Spirit to the advent of the eschatological age predicted by Joel. His sermon in Acts 3 looks forward to the “times of refreshing” coming from the presence of the Lord. Yet … Read more
Unlike assigned leadership in which leadership is granted to someone who holds a certain position of power, emergent leadership occurs when someone becomes an influential member of a group or organization without previously holding a formal position of power. For people of faith who find themselves as part of a minority culture, this type of … Read more
The Divine Command theory deals with the moral question whether what is right and wrong depends on what moral principles we accept or on what God commands us to do. The Divine Command theory says that the moral standards are based on the commands of God. The argument against the Divine Command theory is formulated … Read more
In this essay, I use Beale and Gladd’s understanding of mystery and cognitive peripheral vision to illuminate Jesus’ self-presentation as the messiah through his statements in Matt 12:42 considered in the wider context of Matt 12:1-45. By his claims in Matt 12:42 Jesus hinted at multiple mysteries of the messiah–namely, that the messiah will have … Read more
In the late 2000s, the West witnessed the formation of multiple ex-Muslim organizations. Over the past decade the globe has witnessed the emergence of various organizations and platforms leading to a new phenomenon known as the ex-Muslim Movement. Ex-Muslims are considered to be apostates in Islam. Apostates are not new as they date back to … Read more
Evangelicalism has developed unified doctrines on God, Christ, salvation, and Scripture, but not on creation. Most evangelicals recognize that Genesis 1 is historical narrative, but many disappointingly limit historical narrative interpretation at some point. The inspiration of Scripture extends to grammar, suggesting that if we interpret all of Genesis 1 as reporting sequential historical events, … Read more