Scattered Thoughts on Theology and Ministry…
To see the practical implications Paul’s apocalyptic gospel in Galatians it is helpful to begin by looking at chapter 1 verse 6 which says that the Galatians are abandoning the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel. We should note that verse 1:3 begins with the “grace” that the Father and ChristContinue reading “Getting Practical with Paul’s Apocalyptic Gospel”
When Paul first came to the churches in Galatia the gospel he preached was received with much enthusiasm. However, after Paul left Galatia other itinerant missionaries arrived and began to advocate a different message. Although it is obvious that this message was not in line with Paul’s message, the nature of this message as wellContinue reading “Who are Paul’s Opponents in Galatians?”
The answer to the question of “what is Paul’s gospel?” must have some continuity with Jesus’ proclamation of the gospel. Although some will claim that there is not much, if any, continuity between Paul and Jesus and their messages I believe that there is. The continuity between their message is found at the very beginningContinue reading “What is Paul’s Gospel? (Paul’s Apocalyptic Gospel)”
You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. – Paul in his Letter to the Galatians At Soma (the college group I lead) we are currently in a series on Relationships – Where’s Your Heart. It’sContinue reading “Two Concepts of Freedom in Galatians”
In 2012 a large group of scholars gathered at St. Andrews for the fourth in a series of triennial Scripture and Theology conferences. This particular year’s focus was upon Galatians and Christian Theology. The results of this conference were published in this extensive collection of essays. This collection of essays is comprised of three sections:Continue reading “Galatians and Christian Theology”
When Richard Hays says something you listen. The author of such ground shaking books like The Moral Vision of the New Testament, The Faith Of Jesus Christ, and Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul, he is known not only for bridging the gap between biblical criticism and literary studies – he is alsoContinue reading “Richard Hays on Being Pastoral-Theologians like Paul”
Recently a couple of biblical scholars wrote interesting articles on their blogs discussing the state of current Pauline scholarship. Scot McKnight and Michael Bird both claim that we are entering into a new stage in Pauline scholarship – we have moved past focusing on the NPP vs. Old Perspective and moved into discussions about Redemption-HistoryContinue reading “Moving Past the New Perspective on Paul”
What I love about the Kindle is that every once in a while you will find awesome deals – often at $0.99 or $1.99. Today I discovered four great books, and I got them all! Here they are in their categories: Church History Rediscovering the Church Fathers: Who They Were and How They Shaped theContinue reading “5 Great Deals for Your Kindle”
This past week in my class on Romans and Galatians my students answered the following prompt: Who do you believe Paul is talking about in the famous passage in Romans 7:7-25? Provide reasons and evidence for your answer (see Kruse commentary, 314-21). This weekend, Preston Sprinkle (Professor & Vice-President of Eternity Boise) addressed this sameContinue reading “Who is Paul Talking About in Romans 7?”
When it comes to atonement theologies people often break them up into classic, satisfaction, and subjective categories. However it might be better to classify atonement theories according to whom the atonement is directed towards. For instance, Patristic atonement theories tend to say that Christ’s work aims at achieving something in regard to the “powers.” AnselmianContinue reading “The Direction of Atonement in Luther’s Theology”
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 