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”
Tag Archives: Paul
Called or Converted?
A lot has been written over the past few decades about the nature of Paul’s Damascus road event. Was Paul called or converted? I guess how you answer that really depends on how you see the relationship between Judaism and Christianity. If you see a lot of continuity – you might say that he wasContinue reading “Called or Converted?”
Locating Atonement
[This is the final “Atonement Week” blog post.] This past Thursday and Friday I attended The 3rd annual Los Angeles Theology Conference – the topic was “Locating Atonement.” I especially enjoyed Ben Myers’ Atonement & the Image of God and Michael Horton’s Atonement and Ascension. Ben’s lecture was really stimulating, especially in light of theContinue reading “Locating Atonement”
Thinking Through Paul
Good textbooks are hard to find. When I am looking for a textbook, I am looking for a book that is well balanced. It engages in critical discussion yet it is also thoroughly evangelical. Also I like it when textbooks move beyond mere rehearsal of recycled ideas or summary statements. I want a textbook thatContinue reading “Thinking Through Paul”
A Theological Commentary on Colossians
A while ago I wrote about how excited I was to at some point get my hands on the Brazos Theological Commentary on Colossians. Now I finally have made my way through it – and I’m still excited about the book! The Brazos Theological Commentary series exists for the sake of interpreting scripture in lightContinue reading “A Theological Commentary on Colossians”
Richard Hays on Being Pastoral-Theologians like Paul
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”
Moving Past the New Perspective on 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”
Context Context Context!
I’m in the middle of studying for our next sermon series at Soma which is a series on Philippians. Philippians is certainly one of the most beloved books of the NT. In fact, I have several friends who have even memorized it! One of the reasons why its so beloved is because it contains aContinue reading “Context Context Context!”
Rejoice Always!
This week I have been studying Paul’s letter to the Philippians. One thing that really jumps out at me is how often he uses the word rejoice. Commentator after commentator point out that joy or rejoicing is a major theme in this short letter. In fact one commentator was said: Summa Epistolae; Gaudeo, Gaudete. WhichContinue reading “Rejoice Always!”
Who is Paul Talking About in Romans 7?
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?”
CWoznicki Think Out Loud 