For perhaps he was for this reason separated from you for a while, that you would have him back forever, Philemon 1:15 NASB Perhaps – One of the greatest blessings of life is that virtually any circumstance can be interpreted in more than one way. Of course, it’s also a curse, but that’s how life works. What is…
Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Galatians 5:2 NASB Circumcision – Who am I to tell the former Chief Rabbi of Great Britain that his exegesis of Paul is incorrect? But listen to what Rabbi Jonathan Sacks says: “It was among this…
Oh, give me the kisses of your mouth for your love is more delightful than wine. Song of Songs 1:2 JPS Kisses – It’s almost commonplace among critical scholars to point out the misuse of the text when the Song of Songs is treated as a theological description of Christ and the Bride-Church. Various passages…
Anders Runesson’s paper[1] on the influence of paradigm assumptions for understanding Paul is a treasury of insights into the structure of paradigms. Runesson shows that the Christian assumption present in the theological paradigm that Paul established a new religion founded on the teaching of Christ, a religion that was opposed to “Jewish legalism,” is not…
When I wrote recently about paradigm views, I didn’t intend anything other than a real life example of two real people who hold very different views and still work together and care for each other. In hindsight, I should never have used my dear friend John Samuel as an example. You see, one of the…
April 1 But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Exodus 1:7 NASB Increased greatly – April Fool’s Day seems like a good day for us to examine our own foolishness. For example, the sixth letter of the Hebrew…
When God began to create heaven and earth— Genesis 1:1 JPS God – Now don’t get too upset about the JPS translation. It only tries to capture the fact that the opening word, bere’shiyt, does not have a definite article attached (“the” beginning) and therefore must be understood in some other way than an announcement…
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18 ESV Count – Certainty is one of the great problems of life. What can we know for sure? …
according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience Ephesians 2:2 Working – We are quite familiar with this Greek word. It is energeo, our root for energy. Please notice that the focus is on activity, not cognition. The expressions of the ruler of…
