In 2 Corinthians 4:4 the apostle Paul says: The “god of this age” has blinded the minds of unbelievers from seeing the light of the gospel so that they could understand and follow Christ. In the Greek, there is no distinction between an upper case “God” or lower case “god.” Theos can mean either of these depending on syntax and context. There are a few competing views regarding the identity of this being. Five Views of the “God of this... Read more
What do I mean by reading the Bible intertextually? And what is intertextuality? The term refers to our detecting words in a given text that can be found in another text (broadly speaking). In the Bible we see this happening all the time whenever a New Testament author references or alludes to a person, place, or thing from the Old Testament. And of course, this also happens whenever New Testament authors quote something from the Old Testament. A famous example... Read more
I had the recent privilege of interviewing Dr. Robert A. Mullins, Professor and Chair of the Biblical and Religious Studies Department at Azusa Pacific University. Dr. Mullins is an outstanding archaeologist and fellow colleague who recently wrote a book that is extremely helpful for Bible enthusiasts, students, ministers, and academicians alike: Atlas of the Biblical World (Fortress Press). This user-friendly work, co-authored by Professor Mark Vitalis Hoffman of United Lutheran Seminary, is a virtual tour guide of the biblical world.... Read more
Apart from standing firm against malicious forces, we must also put on the armor of God. Ephesians 6:10–18 encourages us to do so. This second study on spiritual warfare in Ephesians 6 will focus on the armor. Ephesians 6:10-18 seems to borrow from Jewish Scripture and traditions that depict the Lord as a warrior armed with righteousness, salvation, and vengeance ready to repay his enemies and deliver his people (Isaiah 59:14–19; compare Wisdom of Solomon 5.15–23). In Ephesians, however, Christ’s... Read more
Four different voices that give us insight on fate and freewill are Boethius, John of Damascus, Peter Abelard, and the Glossa Ordinaria. These are Christian voices from the medieval times that still resonant today. They inform our conversations about divine election, foreknowledge, and predestination. Boethius and His Encounter with Lady “Philosophy” Boethius wrote, The Consolation of Philosophy (Consolatio Philosophiae) either when imprisoned or in exile from Rome (c. 480–524). Theodoric the Great punished him because of a conspiracy attempting to... Read more
In Ephesians, the community in Christ is to engage in a spiritual battle and put on the whole “armor of God” (Eph 6:10–18). For New Testament believers, the devil and his minions are real forces that can attack those who are in Christ. The metaphoric combative gear and weaponry that this letter promotes include truth, righteousness, faith, knowledge of the God’s word, empowerment by God’s Spirit, confidence in salvation, and being grounded in the gospel that restores peace to the... Read more
Apart from his celebrated works, Confessions and The City of God, Saint Augustine of Hippo also influenced many theologians in the West with his view of doctrines such as original sin, grace, election, and predestination. He likewise commented on many verses in Romans. In this third instalment of the Romans 9 debate, we will notice that Augustine’s earlier interpretation on subjects relevant to Rom 9 do not always agree with those of his later writings. Earlier Augustine: God Chooses by... Read more
Does Romans 9 teach that God chooses individuals irrespective of their faith? Or is it that God elects based on foreknowledge of their faith? In our first instalment on the Romans 9 debate we covered ancient Jewish sects on divine determinism and freewill. We will now look at early church writers and their interpretation of Romans 9. In Romans 9:10–23 we find God saying that he loved Jacob and hated Esau; God chose Jacob over Esau before either one could... Read more
A long-standing debate regarding Roman 9 continues among informed laity, church denominations, theologians, and scholars on whether Paul teaches divine determinism in this passage. Does the passage teach double predestination and unconditional election of individuals? Do humans have a free choice if God elects some but rejects others? If God does the choosing and rejecting, why does he punish those whom he rejects as though they were at fault? In this study on the subject, we will take a look... Read more
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Thomas Aquinas on Mercy: Should I Forgive One Person but not the Other?
The great 13th century Dominican philosopher Thomas Aquinas writes about Jacob’s election over Esau prior to either son being born. God made his choice before either child could do anything good or bad (Romans 9:10–12/ Genesis 25:21–25). According to Aquinas’s Commentary on Romans (C.9 L.2.758), this passage excludes at least three errors: First, it precludes assumptions that one can trust in the merits of one’s ancestors. In other words, God is not obligated to excuse individuals purely because of the... Read more