Marginalized Christians in a Hostile Society: Craig Keener on 1 Peter

Last updated on: July 13, 2021 at 11:26 pm By B. J. Oropeza

I had the privilege of recently interviewing biblical scholar and friend, Craig Keener,* on his new commentary, 1 Peter: A Commentary (Baker, 2021). A blurb about this commentary reads as follows: “Leading New Testament scholar Craig Keener, one of the most trusted exegetes working today, is widely respected for his thorough research, sound judgments, and knowledge of ancient sources … This commentary on 1 Peter features Keener’s meticulous and comprehensive research and offers a wealth of fresh insights. It will benefit students,... Read more

Paul and the New Covenant: An Interview with Scott Hafemann

Last updated on: June 28, 2021 at 11:06 am By B. J. Oropeza

I am privileged to conduct an interview with Dr. Scott Hafemann. We met fairly recently as participants at a conference conducted by Prof. Florian Wilk of the University of Göttingen. Our papers from that meeting have now been published in Paul and Moses: The Exodus and Sinai Traditions in the Letters of Paul (Florian Wilk, editor; published by Mohr Siebeck). Dr. Hafemann is world-class biblical scholar and professor who has taught at Wheaton College, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and St Mary’s... Read more

Top 12 Commentaries on Romans

Last updated on: July 11, 2021 at 10:13 pm By B. J. Oropeza

As I currently do research on Paul’s epistle to the Romans, I would like to share what I consider the 12 best commentaries on this letter. As a New Testament professor, not a pastor or layperson, I probably have a different perspective than some. No doubt, my ratings are biased because of it. If you want a commentary that you can read cover to cover, or a commentary that compiles sermons, my list may not be of much help to... Read more

Is an Attack on Israel Imminent according Prophecy? Gog and Magog in Ezekiel 38-39

Last updated on: June 26, 2021 at 9:45 pm By B. J. Oropeza

The very recent missile exchange between Hamas and Israel has prompted renewed interest in biblical prophecy, as did the pandemic, which I wrote about last year. One popular speaker recently declared that Gog and Magog, prophesied about in Ezekiel 38-39, will attack Israel, whether in this current conflict or another. Who is this ominous force north of Israel, and will this prediction soon come to pass? Gog and Magog: Past Predictions about Russia Actually, Gog and Magog predictions are nothing... Read more

Is Jesus Praying for Us in Heaven? No, but Something Better is Going On

Last updated on: June 13, 2021 at 12:14 am By B. J. Oropeza

We probably have all heard before that Jesus is currently in heaven praying to God the Father on our behalf. After all, it says in Romans 8:34: “Who is the one who will condemn? Christ is the one who died—yes, rather was raised—who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us” (my translation). The word for interceding in this verse, ἐντυγχάνω (entugchanȏ), as Greek lexicons will affirm, can mean a variety of things depending on... Read more

Three Ways to Become a Better Bible Interpreter

Last updated on: June 26, 2021 at 9:45 pm By B. J. Oropeza

Many of us have heard before how we are to read the Bible—read it plainly for what it says, right? Wrong! Reading the Bible this way will likely cause you to misinterpret it. A few examples from Scripture will suffice to confirm my point: When Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26),* it becomes... Read more

Is it Wrong to Say, “Amen”?

Last updated on: April 20, 2021 at 1:18 pm By B. J. Oropeza

Recently I searched on google for the word “Amen,” and what I found was quite bewildering. On the first page of my search results, under the section titled, “People also ask,” the fourth highest ranked question turned out to be: “Is it wrong to say amen?” I did more searches, this time using variations of “amen and awomen,” which uncovered other questions from “People also ask.” On the top of one search was the question, “Is it rude to say... Read more

God’s First Covenant with Humans: Not Adam but Noah

Last updated on: March 23, 2021 at 3:02 pm By B. J. Oropeza

The first explicit mention of a covenant in the Bible is the one God establishes with Noah. Beginning in Genesis 6, God speaks to Noah that God will flood the earth. He tells him to build an ark and include in it two of each living creature. God tells him in advance that all flesh will perish on account of human wickedness: “And I will establish my covenant (beriyth בְּרִית) with you, and you will enter into the ark, you,... Read more

Do Guardian Angels Exist?

Last updated on: September 17, 2021 at 11:11 pm By B. J. Oropeza

There are many stories of supernatural protection from angels. One inner‑city counselor claimed a seven‑foot angel protected her from a gang of thugs.1 On the other hand, Wolly Tope established a Christian ministry to people disillusioned by false and cultic teachings. In April 1992 he had an appointment with destiny. When he heard about riots breaking out in Los Angeles, Tope took to the streets and preached to the rioters. A gang of hoodlums beat him so severely that he... Read more

Will the Real St. Valentine Please Stand—or could we at least find some meaning behind his Day?

Last updated on: February 12, 2021 at 12:45 am By B. J. Oropeza

What do we do with three different Saint Valentines, each of them martyrs associated with February 14? According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, hardly anything is known about one of the martyrs and his companions except that they were martyred in Africa, and the other two are described as “a priest at Rome, another as bishop of Interamna (modern Terni), and these two seem both to have suffered in the second half of the third century and to have been buried on the Flaminian... Read more