Jesus and Ancient Biography: An Interview with Craig S. Keener on His Recent Book, Christobiography

Last updated on: August 18, 2020 at 8:05 pm By B. J. Oropeza

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing biblical scholar, Dr. Craig S. Keener, Professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary. He has authored many books, together which have sold more than 1 million copies worldwide. Recently, he has written an important book entitled, Christobiography: Memory, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2019). Craig, whom I consider a fellow scholar and friend, has agreed to answer several questions about his recent book, Christobiography: B. J. Oropeza: You recently wrote... Read more

7 Things to Pray about regarding COVID-19

Last updated on: January 6, 2021 at 3:16 pm By B. J. Oropeza

We who consider ourselves to be in Christ must recognize that the true enemy in this pandemic is not whoever we might be elicited by our news outlets to blame. The true enemy is COVID-19. We as the church should not mirror our society’s political divisions and deceptive ideologies. Our political leanings should not matter to one another; what should matter is that we uphold biblical values without turning a blind eye to abuse, slander, crime, injustice, violence, vandalism, and... Read more

A Tale of Two Plagues, One with Christians and One Without: 10 Descriptions of Each

Last updated on: August 14, 2020 at 10:30 pm By B. J. Oropeza

As COVID-19 spikes again, and our country’s divisions deepen over what to do about the virus, a lesson from the annals of history teach us about early Christian and non-Christian reactions to plagues. The ancient Greek historian Thucydides writes a gripping description of a terrible plague that struck Athens and other city-states during the early stages of the Peloponnesian War (c. 430 BC). Eusebius of Caesarea then writes about believers and non-believers alike struck by a plague that ravaged Alexandria,... Read more

Memories of my Doktorvater, James D. G. Dunn (1939-2020)

Last updated on: August 30, 2020 at 8:38 pm By B. J. Oropeza

It comes with great sadness that biblical scholarship has lost a great man this week, my mentor, James D. G. Dunn. He leaves behind his wonderful wife, Meta, and his children, Catrina, David, and Fiona. An excerpt from his festschrift that I, along with C. K. Robertson and Doug Mohrmann, published says it well: “Future eras of biblical scholarship, when looking back at this time in history, will confirm what is already clearly evident – that James D. G. Dunn... Read more

When is it Time to Push Back on Unconditional Love? A Lesson from the Riots in Minnesota

Last updated on: August 19, 2020 at 6:46 am By B. J. Oropeza

As rioting, looting, burning, and mayhem are currently taking place in Minnesota and the streets of our other cities, I cannot help but point the finger back at ourselves for this mayhem. I’m ashamed to say that quite a number of churches have inadvertently contributed to the crisis. We failed and continue to fail an entire generation of young people, the same ones we see on our television screens and social media who are currently destroying buildings, stealing, and cheering... Read more

Was Satan Once a Beautiful Angel named Lucifer?

Last updated on: April 17, 2020 at 12:24 am By B. J. Oropeza

Was Satan Once a Beautiful Angel Named Lucifer? The most popular belief about Satan’s fall is based on the Bible in Isaiah 14:12 (KJV): “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer son of the morning!” The passage goes on to say that Lucifer tried to raise his throne above the stars and become like the Most High, but God cast him down to the depths of the pit (Is 14:13-15). This passage is often compared with Ezekiel 28:11-19, which... Read more

What Does Toilet Paper Have to Do with the Bible? 7 Reasons for the Missing Rolls and what this Means

Last updated on: August 19, 2020 at 3:01 pm By B. J. Oropeza

I never imagined writing about a theology on toilet paper, but then came COVID-19! The scarcity of this product in our stores is all too noticeable these days. How is it that the Coronavirus compels us to buy more toilet paper than we need, and what might the Bible say about this? 7 Reasons Why We Stock up on Toilet Paper There are at least seven reasons why we currently have trouble finding toilet paper and want to stock up... Read more

Is the Coronavirus a Sign of the End Times?

Last updated on: August 8, 2020 at 8:26 am By B. J. Oropeza

So here we are facing a global pandemic with the Coronavirus infecting virtually 1 million people so far. Didn’t Jesus predict that one of the signs of the end times would be pestilences? Is COVID-19 a sign that the last days have arrived? In the Bible, particularly Luke’s Gospel, he says, “‘When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.’ Then he said to... Read more