The Gospel of Paul: Evaluating a Protestant Perspective

Last updated on: February 28, 2024 at 8:44 pm By B. J. Oropeza

What does the gospel according to Paul look like from a traditional Protestant perspective? This question is relevant for someone like me who compares and evaluates theological perspectives on Paul. A fellow scholar recently mentioned to me that in his earlier years he was influenced by Archibald M. Hunter’s book, The Gospel According to St. Paul (London: SCM, 1966/Philadelphia: Westminster, 1967). Dr. Hunter was Yates Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis at Mansfield College, Oxford. He then became Professor... Read more

A Jewish Paul: Part 3 of the Interview with Matthew Thiessen

Last updated on: February 12, 2024 at 7:35 pm By B. J. Oropeza

We are back for a third and final segment of a three-part interview with Matthew Thiessen, author of the recent book, A Jewish Paul: The Messiah’s Herald to the Gentiles (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). Dr. Thiessen is an associate professor of religious studies at McMaster University. He presents us with a well-written and provocative interpretation of Paul in this book. If you missed the previous segments, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2. Part 3: Conclusion... Read more

The Asbury Revival: The Outpouring’s 1 Year Anniversary

Last updated on: February 10, 2024 at 8:09 am By B. J. Oropeza

I am in Wilmore, Kentucky the week of the first anniversary of the Asbury Revival that started February 8, 2023. The locals normally don’t use the word “revival” or “awakening.” They call it an outpouring. The message at chapel the morning of the anniversary was entitled, “Reflections on One Year of Outpouring.” Dr. Tom McCall gave the message at the Estes Chapel, Asbury Seminary. In the evening another commemoration service about the outpouring took place at the Hughes Auditorium at... Read more

Matthew Thiessen’s A Jewish Paul: Part 2 of the Interview

Last updated on: February 3, 2024 at 9:10 pm By B. J. Oropeza

We are back for Part 2 of our interview with Matthew Thiessen! Dr. Thiessen recently wrote, A Jewish Paul: The Messiah’s Herald to the Gentiles (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2023). In Part 1 we discussed this book’s relation to Dr. Thiessen’s earlier work, Paul and the Gentile Problem, Paul’s weirdness, and the interpretation of Paul’s phrase, the “works of the law.” This instalment compares Paul in Acts with Paul in his letters in relation to the law, the translation of “Judaism” in... Read more

New Testament Use of the Old: Quotes, Allusions, and Echoes

Last updated on: January 29, 2024 at 9:03 pm By B. J. Oropeza

We may often notice that New Testament authors like to refer to Old Testament passages. But how do we distinguish when these authors are quoting, or alluding to, or echoing the OT? Sometimes the NT writers make it easy for us. Matthew, for example, includes the words, “Isaiah the prophet” before he cites this prophet (Matthew 3:3). But more often than not, the NT authors give us no clear indication about their references. Notice, for example, Paul in 1 Corinthians... Read more

A Jewish Paul: Matthew Thiessen on His New Book

Last updated on: January 15, 2024 at 9:14 pm By B. J. Oropeza

One book that recently caught my eye has the striking title, A Jewish Paul: The Messiah’s Herald to the Gentiles (Baker Academic, 2023). When I picked it up and starting browsing through it, I knew that I needed try to conduct an interview with its author, Matthew Thiessen. I now have the privilege of presenting that interview. Dr. Matthew Thiessen earned his Ph.D. at Duke University and is currently associate professor of religious studies at McMaster University. He has authored... Read more

The Apocalypse of Weeks in 1 Enoch: A Neglected Prophecy

Last updated on: January 11, 2024 at 11:51 am By B. J. Oropeza

We find the Apocalypse of Weeks in 1 Enoch 91 and 93. As an apocalypse it is a heavenly revelation previously hidden from human knowledge. This revelation depicts a total of ten different weeks. The weeks stand for various eras of human history, and the final weeks point to the very end of that history. As we begin a new year of uncertainties, what can we learn from this neglected prophecy? This prophetic discourse appears in the fifth and final... Read more

2023 in Review: The 12 Best Posts of the Year

Last updated on: February 21, 2024 at 6:46 pm By B. J. Oropeza

As 2023 comes to a close, it is time for me to review and reflect on what turned out to be the 12 best posts of the year from my General Christian column, “In Christ.” I rank these based strictly on the amount of views each of them received. If it were strictly my choice, my favorite on this list would be #11: Top 12 Monsters in the Bible. However, the choices below are not mine but yours. Here are... Read more

Are Miracles in the Gospels contrary to Historical Evidence?

Last updated on: December 22, 2023 at 1:06 am By B. J. Oropeza

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The four Gospels report a number of miracles that Jesus performed when with his disciples. Certain scholars point to these miracles as evidence against the Gospels having reliable historical information. Did Jesus really heal blind and lame people and cast out demons from possessed individuals? According to Dr. Craig Keener, we should not exclude such reports that come from “eyewitness material,” from contemporaries who experienced Jesus as an exorcist and healer of various ailments (Craig S. Keener, Christobiography: Memory, History,... Read more

Noah’s Righteousness beyond Genesis

Last updated on: December 10, 2023 at 8:05 am By B. J. Oropeza

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The story in Genesis 6–9 narrates how Noah and his family were saved in an ark from the Great Flood. God sent the Deluge on earth as result of human wickedness, but Noah escaped on account of his righteousness. Noah also reappears in later Jewish traditions as well as the New Testament due to his righteous character. Here are some examples: Noah in Scripture and Jewish Literature In Ezekiel 14:12–20 the prophet announces judgment on Jerusalem so severe that even... Read more