From the May Archives
(avg. read time: 3–6 mins.)
What Are Forgiveness, Repentance, and Reconciliation, and Why Are They Important?
How Should We Live in Light of Forgiveness, Repentance, and Reconciliation?
What Happens When Forgiveness Does Not Meet Repentance?
This three-part series is adapted from a series of sermons I did for a Disciple Now at First Baptist Church of Shawnee, OK.
On Comparison, Part 1: Introduction and Assumptions
On Comparison, Part 2: Purposes
On Comparison, Part 3: Best Practices
This is adapted from my methodology chapter of my dissertation. It is most thoroughly applicable to matters of comparative religion and the kinds of comparisons often seen in biblical studies. Of course, since comparison is one of the basic forms of analysis and we use it all the time, I think this series is more generally important for how to do comparison well.
Biblical and Theological Commentary on Tolkien’s Beowulf, Part 1
Biblical and Theological Commentary on Tolkien’s Beowulf, Part 2
This was the first biblical and theological commentary on Tolkien’s work that I ever posted on this site all the way back in 2022. That is how long this series has been going, and if God is willing that I should keep this Substack running, it will continue at least well into next year. These entries are on Tolkien’s translation and commentary for Beowulf, a story that he knew as well as anyone.
Worldview Analysis, Part 1: Defining “Worldview”
Worldview Analysis, Part 2: Models of Worldview Component Functions
Worldview Analysis, Part 3: The First Component of Narrative/Story
Worldview Analysis, Part 4: The Second Component of Symbols
Worldview Analysis, Part 5: The Third Component of Praxis
Worldview Analysis, Part 6: The Fourth Component of Answers to Basic Worldview Questions
This is adapted from another part of my methodology chapter for various models of worldview analysis and how I did mine.
This is a study of the use of “sign” language in John in all of its occurrences. I explore the significance of signs in John in relation to the story of the exodus, as well as the themes of testimony, faith, and sight.
The Raising of Lazarus: An Historical Analysis
This is a version of one of my published articles, the second one I did for Evangelical Quarterly. It involves examining Jesus’s other deeds of raising the dead in their historical context, as well as an argument for the historicity of this miracle substantially as it is narrated (rather than a common suggestion that there is a historical core that has been amplified).
The Holy Spirit in the Farewell Discourse of John 14–16
The Farewell Discourse in John, particularly chs. 14–16, is one of the pneumatologically densest texts in the NT. No other text says as much about how the Holy Spirit works in bonding Jesus and his disciples after his ascension. This post is more of a preliminary outline of something I would like to engage in more depth another time.
Review of The Resurrection of Jesus: Apologetics, Polemics, History
Dale Allison’s Resurrection of Jesus may or may not be his last book on the resurrection. There is a lot that is helpful in it, but it is mixed with a lot that is not. There is a basic incoherence in that it seems like multiple Dale Allisons wrote this book. This is quite a long book review, but there is a lot to talk about.
Proclamations of the Gospel in Acts
When the earliest Christians proclaimed the gospel, what was the content of those proclamations? This post of over 21,000 words reviews all the proclamations of the gospel in the book of Acts to study the patterns and variations in content.
Patterns of Gospel Proclamation in Acts and 1 Cor 15
What is often described as the earliest known gospel summary is in 1 Cor 15. It is worth studying how its pattern of proclamation compares with various gospel proclamations in Acts. The speeches of most relevance to 1 Cor 15, the ones that cite witness testimony, appear in Acts 2; 3; 5; 10; and 13. I also look more briefly at other Pauline gospel summaries and how they compare with the patterns in Acts and 1 Cor 15.
Jesus’s Resurrection and the General Resurrection in Acts (paid subscriber exclusive)
This is a precursor to an article that is currently under review. As such, it is an exclusive.
Jesus’s Standing at God’s Right Hand in Acts 7:55–56 as a Reference to His Priestly Function
The titles speak for themselves.
The “Western Text” of Acts in Codex Bezae and Its Text-Critical Issues
This is another debate I want to return to in more detail another time because there is a lot to sort through. But this post does provide an orientation to some text-critical issues in the peculiar “Western” version of Acts.
The Fulfillment of Scripture in Acts
This year I wrote a series of entries on the references to fulfillment of Scripture in the Gospels. The precursor to those was this post on Acts.
Adam and Christ in 1 Cor 15 and Rom 5
This is an extension of an extract of my dissertation looking at how and Adam and Christ are related in these texts.
Links Between The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, Part 3: Book III
Links Between The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, Part 4: Book IV
“The Wrath of God Was Satisfied”: Reply to a Subscriber’s Request
What is the role of God’s wrath in Christ’s atoning work. This is my all-too-brief attempt to answer that question while disentangling other issues that are often rolled up with it.
Orientation to the Additions to Esther
The LXX features a longer version of Esther. In addition to translating the Hebrew text, the LXX adds narrative detail and many references to God that are notoriously absent from the Hebrew text. This orientation reviews their content and their links with the OT and NT.
1 Clement is one of the most interesting texts of the Apostolic Fathers, and it has several references to resurrection to review. It is especially noteworthy for how it is connected with NT texts and for its references to OT texts.
Biblical and Theological Commentary on The Lord of the Rings, Part 7: Appendix A (paid subscriber exclusive)
Biblical and Theological Commentary on The Lord of the Rings, Part 8: Appendices B–F (paid subscriber exclusive)
Of course I was not going to leave out the Appendices for this commentary.
Ben-Hur: A (Para-)Biblical Adaptation Review
Eventually, I would like to return to writing reviews of biblical and para-biblical adaptations in film and TV. They are just rather time-consuming for me to write. This is easily the best one I have reviewed thus far. But since the movie is quote long, so is the review.
Review of Matthew 24–25 as Prophetic-Apocalyptic
This is a review of my friend Kennedy Ekeocha’s published dissertation. I register my disagreements, of course, but if you want to engage the text of Jesus’s Olivet Discourse more deeply, particularly in its Matthean version, I do not know of any volume out right now that is more helpful than this one.
Why You Should Think About Your Funeral
This is an extension of an exercise I did for my Death and Resurrection class in seminary, where we had to arrange an order of worship for our own funerals.
Evaluating Resurrection Harmonies, Part 2: Jake O’Connell’s Jesus’ Resurrection and Apparitions