An Intertextual Commentary on Romans 9–11

September 30, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Professor Channing Crisler recently completed An Intertextual Commentary on Romans 9–11 (Eugene: Pickwick, 2022), the subject of this current column. I interviewed Dr. Crisler earlier on his two previous volumes: Romans 1–4 and Romans 5–8. This time we cover his third volume. By far Paul uses Jewish Scripture in Romans 9–11 more often than anywhere else in any of his letters. We find a total of at least 33 different quotes from the Old Testament in just these three chapters.... Read more

What Everyone Ought to Know about Archangels

September 13, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Scripture and ancient Jewish literature identify powerful angels as archangels (archangelos/ ἀρχάγγελος). Michael is called an archangel in Jude 9. He contends against Satan. In Revelation 12:7-9 John depicts Michael along with an army of angels fighting against Satan and his angels. In relation to the second coming of Jesus, Paul mentions an archangel’s voice but no name in 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Daniel 12:1 calls Michael “the great angel” or “chief commander,” a type of guardian angel over Israel (Dan... Read more

The Pursuit of Holiness: Hebrews 12:14

August 28, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

What the church needs now is more holiness, not another license to sin in the name of love. It grieves my heart when I hear well-recognized ministers and televangelists speak about God’s love and grace while at the same time remaining silent about sin and the pursuit of holiness. The gospel should always have the inviting message, “come as you are,” but this does not mean that it should promote the message, “remain as you are”! I stand convicted by... Read more

Do Gentiles in Christ Become Israel? Re-reading Romans 11:25–26

August 14, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

In Romans 9–11 the Apostle Paul claims that many from Israel have become hard hearted, rejecting the gospel about their Messiah, Jesus. At the same time, many gentiles have believed this message. In Romans 11:25–26, however, we learn that Israel’s hardening is only temporary. Once the “fullness” of the gentiles comes in (i.e., they get saved), “all Israel” will be saved. Several interpretations of “all Israel” are possible, but a prominent position these days is to interpret “Israel” in Romans... Read more

Reading 1 Timothy 2:9–15: Are Women Forbidden to Teach at Church?

August 2, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Sometimes 1 Timothy 2:9–15 is read in tandem with 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 to make the claim that if Paul commands women to be silent, churches today should not permit them to teach, speak, or lead congregations. I explained 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 in my previous post, and this time we will discuss the text of 1 Timothy. Incidentally, 1 Timothy 2:9–15 also discourages women from braiding their hair, putting on jewelry with gold or pearls, and wearing expensive clothes. Yet somehow... Read more

Should Women Keep Silent at Church? Rereading 1 Corinthian 14:34–35

July 24, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Did Paul forbid women from speaking at the Corinthian church? With 1 Corinthians 14:34–35 as our model, yes, they were to keep quiet, but what does this mean? A number of biblical interpreters point out that Paul permits women to prophesy at church in 1 Cor 11:5. Hence, unless our apostle is contradicting himself, 1 Cor 14:34–35 cannot mean an absolute ban on women speaking. It also follows that if they were allowed to prophesy, Paul would hardly prevent them... Read more

Will Heaven Be Boring?

July 16, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Is Heaven Boring? What perceptions do we have about eternity? In intriguing chapters in Why Does God Allow Evil? professor and apologist Clay Jones (D. Min.) tackles such questions. He suggests that we will have “free will” in heaven, and this provides a reason for why we suffer on earth—“so that God can release us in His eternal kingdom to do what we want to do and yet not sin… but will heaven be worth it?” (p. 160). To arrive at... Read more

Who Else Can Use Some Joy? 5 Ways to Experience It

June 26, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

What are ways you can experience joy? Since so much of our culture seems to thrive on reporting negative news, we might want to think more about positive things, such as the goodness of life and what it means to have joy. The main biblical verb for rejoicing is chairȏ (χαίρω) in the Greek. It appears at least 91 times in the Old Testament (the Septuagint version) and 74 times in the New Testament. The noun form for “joy” (chara/... Read more

What the Bible You Read Is Wrongly Translating: Romans 8:29–30

June 15, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Every major English version of the Bible I have run across translates the Greek in Romans 8:29-30 the same way, even though it may not be the best way. The subject is God and the passage reads as follows: “because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also... Read more

Is Leviathan a Fire-Breathing Dragon? Interpreting Job 41 and Other Texts

June 5, 2023 By B. J. Oropeza

Leviathan is an extraordinary creature that we read about in the Book of Job 41. Is this a fire-breathing dragon, a mythological monster, a poetic description of a natural creature, or something else? What do biblical texts and other ancient traditions say about this beast? Job and Leviathan Towards the end of the book of Job, God appears to Job and relays a set of questions to him that exemplify the mysteries of God’s creation and his extraordinary power over... Read more