I had a great chat with Sam Tideman recently, following up on a number of posts addressing questions raised in a debate between James White and Dale Tuggy asking “Is Jesus Yahweh?” A previous conversation with Sam addressed “The Preexistence of Christ and Narrative Historical Theology.” I would describe myself as post-classical-trinitarian-wondering-what-comes-next (make of that what you will) rather than Unitarian, but I appreciate the fact that the specific focus of my book In the form of a God: The Pre-existence of the Exalted Christ in Paul is of interest to Unitarians.
Romans 14 is usually read as a new section dealing with disagreements within the community over such matters as diet and observance of holy days. There is, however, an immediate and decisive eschatological aspect to the discussion:
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is… ()
In this article, the author discusses Paul’s teachings in Romans about the practical implications of the gospel for the believers in Rome. The author highlights the importance of unity and obedience, as well as the need to maintain good relations with the wider Greek-Roman culture. The author… ()
What is going on here? Is this a tolerable way for Christians to behave? Should we all be doing it? And before you ask, no, it has nothing to do with helping them to keep the fire going.
The larger concern in this section of Romans is how the believers will react to persecution. At least, we have… ()
Paul’s letter to the Romans discusses the prophetic narrative that God has made Jesus Son of God through his resurrection and that he will eventually rule over the nations. The letter also mentions the wrath against the idolatrous Greeks and the shortcomings of God’s own people, the… ()
Romans 7:1-8:39The argument about the status of the Law of Moses in this critical period of eschatological crisis continues. Paul speaks to “those who know the Law,” but now he seems to be addressing Jewish believers, who “have died to the Law through the body of Christ” (7:4). ( | 4 comments)
I recently did a long and enjoyable interview with Sean Finnegan, talking about my book In the Form of a God: The Pre-existence of the Exalted Christ in Paul. Sean is lead pastor of Living Hope Community Church near Albany, New York, and teaches at Atlanta Bible College. He knows his … ( | 2 comments)
Romans 5:1-6:23
Let’s remind ourselves, first, that in these chapters Paul has been recapitulating a dialogue with the Jews of the diaspora, for the most part about the Jews of the diaspora. They have failed to provide a benchmark of piety and right behaviour among the… ( | 3 comments)
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