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Andrew Rillera Profile picture
Andrew Rillera
@AndrewRillera
PhD @dukereligion, Asst. Prof. Biblical Studies & Theology @TheKingsU; Co-Founder https://t.co/yvIsY0VZrc; former Jehovah’s Witness & evangelical; Anglican
4 subscribers
Nov 30 • 10 tweets • 2 min read
Good (understandable) question. But ISTM both the ? & many replies presume a model of human relationality that is flawed. As if bc we are in union w God somehow this doesn't leave "room" for relating to any others whom we r somehow indefinitely if not infinitely separated from?? If God/Christ is "all things in all things" (1 Cor 15:28; Col 3:11) & "in him all things in heaven & on earth r recapitulated" (Eph 1:10) & his "Body is the fullness of the One who fills all things in all things" (1:23), then our relation to Christ guarantees our relation to all.
Oct 20 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
“The end” that Paul envisions in 1 Cor 15:24 is nothing less than the resurrection of “all” “in Adam” who “die” (v22). Christ is the first fruits of those raised, then “those of Christ” will be raised (v23), & then “the end” is when the rest of “all in Adam” (v22) are raised.🧵 Paul characterizes “the end” as “when he has abolished every Ruler and every Authority and Power" (v24) and when “he all enemies under his feet” (v25)—and the very last of these Rulers/Authorities/Powers/enemies is “Death” (26).
Sep 20 • 15 tweets • 4 min read
ATTN Christians: Contextualizing Jesus's Sabbath disputes (eg,. Mark 2–3; Matt 12; Luke 6) is one way to stop perpetuating anti-Jewish exegesis rooted in historical ignorance.

Did you know Jesus aligns w the same principles of prioritization in the Mishnah & Talmud re Sabbath?🧵
handshake meme: Jesus and the Rabbis agree that saving life > temple service > sabbath These Sabbath disputes are intra-Jewish debates over proper *halakha* (torah-observance) by discerning which command overrides others when in conflict. Jesus isn't saying, “no more halakha.” Rather, these scenes establish the *halakhic legality* of Jesus's/his disciples' actions.
Aug 17 • 21 tweets • 5 min read
Key aspects of my practical & public political theology summed up by 3 biblical texts.🧵

Preamble: The governments of this world are not the Church, & the Church is not the government. In representative democracies, however, the government reflects the collective will of voters. See my article “Voting w/in the Framework of Christian Discipleship” for more. It’s written initially for US voters, but applicable in any representative democracy. Here's snippets re voting as having an official voice at the table:
madeforpax.medium.com/voting-within-…

The fundamental task of disciples of Jesus is the bear witness to his Kingdom to all nations (Matt 28:18–20). The Apostle Paul describes Christians as divine royal ambassadors (2 Cor 5:20). Most of the people we read about in Scripture did not get invited by the worldly powers to have a voice at their table. Jesus and Paul did not have an “official” voice. But some people did get invited by the worldly powers to have an official voice[...]and they used it as simply one more way to speak as ambassadors for the Kingdom of God — and crucially, they remained loyal to their Kingdom allegiance ev...
So how ought we use our [vote] to speak to our nation...? [...]we need to be asking questions for each policy and for each candidate at all levels of elected office such as: What will alleviate more suffering? What will have a more positive impact on the material conditions of those on the margins, the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and “the least of these”? How can I be a voice for the voiceless, for those who do not have an official voice at the table (e.g., immigrants, the unjustly disenfranchised, future generations, peoples in other nations that will have to live with the results of Am...
Aug 15 • 12 tweets • 3 min read
Great ? to ponder. The cover is a section of the Ghent Altarpiece (& u can explain that as u see fit), but I'll take a crack re the points throughout the book. My kids are 13 & 11 now, but I'll use some of what I recall my wife & I talking w them about when they were younger.🧵 This all is obvs too much for a literal 3 yr old (esp. all at once). The way I recall talking w our kids when they were that young is basically just points 1–3: God loves all creation & nothing can stop God's love. Not our mistakes & not even death. We know this bc of Jesus.
May 8 • 13 tweets • 3 min read
🚨PSA🚨 When discussing PSA (penal substitutionary atonement), scholars and theologians need to agree on definitions. I think anything other than Gathercole's definition in his book _Defending Substitution_ will likely be too capacious to be useful.+ Since Gathercole has already set the definitions and agenda for the substitution discussion, we (at least "we" scholars and theologians in the guilds) need to have this discussion on these terms. Anything else and we'll be speaking past each other—speaking different dialects.+
May 7 • 20 tweets • 5 min read
Penal substitutionary atonement says that Jesus’s crucifixion is him suffering the wrath/justice of *God* toward humanity.

But the NT says otherwise.

Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 3:16; 4:9–12; Rm 5:8; 8:35, 37, 39 all say the cross is an act of God's *love.*

"But wait! There's more!" 🧵 Acts 4:25–28 says the crucifixion is Jesus suffering the wrath/injustice/enmity of *humanity* toward God! Although I affirm the Trinity, this isn't a "Jesus is God" claim. The crucifixion is the wrath of *humanity* toward God precisely because it is toward another *human being*!+
Apr 14 • 18 tweets • 4 min read
Another🧵This is helping me pull more things together I’ve been responding to in the various comments. Still processing & trying to account for the interrelated nature of things (pushing 1 bit influences the rest) & what's there or missing. Let's just put in on the table & see.+ J was expected to return: Act 1:11 & 3:20–21. But I think these texts—Mt 26:64; 28:18; Lk 22:69; Acts 1:9–10; 2:31–35; 7:55–56—indicate that "coming on the clouds" corresponds exactly to Dn 7:13–14, which is an ascension/enthronement to receive "authority."
Apr 13 • 29 tweets • 7 min read
This conversation re “imminence" came to an interesting place. I want to sum up some things & hopefully sharpen my thinking bc I haven’t put a ton of time into this. Although there *is* evidence that some early Jesus followers expected his return to be w/in their lifetime,+ it’s noteworthy that it does not appear 1) in any relation to the apostolic kerygma, 2) as the grounds for basic "ethic" of conforming to Jesus' death in any NT text, or 3) as the grounds for the gentile mission. But it's these v things that those who think imminence is "core”+
Aug 15, 2023 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
If I say "*all* have sinned & are being justified as a gift by God's grace" you'd know I'm clearly a universalist, but if I point out that Paul said this in Rom 3:23–24, then it's suddenly "underdetermined/ambiguous."🧵 If I say, "one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all" you'd know I'm clearly a universalist, but if I point out Paul said this in Rom 5:18, then it's suddenly "underdetermined/ambiguous."
Aug 14, 2023 • 8 tweets • 2 min read
I don’t know why some think it’s so implausible that Paul would be a universalist, as if the notion first arose after him w Origen or something…even though it’s also found in Second Temple Jewish texts that predate Paul & he consistently makes explicit universalist claims… Apparently Paul can’t mean what he says & be a universalist bc of the alternative fact that no one ever thought about that as a possibility until Origen. So Paul consistently misspoke (& his imitators in Eph & Col & Tim did so as well) & Origen misunderstood that Paul misspoke.
Jun 29, 2023 • 25 tweets • 5 min read
Y'all know I'm a big fan of @bibleproject @timmackie & although "The City E7" & series r great, this episode (see QT) misses a significant point re Joseph.

🧵on y I think Joseph's famine response (Gn 41:33–56, 47:13–26) is an example of exactly what *not* to do per the Torah.1/ Whereas TBP says the Joseph story shows how "a city...can become a source of life under the leadership of a wise human image of God" Joseph creates the economic-land structure in Gen 47 God hates. Joseph is an example of unwise rule that brings *slavery* (Gn Gen 47:19, 25).2/
Apr 4, 2023 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
The key premise in non-universalist accounts (“soft” or “hard”) of hell is that there is no possibility of repentance/salvation after death. But this can’t be anchored in Scripture, while the exact opposite can be (1 Pet 4:5–6 & 1 Cor 3:12-15; 5:5; Rev’s open gates) & + there is a plethora of Second Temple Jewish (& Jesus-movement) texts that affirm this very possibly. Ironically, the “plain sense” champions have to ignore these Scriptures to maintain their opinion that repentance & salvation r impossible after death.
Mar 20, 2023 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
Denny Burk's essay arguing for Eternal Conscious Torment in _Four Views on Hell_ is embarrassingly bad. I can't even believe it was published. I would have solicited another contributor. I would give it a D only bc the grammar is fine. The only upside is that it might be a nec corollary to the untenable nature of ETC itself. Just letting people read it & then the responses from the other contributors is more than enough for readers to go: OK, ETC is obviously a load of crap. Let's consider the other views now.
Mar 16, 2023 • 38 tweets • 7 min read
As a follow up to this 🧵& my other ones on Paul, the keen reader of Paul's letters will wonder about the judgment schema in Rom 2:5-11, which quite clearly expresses a principle of soteriological meritocracy (salvation on the basis of good works). Lets get into it below. I conclude in my diss that this is the v schema Paul is directly opposing in Romans. This is the view of the person Paul addresses & corrects in Rom 2:1, 3, &17ff. *But even if u don't agree w that*, I want to show how Rom 2 is fundamentally incompatible w the rest of the letter.
Mar 15, 2023 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
Paul: A *pornos*, one who practices *porneia* (sexual immorality), “will not inherit the kingdom” (1 Cor 6:9–10; cf. Gal 5:19–21).

So that unrepentant Corinthian pornos is a goner (5:1)?

P: Well, his flesh will be destroyed, but he'll be "saved in the day [of judgment]" (5:5). ???

P: Well, he'll go thru the purifying & purgative flames of divine judgment (3:12–15; see “the Day” 3:13 w 5:5) just like anyone else: “If anyone’s works/deeds are burned up, they will suffer loss; but they themselves will be saved, but in this way: as through fire” (3:15).
Feb 13, 2023 • 9 tweets • 2 min read
Y'all, as I said "what God has joined together [worship/filled w the Spirit & social justice] let no revival separate."

💥Even John the Baptizer was suspicious of the popularity of his "revival" & pleaded for the "crowds" coming to "bear fruits worthy of repentance."~Lk 3:7–14 JBap's ministry teaches us that esp when something becomes a popular "movement" we need to make explicit that w/e we do the telos must be abt conforming ourselves/our communities to the justice of God, which is always abt exalting the material conditions of the poor & oppressed.
Feb 11, 2023 • 9 tweets • 3 min read
Sorry to be biblicist & therefore a curmudgeon, but only time will tell if this Asbury "revival" is actually worthy of the name or if it is just futile navel gazing. If/when they start pleading the cause of the afflicted & needy w one voice, then I'll believe they "know" God.+ Getting caught up in a rapture of music & prayer can v well happen when communing w a demon. If this is truly reviving the community's communion w the Xian God, then an explosion of "social justice" is about to happen (!!). Jeremiah 9:24; 22:15–16; Matt 25:31–46. May it be so.
Dec 14, 2022 • 8 tweets • 1 min read
I should be grading my two final classes, but I got lost down a Mishnah rabbit hole, stayed up to 3am. Woke up still tracing that research high & just now think I've come full circle to stop, peacefully knowing the small paragraph this generated for my book is well substantiated. The hopeful payoff: Roy Gane's interpretation of Lev 12:7–8, which is meant to counter Milgrom & which he (Gane) then extrapolates out to the entire purgation sacrifices is untenable.
Nov 21, 2022 • 16 tweets • 3 min read
The closest thing to a blueprint for what a "Christian nation" might be abt is Matt 25:31–46. However, this isn't abt "Christian nations" bc the sheep/goats are *both* surprised to learn they have been interacting w Jesus this whole time. But there's still lots to learn here. (esp. those of you who like "limited government," listen up.)

The Sheep & the Goats r *not* individuals. They r particular *nations.* It's a judgment of the nations that is in view. This is bc "sheep" & the "goats" r subsets of "the nations" (*ta ethnē*, 25:32).
Oct 14, 2022 • 12 tweets • 2 min read
Why inspiration of Scripture ≠ inerrancy (or shouldn’t): A 🧵 Just like the *Spirit inspired* prophetic words spoken in the church are not inerrant/infallible—since Paul says these inspired utterances need to be διακρίνω-ed (“judged/evaluated/questioned/doubted”) by the community (1 Cor 14:29)—I think same goes for written inspired words.