PhD @dukereligion, Asst. Prof. Biblical Studies & Theology @TheKingsU; Co-Founder https://t.co/yvIsY0VZrc; former Jehovah’s Witness & evangelical; Anglican
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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."
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.
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.
Oct 14, 2022 • 5 tweets • 2 min read
COVID finally got me. The rest of the fam is testing negative right now. Wife & I have 4 shots (tho not the bivalent one…ugh) & kids have 3. I feeling “off” this week but tested negative until this morning. Throat feels “dry” rather than “sore.” V mild body aches. No fever.
I’ve been loading up on vitamin D, zinc, and vitamin C throughout the day since Mon (since it’s water soluble and the excess gets eliminated through urine—so I’ve been told). Hoping that’s helped along w the shots to have a mild case thus far.
Aug 22, 2022 • 6 tweets • 2 min read
I agree w this & hope I do so in practice. This is why I try to differentiate btw "description" & "interpretation(s)." E.g., "The correct interpretation of Gen 1 is X" should be avoided, but we can also say, e.g., "Gen 1 is about the 10 days of creation" is 100% *incorrect.* 1/3
This gets delicate & nuanced bc a lot of times *interpretations* are predicated on completely incorrect *descriptions* of the pericope(s). This matters for those religious trads that think the validity of any interp/theology needs to have a rational anchor in the text itself. 2/3
Aug 20, 2022 • 11 tweets • 3 min read
I sympathize w/ these concerns abt universalism. But this is y being a recovering "biblicist" can actually prove v helpful. There is so much evidence from the Xian canon that God's judgments—esp. the eschatological one—r always penultimate & they terminate in mercy.🧵of old 🧵s.
I will never not giggle at these formerly fundie turned atheist/agnostic academics who still think their fundie seminary profs actually told them the truth about the NT. Only now they reject that “truth” but they nevertheless think the fundie exegesis is spot on🤔
The truth (little “t”) is that reading these texts *as* “NT” or the OT/NT *as* “Scripture/canon” obliterates “single meaning” & relativizs, tho does not extinguish, authorial intent.
Aug 18, 2022 • 7 tweets • 2 min read
My kids usually ask abt life & death, resurrection, etc. on the reg. In our last discussion I brought up how flowers bloom & plants grow in the craziest of conditions bc, in the words of the most supreme philosophical statement every uttered: "Life…uh…finds a way." /1
If LIFE, love, joy, peace, kindness, etc. can a) exist despite our dire, fallen, & cursed conditions, & b) by existing thereby *overcome* these conditions—h/e partially & ephemerally—then c) these blossoms of life/love in the midst of fallen conditions r simultaneously signs /2
Aug 17, 2022 • 4 tweets • 1 min read
“Companies deeply need high-level *critical thinking* skills that will never coalesce from a $200 online certificate program.” Liberal arts is *actually* valuable for this end, but we can’t assume everyone else is connecting the dots.
And Religious Studies is esp relevant for navigating today’s complex religious environments. Everything is done in the context of discussions on health care, sexuality, criminology/justice, war, environmental care, econ development, etc. & these all involve religion.
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