Part One “The World to Come” It is crucial to read Hebrews 2:5 very carefully. In it the writer states, “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” The angels right now minister to the heirs of salvation” (Heb. 1:14 cf. 1:7). In “the world to come” (Heb. 2:5); of which the Son is the heir (Heb. 1:2), in seems as though the Son will be much more prominent, the coming …
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This alternative reading of the Book of Hebrews comes about largely through a determined attempt (easier said than done) to read the work independently of the voice of Paul. Just as say Romans or Ephesians requires us to read it for what it is without drawing in assumptions from the Gospels, so Hebrews demands that we temporarily set the great apostle to one side as we take it up. Hebrews deserves to be read apart from Paul just as much …
Part Three A Premillennial Reading of Hebrews (3) Christ’s Body a Covenant Sacrifice The author of Hebrews chose as his go-to text the “Old Greek” of the OT, but not exactly what scholars mean when they say “LXX.”[1] His singular use of Psalm 40:6-8, especially its translation of Psalm 40:6 as “a body you have prepared for me.” As Thomas Constable notes, Psalm 40:6 reads: “You have opened [i.e., cleaned out] my ears,” whereas Hebrews 10:5 says: “You have …
Part Two A Premillennial Reading of Hebrews (2) A New Covenant After quoting Jeremiah 31 the author is careful to refer to “a new covenant” (Heb. 8:13), but nobody doubts that the definite article is required in its other mentions in the book (Heb. 9:15; 12:23). Those interpreters who insist that the New covenant is not made with the Church, or that the Church is only tangentially related to the New covenant are, to my mind, once more in …
Part One A Premillennial Reading of Hebrews (1) The present writer has already stated his general agreement with what is now called Revised Dispensationalism – the Dispensationalism of Charles Ryrie and J. Dwight Pentecost. I go further and say that I find the work of Larry Pettegrew and Michael Vlach always to be excellent, even where we disagree. That we disagree is mainly down to me.[1] I prioritize the divine biblical covenants above the “dispensations.” I have grave doubts …
This piece and its follow ups are taken from my upcoming book (DV) ‘The Words of the Covenant, Volume 2: New Testament Continuation.’ Although it contains many precious and ascertainable truths, the epistle to the Hebrews is the most elusive book in the NT. For such a weighty NT book to be anonymous is surprising. However, that aside, what I want to do in my treatment of this letter (or perhaps it is better to call it a sermon) is …
Part Ten The Olive Tree Metaphor in Romans 11 Some passages of Scripture have suffered under the myosis of its interpreters more than most. At the forefront of these abused passages is surely Romans 11:16-29. For sure, there is a bit of deciphering of Paul’s language to do, but all in all I think the apostle’s thrust is easy to grasp. The problem with so many interpretations of the verses, especially by those who like to employ the NT …
A review of Brant Pitre, Michael P. Barber, and John A. Kincaid, Paul, A New Covenant Jew: Rethinking Pauline Theology, Grnd Rapids: Eerdmans, 2019, 310 pages, pbk. Over the past several years I have been reading many books on Paul and Pauline Theology in preparation for writing the NT companion volume of my Biblical Theology. This book is written by three Roman Catholic scholars who are widely read in the discipline. The reason I was attracted to this book is …
Part One If we take a look at 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 we can try and track what the apostle is teaching: But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. – 4:13 Paul’s concern is that the embattled believers at Thessalonica are not unaware of a certain doctrine concerning those saints who have passed since it will give them hope. For if we believe …
I have received the following objection to the Pre-Trib Rapture from a brother named Jerry Parks. Jerry is a good man who blogs here. He states his argument thus (I have brought together his main assertions from several comments etc.): “Paul makes clear in his discussion of the resurrection in 1 Cor. 15 that it is being in Christ that is the only means to the resurrection of which Paul is speaking. Specifically he says: ‘For since by man came …
