This volume is the first to investigate manifestations of faith in the book of Hebrews across fou... more This volume is the first to investigate manifestations of faith in the book of Hebrews across four dimensions: ethical, eschatological, Christological, and ecclesiological. Matthew C. Easter illustrates that two contrasting narrative identities emerge in Hebrews: the author of the epistle proclaims that "we are not of timidity unto destruction, but of faith unto the preservation of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39). Easter classifies the former as the default human story, which lacks faith and results inevitably in death. The latter represents the story of faith, in which one endures suffering to the point of death and thereby achieves eschatological life. The epitome of faithfulness, Jesus confirms the truth of this conclusion and perfects faith through his resurrection. Humans participate in the story of faith by enduring suffering with the traveling people of God and, in doing so, look forward to being raised with Jesus
This essay argues that the recurring character Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara in the American sit... more This essay argues that the recurring character Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara in the American sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is an antitype of Saint Augustine in his Confessions. Augustine opens his Confessions in prayer to God: “You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you” (1.1.1). The autobiographical prayer that follows depicts an Augustine ever-distracted by romantic love. It is not until Christ frees him of his lustful desires that he finds true rest. Rickety Cricket – who starts his career on the sitcom as an ordained priest – follows the opposite path, spiraling into greater unrest as the seasons pass. Like Augustine, Rickety Cricket’s restlessness is intertwined with his search for romantic love, here in his lustful desire for the character of Dee Reynolds. By comparing Augustine with Rickety Cricket, we discover the enslaving power of seeking romantic love over communion with the Triune God.
Traditionally, the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 has been viewed as an object of scorn. F... more Traditionally, the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 has been viewed as an object of scorn. For example, John Calvin describes her as “a forward and disobedient wife [who] constrained her husband to divorce her.” Other interpreters from the Protestant Reformation (such as Johannes Brenz, Heinrich Bullinger, and Philipp Melanchthon) describe her in similar terms. This interpretation has persisted into the modern era. However, a closer look at John 4 and the social context of the woman suggests that this story may not be about Jesus confronting a woman regarding her sexual sin, but about Jesus compassionately meeting a woman in her point of need. This essay joins the growing voices advocating for this woman’s dignity and suggests further the need for a reappraisal of how interpreters treat marginalized voices in the biblical narrative.
The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Te... more The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Testament. Faith does not usually have an object in Hebrews, and (as I will show) whenever the author of Hebrews does have an object of faith, the object of faith is God, and not Jesus. In this paper, I investigate the question of “why?” That is, “for what reason should a person have faith in God, according to Hebrews?” I argue that God is the object of faith in Hebrews because God is the one who holds the power of resurrection, the eschatological hope of both the faithful one par excellence (Jesus) and those who follow him.
This essay offers five specific principles from Donald McGavran that have directly influenced The... more This essay offers five specific principles from Donald McGavran that have directly influenced The Journey Church in New York City, San Francisco, and Boca Raton, Florida, and indirectly thousands of other churches (through the writing and coaching ministry of Nelson Searcy with Church Leader Insights). McGavran’s principles of missionary eyes, goal setting, assimilation, homogeneity, and a Great Commission focus have proven invaluable in this church plant and offer a similar value to other churches seeking to make a difference in their communities.
Ears that Hear: Explorations in Theological Interpretation of the Bible, 2013
This essay brings into conversation a reading of faith in Hebrews with the Anabaptist vision of t... more This essay brings into conversation a reading of faith in Hebrews with the Anabaptist vision of the church, particularly as expressed in the writings of Menno Simons, Dirk Philips, and John Howard Yoder. The Anabaptist understanding of the church as a gathering of believers suffering with Christ will help illumine the thoroughgoing Christological and ecclesiological nature of faith in Hebrews, which invites communities to follow the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Heb 12:2) and go outside the camp to bear his reproach (Heb 13:13). This will also help sharpen Käsemann’s famous treatise on community in Hebrews, The Wandering People of God, which does not emphasize enough Christ’s faithfulness in suffering as the paradigm for faith and Christian communal identity.
This essay expands on common readings of the centurion’s confession of Jesus as δίκαιος (dikaios;... more This essay expands on common readings of the centurion’s confession of Jesus as δίκαιος (dikaios; ‘righteous,’ ‘innocent’) in Luke 23:47. Many interpreters take the centurion’s words in Luke as his recognition of Jesus’ political innocence. While not denying a Lukan insistence on Jesus’ innocence, this essay argues for a fuller reading of the centurion’s words that accounts for the christological potential in his calling Jesus δίκαιος. Whether historically-speaking he knew it or not, this centurion in Luke’s narrative world stands as one of the first people to recognise the crucified Jesus as the Christ.
The πíστiς Xρiστoȗ (pistis Christou) debate continues to be a lively point of scholarly interest.... more The πíστiς Xρiστoȗ (pistis Christou) debate continues to be a lively point of scholarly interest. While a vast amount of literature appears on the subject, interpreters often repeat a few main arguments in support of their position. This essay discusses the main exegetical arguments for the two major sides in the pistis Christou debate and how others have responded to the arguments. Arguments for the objective genitive are treated first, followed by those for the subjective genitive. The essay closes with a discussion of the way interpreters have relied on their prior understanding of the larger concept of Paul’s theology as the decisive argument for their position. As such, the essay finds that this larger hermeneutical question of the nature of Paul’s gospel is the true locus of the pistis Christou debate.
The author of Hebrews warns his hearers not to be “sexually immoral [πόρνος] or profane like Esau... more The author of Hebrews warns his hearers not to be “sexually immoral [πόρνος] or profane like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal” and thus failed to inherit [κληρονομέω] the blessing (12:16-17). In this paper, I argue that the author of Hebrews uses Esau’s sin to urge his hearers not to abandon the community of faith. Later Jewish tradition describes Esau as sexually immoral, but Numbers 14:33 LXX (a passage the author of Hebrews is familiar with, as seen in Heb 3-4) depicts the wilderness generation’s failure to enter the Promised Land as a “fornication [πορνεία]” (see deSilva’s commentary). Earlier in Hebrews, the author exhorts his hearers to learn from the wilderness generation’s mistake and so move forward into the rest, united in faith (4:2-3). Similarly, Esau functions as a negative foil to encourage corporate solidarity in Heb 12. The hearers of Hebrews are to “strive for peace” and “see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God” (12:14-15). By selling his birthright, Esau forfeited his rightful place in the family and thus his inheritance. Likewise, the wilderness generation lost their inheritance to the next generation who will “inherit [κληρονομέω]” the land (Num 14:24, 31 LXX). Alternatively, the author of Hebrews hopes his hearers will receive an inheritance (1:14; 6:12; 9:15) and be numbered among the “assembly of the firstborn” (12:23). Esau’s sin, therefore, amounts to abandoning the people of God for fleeting pleasure (“a single meal,” 12:16). Just as the wilderness generation failed to persevere in faith and so enter the “rest” together, so also Esau failed to persevere in faith with the people of God. Ultimately, this reading of Hebrews 12:16-17 further supports the interpretation that apostasy for Hebrews is abandoning the community of faith in the face of persecution.
The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Te... more The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Testament. Faith does not usually have an object in Hebrews, and (as I will show) whenever the author of Hebrews does have an object of faith, the object of faith is God, and not Jesus. In this paper, I investigate the question of “why?” That is, “for what reason should a person have faith in God, according to Hebrews?” I argue that God is the object of faith in Hebrews because God is the one who holds the power of resurrection, the eschatological hope of both the faithful one par excellence (Jesus) and those who follow him.
In Heb 9:28, the author of Hebrews expects Christ to “appear a second time,” and in Heb 10:37, th... more In Heb 9:28, the author of Hebrews expects Christ to “appear a second time,” and in Heb 10:37, the author quotes Hab 2:3: “the coming one will come and will not delay” (10:37). There is little doubt that "the coming one" in 10:37 is a reference to the Messiah. The coming one’s coming without delay is taken by most interpreters as a reference to the Parousia. For example, Craig Koester writes, “The author does not cite Hab 2:3 to prove that Christ will return, but to articulate a belief in the second coming that his listeners already consider to be true on the basis of common Christian teaching.” This essay challenges a Parousia understanding of 9:28 and 10:37. Rather than a second coming to earth, I propose that the Messiah’s coming is a visitation to deceased faithful ones awaiting resurrection. This reading is substantiated by an intertextual reading with Isa 26, a text to which the author alludes at the beginning of Heb 10:37: “in yet a very little while” (Isa 26:20). In Isa 26, Israel is depicted as sufferers awaiting divine rescue out of death. Along similar lines, Jesus’ coming “a second time … to save those eagerly awaiting him” (Heb 9:28) and his coming in Heb 10:37 involves delivering deceased faithful ones out of death. The author is not clear as to the timing of this deliverance, but encourages his hearers in the interim to take heart by looking to Jesus, who despite dying lives and sits at the right hand of God (12:2-3).
This volume is the first to investigate manifestations of faith in the book of Hebrews across fou... more This volume is the first to investigate manifestations of faith in the book of Hebrews across four dimensions: ethical, eschatological, Christological, and ecclesiological. Matthew C. Easter illustrates that two contrasting narrative identities emerge in Hebrews: the author of the epistle proclaims that "we are not of timidity unto destruction, but of faith unto the preservation of the soul" (Hebrews 10:39). Easter classifies the former as the default human story, which lacks faith and results inevitably in death. The latter represents the story of faith, in which one endures suffering to the point of death and thereby achieves eschatological life. The epitome of faithfulness, Jesus confirms the truth of this conclusion and perfects faith through his resurrection. Humans participate in the story of faith by enduring suffering with the traveling people of God and, in doing so, look forward to being raised with Jesus
This essay argues that the recurring character Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara in the American sit... more This essay argues that the recurring character Matthew “Rickety Cricket” Mara in the American sitcom “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is an antitype of Saint Augustine in his Confessions. Augustine opens his Confessions in prayer to God: “You arouse us so that praising you may bring us joy, because you have made us and drawn us to yourself, and our heart is unquiet until it rests in you” (1.1.1). The autobiographical prayer that follows depicts an Augustine ever-distracted by romantic love. It is not until Christ frees him of his lustful desires that he finds true rest. Rickety Cricket – who starts his career on the sitcom as an ordained priest – follows the opposite path, spiraling into greater unrest as the seasons pass. Like Augustine, Rickety Cricket’s restlessness is intertwined with his search for romantic love, here in his lustful desire for the character of Dee Reynolds. By comparing Augustine with Rickety Cricket, we discover the enslaving power of seeking romantic love over communion with the Triune God.
Traditionally, the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 has been viewed as an object of scorn. F... more Traditionally, the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 has been viewed as an object of scorn. For example, John Calvin describes her as “a forward and disobedient wife [who] constrained her husband to divorce her.” Other interpreters from the Protestant Reformation (such as Johannes Brenz, Heinrich Bullinger, and Philipp Melanchthon) describe her in similar terms. This interpretation has persisted into the modern era. However, a closer look at John 4 and the social context of the woman suggests that this story may not be about Jesus confronting a woman regarding her sexual sin, but about Jesus compassionately meeting a woman in her point of need. This essay joins the growing voices advocating for this woman’s dignity and suggests further the need for a reappraisal of how interpreters treat marginalized voices in the biblical narrative.
The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Te... more The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Testament. Faith does not usually have an object in Hebrews, and (as I will show) whenever the author of Hebrews does have an object of faith, the object of faith is God, and not Jesus. In this paper, I investigate the question of “why?” That is, “for what reason should a person have faith in God, according to Hebrews?” I argue that God is the object of faith in Hebrews because God is the one who holds the power of resurrection, the eschatological hope of both the faithful one par excellence (Jesus) and those who follow him.
This essay offers five specific principles from Donald McGavran that have directly influenced The... more This essay offers five specific principles from Donald McGavran that have directly influenced The Journey Church in New York City, San Francisco, and Boca Raton, Florida, and indirectly thousands of other churches (through the writing and coaching ministry of Nelson Searcy with Church Leader Insights). McGavran’s principles of missionary eyes, goal setting, assimilation, homogeneity, and a Great Commission focus have proven invaluable in this church plant and offer a similar value to other churches seeking to make a difference in their communities.
Ears that Hear: Explorations in Theological Interpretation of the Bible, 2013
This essay brings into conversation a reading of faith in Hebrews with the Anabaptist vision of t... more This essay brings into conversation a reading of faith in Hebrews with the Anabaptist vision of the church, particularly as expressed in the writings of Menno Simons, Dirk Philips, and John Howard Yoder. The Anabaptist understanding of the church as a gathering of believers suffering with Christ will help illumine the thoroughgoing Christological and ecclesiological nature of faith in Hebrews, which invites communities to follow the pioneer and perfecter of faith (Heb 12:2) and go outside the camp to bear his reproach (Heb 13:13). This will also help sharpen Käsemann’s famous treatise on community in Hebrews, The Wandering People of God, which does not emphasize enough Christ’s faithfulness in suffering as the paradigm for faith and Christian communal identity.
This essay expands on common readings of the centurion’s confession of Jesus as δίκαιος (dikaios;... more This essay expands on common readings of the centurion’s confession of Jesus as δίκαιος (dikaios; ‘righteous,’ ‘innocent’) in Luke 23:47. Many interpreters take the centurion’s words in Luke as his recognition of Jesus’ political innocence. While not denying a Lukan insistence on Jesus’ innocence, this essay argues for a fuller reading of the centurion’s words that accounts for the christological potential in his calling Jesus δίκαιος. Whether historically-speaking he knew it or not, this centurion in Luke’s narrative world stands as one of the first people to recognise the crucified Jesus as the Christ.
The πíστiς Xρiστoȗ (pistis Christou) debate continues to be a lively point of scholarly interest.... more The πíστiς Xρiστoȗ (pistis Christou) debate continues to be a lively point of scholarly interest. While a vast amount of literature appears on the subject, interpreters often repeat a few main arguments in support of their position. This essay discusses the main exegetical arguments for the two major sides in the pistis Christou debate and how others have responded to the arguments. Arguments for the objective genitive are treated first, followed by those for the subjective genitive. The essay closes with a discussion of the way interpreters have relied on their prior understanding of the larger concept of Paul’s theology as the decisive argument for their position. As such, the essay finds that this larger hermeneutical question of the nature of Paul’s gospel is the true locus of the pistis Christou debate.
The author of Hebrews warns his hearers not to be “sexually immoral [πόρνος] or profane like Esau... more The author of Hebrews warns his hearers not to be “sexually immoral [πόρνος] or profane like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal” and thus failed to inherit [κληρονομέω] the blessing (12:16-17). In this paper, I argue that the author of Hebrews uses Esau’s sin to urge his hearers not to abandon the community of faith. Later Jewish tradition describes Esau as sexually immoral, but Numbers 14:33 LXX (a passage the author of Hebrews is familiar with, as seen in Heb 3-4) depicts the wilderness generation’s failure to enter the Promised Land as a “fornication [πορνεία]” (see deSilva’s commentary). Earlier in Hebrews, the author exhorts his hearers to learn from the wilderness generation’s mistake and so move forward into the rest, united in faith (4:2-3). Similarly, Esau functions as a negative foil to encourage corporate solidarity in Heb 12. The hearers of Hebrews are to “strive for peace” and “see to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God” (12:14-15). By selling his birthright, Esau forfeited his rightful place in the family and thus his inheritance. Likewise, the wilderness generation lost their inheritance to the next generation who will “inherit [κληρονομέω]” the land (Num 14:24, 31 LXX). Alternatively, the author of Hebrews hopes his hearers will receive an inheritance (1:14; 6:12; 9:15) and be numbered among the “assembly of the firstborn” (12:23). Esau’s sin, therefore, amounts to abandoning the people of God for fleeting pleasure (“a single meal,” 12:16). Just as the wilderness generation failed to persevere in faith and so enter the “rest” together, so also Esau failed to persevere in faith with the people of God. Ultimately, this reading of Hebrews 12:16-17 further supports the interpretation that apostasy for Hebrews is abandoning the community of faith in the face of persecution.
The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Te... more The book of Hebrews provides some of the richest insights into the meaning of faith in the New Testament. Faith does not usually have an object in Hebrews, and (as I will show) whenever the author of Hebrews does have an object of faith, the object of faith is God, and not Jesus. In this paper, I investigate the question of “why?” That is, “for what reason should a person have faith in God, according to Hebrews?” I argue that God is the object of faith in Hebrews because God is the one who holds the power of resurrection, the eschatological hope of both the faithful one par excellence (Jesus) and those who follow him.
In Heb 9:28, the author of Hebrews expects Christ to “appear a second time,” and in Heb 10:37, th... more In Heb 9:28, the author of Hebrews expects Christ to “appear a second time,” and in Heb 10:37, the author quotes Hab 2:3: “the coming one will come and will not delay” (10:37). There is little doubt that "the coming one" in 10:37 is a reference to the Messiah. The coming one’s coming without delay is taken by most interpreters as a reference to the Parousia. For example, Craig Koester writes, “The author does not cite Hab 2:3 to prove that Christ will return, but to articulate a belief in the second coming that his listeners already consider to be true on the basis of common Christian teaching.” This essay challenges a Parousia understanding of 9:28 and 10:37. Rather than a second coming to earth, I propose that the Messiah’s coming is a visitation to deceased faithful ones awaiting resurrection. This reading is substantiated by an intertextual reading with Isa 26, a text to which the author alludes at the beginning of Heb 10:37: “in yet a very little while” (Isa 26:20). In Isa 26, Israel is depicted as sufferers awaiting divine rescue out of death. Along similar lines, Jesus’ coming “a second time … to save those eagerly awaiting him” (Heb 9:28) and his coming in Heb 10:37 involves delivering deceased faithful ones out of death. The author is not clear as to the timing of this deliverance, but encourages his hearers in the interim to take heart by looking to Jesus, who despite dying lives and sits at the right hand of God (12:2-3).
The author of Hebrews describes his work as a “word of exhortation” (13:22). In the sermon, the ... more The author of Hebrews describes his work as a “word of exhortation” (13:22). In the sermon, the author makes steady use of narratives to warn, encourage, and exhort his hearers. After making some preliminary observations on narrative theory and the appropriateness of a narratival approach to Hebrews, I address the larger stories at play in the sermon. Given time constraints, this paper can deal in specific detail with only two passages: the story of the wilderness generation in Hebrews 3-4 and the story of Jesus in the Habakkuk 2:3-4 citation in Hebrews 10:37-39. These passages depict stories of faith and unfaithfulness, which function as two stories into one of which everyone participates. The author leaves his hearers with no doubt about the ending of each story. For those who continue in unfaithfulness, they can expect to die in the wilderness and fail to enter the rest (3:12-19). Put succinctly, shrinking back leads to destruction, while faith(fulness) leads to life (10:39). If they are participating in the story of faith, then they already know their end, since the story has already been told in Jesus. Readers are left to decide into which story to participate, but the author expects better things for his hearers (6:9-10; 10:39; 11:40). Read through the lens of theological exegesis, these narratives function as illocutionary speech-acts that speak as God’s word even to readers in the present. These narratives in Hebrews do more than tell a story – they are pastoral tools.
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