As I mentioned the other day, readers of Romans may be tempted to race through the letter introduction in an effort to get to the really good stuff.  After all, it’s just a bunch of preliminary material to get out of the way before diving into the deep theology, right?  Resist that temptation!  The introduction […]

Romans contains quite a long letter opening.  Though it’s a bit artificial, we can say that the opening consists of 1:1-15, since Paul transitions abruptly into what appears to be the first major section of his letter in 1:16.  It’s tempting to regard a letter opening as relatively less important than the letter itself, and […]

Contemporary evangelicalism has a strong divisive and contentious streak and some evangelicals feel no compunction over employing violent rhetoric against fellow evangelicals.  In an effort to get something of a handle on these dynamics I picked up Russell Jacoby’s very interesting book Bloodlust.  It’s a highly readable essay on the fratricidal roots of violence.  He notes that […]

Mickey Maudlin, Rob Bell’s editor for his book, Love Wins, wrote about his experience with Bell and his thoughts on the responses to its publication. He states that: As a young evangelical, I was socialized to see the biggest threat to the church as theological liberalism. But now I think the biggest threat is Christian […]

Next to Jude’s plea to “contend for the faith” (Jude 3), contemporary doctrinal watchdogs appeal to Paul’s confrontation of Peter in Antioch (Gal. 2:11-14) to endorse their confrontational style, caustic manner, and pugilistic rhetoric.  I’ve heard this question many times: How can it be that the same Paul who urges his communities to be unified […]

What sort of communication from Paul is Romans?  It’s been quite common to assume that Romans is a systematic treatise on the Christian faith.  Many commentaries contain an outline of Romans structured according to systematic theological categories.  Paul deals with the doctrine of justification here, the doctrine of sanctification there, the doctrine of election over […]

My article on Paul in Christianity Today is now online.  I have heard evangelists talk about how Paul was the ultimate evangelist.  Today’s doctrinal watchdogs portray Paul as one willing to drop the gloves over doctrinal minutiae.  And popular preachers talk about Paul’s powerful proclamation.  He’s become all things to all people in ways he […]

I don’t know anything about C. J. Mahaney or his ministry, but someone alerted me to the announcement of his leave of absence.  There’s much about this that is really refreshing. He is stepping aside from his ministry because of “various expressions of pride, unentreatability, deceit, sinful judgment and hypocrisy.”  This is so striking because it envisions […]

Mike Bird is considering what we’ve learned from the New Perspective on Paul (part 1 & part 2). Just briefly, in addition to what he mentions, one of the most helpful effects of newer readings of Paul is the emphasis on the occasional nature of Paul’s letters.  We’re reminded that we must read them not as timeless […]

Andrew Perriman wrote a few months ago about the convergence of the emerging church movement and the developments associated with the New Perspective on Paul.  He sees the effect of these as salutary for the future of evangelical identity.  I heartily agree. It seems to me, in fact, that these resonate strongly with the evangelical impulse.  The […]