Why is there no eschatological pilgrimage of the gentiles in Paul? Andrew Perriman Wed, 05/08/2024 - 22:17 The idea of the “eschatological pilgrimage of the Gentiles” to a rebuilt temple and restored Zion is well attested in Isaiah especially but is found in other Old Testament and Hellenistic-Jewish writings. Here are three examples, but we could add Isaiah 56:6-7; 66:18-20; Zech. 14:16; Mic. 4:1-2; Sibylline Oracles 3:715-19; 772-75, and no doubt others. Read more about Why is there no eschatological pilgrimage of the gentiles in Paul? 2 comments Read time: 5 minutes ..read more

Call yourself a Jew? Andrew Perriman Mon, 05/06/2024 - 13:04 When Paul says, “if you call yourself a Jew” (Rom. 2:17), the traditional understanding has been that this is addressed to a Jew whom he is about to charge with hypocrisy: “You call yourself a Jew but you do this, that, and the other! Shame on you!” It is sometimes argued, however, in keeping with the position generally taken by the “Paul within Judaism” school, that the critique in Romans 2 is directed not against Jews but against Gentiles, and that Paul’s interlocutor here is a non-Jew who mimics Jewishness. I have just read ..read more

Talking with Sam Tideman about the “Is Jesus YHWH?” debate between James White and Dale Tuggy Andrew Perriman Mon, 04/29/2024 - 15:42 I had a great chat with Sam Tideman recently, following up on a number of posts addressing questions raised in a debate between James White and Dale Tuggy asking “Is Jesus Yahweh?” A previous conversation with Sam addressed “The Preexistence of Christ and Narrative Historical Theology.” I would describe myself as post-classical-trinitarian-wondering-what-comes-next (make of that what you will) rather than Unitarian, but I appreciate the fact that the specific ..read more

They will all wear out like a garment: rethinking the quotation of Psalm 102:25-27 in Hebrews 1 Andrew Perriman Tue, 04/23/2024 - 13:27 I had a go at explaining the place of the quotation from Psalm 102 as an apparent address to Christ as YHWH in a recent post on the “Is Jesus Yahweh?” debate between James White and Dale Tuggy, but I’m not sure I got it quite right. So I’m going to try again, at least in outline—I won’t repeat all the detail. Read more about They will all wear out like a garment: rethinking the quotation of Psalm 102:25-27 in Hebrews 1 Read time: 7 minutes ..read more

“The Babylonian captivity figured out our spiritual bondage under sin and Satan” Andrew Perriman Thu, 04/11/2024 - 14:26 Matthew Poole was a seventeenth century English Presbyterian minister. Towards the end of his life he started work on a commentary on the Bible called Annotations upon the Holy Bible. Wherein The Sacred Text is Inserted, and various Readings Annex’d, together with the Parallel Scriptures, the more difficult Terms in each Verse are Explained, seeming Contradictions Reconciled, Questions and Doubts Resolved, and the whole Text opened. They don’t write titles like that any mo ..read more

Now let’s go over this again: historical narratology and the horizons of the New Testament Andrew Perriman Thu, 04/04/2024 - 19:13 I am writing this in answer to some questions sent to me about the reading of the New Testament presented on this blog and in my books. The specific point at issue is my contention that we now understand the New Testament best if we map most of the stuff of New Testament eschatology—the weird future stuff—on to two foreseeable historical events. But let’s back up a bit first and briefly address the underlying hermeneutics. Read more about Now let’s go ove ..read more

Did John think that Isaiah saw the glory of the exalted Jesus in the temple? Andrew Perriman Fri, 03/29/2024 - 15:25 According to James White, when John says that “Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory” (Jn. 12:41), the allusion is to the glory of YHWH revealed in the throne vision of Isaiah 6:1-3. Since John is speaking about Jesus in this passage, we may infer that John in some way identifies Jesus with the glorious figure on the throne, whose glory, according to the Septuagint version, filled both the temple and the whole earth. Read more about Did John think that Isai ..read more

The disruptive dramas of Holy Week Andrew Perriman Mon, 03/25/2024 - 21:17 How should Good Friday be observed? With mournful solemnity because this is the death of Jesus? Or with subdued but joyful celebration because this is the death of Jesus for our sins? Read more about The disruptive dramas of Holy Week Read time: 7 minutes ..read more

Is Jesus Yahweh? “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” Andrew Perriman Sat, 03/23/2024 - 16:03 I’m not sure how much more I can do with the debate between James White and Dale Tuggy over the question of whether Jesus is regarded by the writers of the New Testament to be, in some sense, Yahweh. Tuggy’s approach doesn’t lend itself to the same sort of analysis, and after that it all gets a bit ragged. Read more about Is Jesus Yahweh? “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain” Read time: 7 minutes ..read more

Is Jesus Yahweh? Sanctify Christ as Lord Andrew Perriman Wed, 03/20/2024 - 11:54 The last passage that James White puts forward in support of his view that the New Testament identifies Jesus with Yahweh is 1 Peter 3:13-17*: And who is harming you if you should be zealots of the good? But if indeed you should suffer because of righteousness, you are blessed. Do not fear their fear nor be troubled, but sanctify the Lord, the Christ, in your hearts, always prepared for a defence to the one asking you for a reason for the hope in you, but with gentleness and fear, having a good conscience ..read more