Isaiah is not supposed to walk in the way of the people (8:11), and the specific difference between the people’s way and Yahweh’s has to do with fear. The people live in “fear and dread” of the turmoil and conspiracies of the nations (v. 12), but Isaiah is instead of make . . . . Continue Reading »
Yahweh speaks to Isaiah “with a strong hand,” and the force of the instruction is to refuse to walk in the way of the people. “Strong hand” is an exodus image, the strong hand by which Yahweh yanked Israel from Egypt. Now, His words to Isaiah are the strong hand yanking him . . . . Continue Reading »
Isaiah 8:9-10 is a complex, intricate passage. Verse 9 repeats two different verbs two three times (“gird” 2x, and “be shattered” 3x). The verbs “give ear” ( azan ) and “gird” ( azar ) form a pun. Verse 10 uses the repetitive phrases “counsel . . . . Continue Reading »
Because Israel rejects the gentle river of Shiloah, which supplies water to Jerusalem and makes Jerusalem the garden-city of Yahweh, Yahweh threatens to bring another river, the River, a personification of the King of Assyria, flowing through Judah with all his glorious chariots and armor and . . . . Continue Reading »
In the early chapters of Mark’s gospel, the only beings to identify Jesus as “Son of God” are the Father and demons. No human being recognizes Him until He dies, and then it’s a Roman centurion. Perhaps Mark intends us to remember the demonic identifications when we get to . . . . Continue Reading »
“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so shall the Son of Man be lifted up,” Jesus told Nicodemus. It’s a chiasm: A. Lifted up B. Serpent C. Wilderness B’. Son of Man A’. lifted up. Two interesting questions emerge here: Birst, by whom is the Son of . . . . Continue Reading »
In an article some years ago in the Tyndale Bulletin , Andrew Perriman argues that Paul’s statement in Colossians 1:24 about “filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions” does not refer to eschatological “Messianic woes” nor to an inadequacy in . . . . Continue Reading »
AE Harvey exaggerates, but his suggestion is provocative:,. Speaking of Paul’s meditation on suffering in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, he wrote “For the first time in his extant letters, and possibly for the first time in the entire philosophical and religious tradition of the West, we find . . . . Continue Reading »
Hindus often claim yoga as their own ancient practice, and non-Hindus accept the claims. Mark Singleton ( Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice ) sets out to debunk these claims. It’s true that the word “yoga” appears in some ancient texts, and it’s true that . . . . Continue Reading »
Jesus prays in Gethsemane, and the Father sends an angel to strengthen Him. That means prayer time is over, right? The angel soothes Him. Not for Jesus. Jesus begins to pray so intensely that he sweats blood, and this happens after the angel comes. Angels don’t come to end prayer. They come . . . . Continue Reading »
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