Biblical Theology

To respond to the complex social challenges of the contemporary era, the Orthodox Church of Greece organizes training courses aiming to reinforce the priestly identity of the holy clergy and support their pastoral work. This paper explores the design and implementation of Continuing Education (CE) programs for the clergy of the Church of Greece, examined through the lens of adult education principles within the broader framework of Lifelong Learning (LLL). Focusing on the work of the Institute for Pastoral Education (I.P.E.), the study investigates the fulfillment of educational needs from the perspective of high-level Ecclesiastical Administration. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, three (3) in-depth interviews were conducted with Hierarchs from three (3) Metropolises representing distinct geographical and social environments: urban-multinational, provincial-multinational, and semi-urban with a significant refugee presence. The findings reveal a robust institutional will for professional development, focusing on addressing practical and functional gaps in Initial Ecclesiastical Education. The necessity for systematic Educational Needs Assessment (ENA) is highlighted, alongside the critical importance of the contextualization of programs. Overall, Continuing Education (CE) and Lifelong Education (LLE) emerge as a decisive factor in upgrading pastoral work, enhancing the clergy's capacity to respond effectively to the multifaceted challenges of contemporary society.

This study identifies the portion of patriarchal chronology that can be fixed with confidence and separates it cleanly from the portion that remains genuinely open. Working downward from the Exodus at 1446 BCitself fixed by three independent external anchorsit shows that the descent of Jacob into Egypt (1876 BC) is reached by the 430-year datum of Exodus 12:40 and is independently corroborated, to within about two years, by the radiocarbon horizon of the Egyptian king identified with the Joseph administration (Senusret III, c. 1878 BC). From that bridge the patriarchal intervals down to Abraham (130 + 60 + 100 years) are textually uniform across the Masoretic, Samaritan and Septuagint traditions, placing Abraham's birth at 2166 BC with no manuscript ambiguity. Abraham 2166 BC is therefore the mathematically and

Maria è sicuramente santa per aver creduto nell'adempimento delle parole del Signore (Luca 1,45) e giustamente tutte le generazioni da secoli la proclamano beata (Luca 1,48). Ad una donna che si alzò in mezzo alla folla per esaltare la Madre, Gesù però ricordò che "Beati sono piuttosto coloro che ascoltano la parola di Dio e la osservano" (Luca 11,28), mettendoci in guardia da facili sentimentalismi e da ambigue scorciatoie devozionali. Nessuna pietà mariana può infatti giovare a chi non ascolta il Figlio (Matteo 17,5 e Giovanni 2,5), pensando di servirsi di Maria solo per allontanare il tempo del giudizio e camminare al riparo dall'ira divina. Le parole di Gesù vanno pertanto correttamente intese come "Beata mia madre non tanto perché mi ha generato ed allattato ma piuttosto perché ha ascoltato la

This article presents a synthetic account of the author's research on Arabic and Coptic within a broader theoretical framework of the unity of the world. It examines language not as a fixed system but as a dynamic field shaped by historical transmission, cultural contact, and evolving meaning. Special attention is given to the composite nature of Arabic-formed through the interaction between Classical Arabic, dialectal variation, and influences from other languages-and to the role of Coptic as both a historical and conceptual linguistic presence. The discussion extends to lexicography, intergenerational transmission, and semantic transformation, including cases in which eschatological concepts shift from future-oriented meanings to contemporary experiential frameworks. Language is thus approached as a site where cognition, history, and lived reality converge.

This study examines Digital Missions as a Panacea to the Challenges of Cross-Cultural Missions, highlighting how technological innovation has reshaped the modes, reach, and impact of Christian mission across cultures. With the rapid growth of digital platforms such as social media, streaming services, and mobile applications, churches have increasingly adopted new strategies to spread the gospel, engage believers, and build virtual faith communities. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) mandates the Christian Church to proclaim the gospel in different nations and to all manner of peoples with the purpose of revealing God's salvific plan for humans wherever they might find themselves. Certainly, this missionary task of the Church involves an encounter between the gospel and different cultures. Encountering people of a new culture and introducing the Christian faith comes with challenges. This paper, through a critical analysis of information from library materials, academic journals, thesis/dissertations, and online resources, discusses the challenges related to cross-cultural missionary enterprise. The main thesis of the research is that the gospel can and should permeate the ethos of a group, its essential attitudes, its institutions and all its structure without necessarily becoming an obstacle to the promotion of the people cultural heritage. Findings reveal that digital tools have enhanced accessibility, interactive worship, and cross-cultural engagement. However, challenges such as misinformation, digital inequality, and reduced personal interaction remain significant. The research concludes that while digital missions presents vast opportunities for effective crosscultural missions, its success depends on ethical use, digital literacy, and theological grounding. It recommends that Christian missionaries integrate digital missions into ministry enterprise to ensure sustainable cross-cultural missions.

Judaism is the oldest continuously practiced monotheistic faith and serves as the historical, theological, and covenantal foundation from which Christianity emerged. Understanding Judaism is therefore essential for biblical interpretation, Christian theology, apologetics, and effective evangelism. Yet many Christians possess only a limited understanding of Jewish history, beliefs, practices, and messianic expectations, often viewing Judaism primarily through the lens of later Christian developments. This study provides a historical, theological, and cultural introduction to Judaism using a steelman approach that seeks to represent Jewish beliefs accurately and fairly before offering a Christian evaluation. The paper examines the origins and development of Judaism, its sacred texts and traditions, its understanding of God, humanity, sin, covenant, ethics, and the afterlife, as well as the diversity that exists within modern Jewish communities. Particular attention is given to the role of historical memory, including exile, diaspora, persecution, and the Holocaust, and how these experiences continue to shape Jewish identity and perspectives toward Christianity. The study also explores Jewish messianic expectations and the central theological differences between Judaism and Christianity concerning the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. Finally, it offers practical guidance for contextualizing the gospel among Jewish people by emphasizing shared biblical foundations, addressing common misunderstandings, and encouraging faithful, informed, and compassionate engagement. By understanding Judaism as Jews understand themselves, Christians are better equipped to communicate the gospel with both conviction and love.

The motif of going eastward appears repeatedly in both the primeval and patriarchal narratives of Genesis. Close attention to this motif reveals a key structure of these narratives: the repeated narrowing of the lineage which can carry forth God’s blessing. The appearance of קדם signals the moment at which one part of humanity, or of the patriarchal family, moves to the margins of the narrative and marks the refocusing of the narrative on the individual not associated with the word קדם. The קדם motif, though, presents a multi-faceted interpretive conundrum: First, why is the east, a place associated with Eden, the place to which those who do not remain at the center of the narrative’s concern depart? The generation of Jacob and Esau, the last in which someone in Genesis goes eastward, presents additional anomalies: It is Jacob, the brother who will carry forth the blessing, who goes to “the land of the sons of קדם,” and Jacob, for the first and only time in Genesis, returns from his journey to the east. And Esau’s subsequent departure, while described in terms that create every expectation that he will go to קדם, does not in fact include this word. This article analyzes the קדם motif in Genesis and offers solutions to the intriguing conundrum that attention to this motif discloses.

I reviewed this book for the journal Faith and Philosophy, with some trepidation.  Written by Kenneth Kemp, published by Cascade Books, 2020.  Interesting and useful treatment of American treatment of the creation/evolution pedagogical dilemma.

THE WAR THAT NEVER WAS: EVOLUTION AND CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, published in 2020 by Cascade Books,  by Kenneth Kemp, is a book I reviewed for the journal Faith and Philosophy, with some trepidation.  A great deal has been written on the subject that is agenda-driven and unimaginative, to say the least, but this work approached some aspects of this longstanding issue, not as a philosopher or a scientist, but as a historian who happened to be an excellent story teller as well.  Some valuable interpretations of the relationship of God the Creator to the Creation as well.

This piece examines Rav Shagar’s engagement with Hermann Cohen’s notion of repentance as self-recognition. While Cohen emphsized the sense of liberation made by taking responsibility on future deeds, Rav Shagar used the same vocabulary to emphasize self acceeptance - reconciling oneself with human finitude and immutable circumstances.

The Book of Isaiah occupies a unique place within both Jewish and Christian traditions. More than a collection of prophetic oracles, it represents a profound theological reflection on God's action in history and on the development of hope amid political crisis, exile, suffering, and restoration. This study offers an accessible yet academically grounded introduction to Isaiah, integrating historical, literary, and theological perspectives.

Rather than focusing primarily on debates concerning authorship and redaction, the work highlights the remarkable theological unity of the Isaianic corpus. Spanning nearly three centuries of Israel's history, the book preserves a coherent vision centered on the holiness of God, the call to conversion, the purification of hope, the promise of Emmanuel, the figure of the Servant of the Lord, and the universal scope of salvation.

Special attention is given to the formation of the Isaianic tradition and to the significance of the Great Isaiah Scroll from Qumran, which testifies to the reception of Isaiah as a unified prophetic work in ancient Judaism. Drawing on the contributions of scholars such as Ulrich Berges, Gerhard von Rad, Brevard Childs, Willem Beuken, and Luis Alonso Schökel, this study argues that the enduring unity of Isaiah is rooted not merely in literary composition but in a shared theological vision that accompanied Israel through successive generations.

Ultimately, Isaiah emerges not simply as a prophet of future events, but as the great prophet of hope who taught Israel—and continues to teach contemporary believers—how to discern God's faithfulness in the midst of history.

En este escrito proponemos una relectura de Lucas 15 desde una perspectiva hermenéutico-pastoral de espiritualidad social liberadora, argumentando que la conocida “Parábola del hijo pródigo” debe comprenderse más adecuadamente como la parábola del hijo pródigo y del hijo perdido. Como tesis central sostenemos que la narrativa lucana no se limita a describir el retorno del hijo menor que abandona la casa paterna, sino que también expone la condición de extravío del hijo mayor, quien, a pesar de permanecer físicamente en el hogar, vive desconectado del corazón misericordioso del Padre. De este modo, ambos hijos representan formas distintas de alienación espiritual y revelan la radicalidad de la gracia divina.
Nuestro estudio sitúa la parábola en el contexto litúrgico del cuarto domingo de Cuaresma, tradicionalmente conocido como el Domingo de la Alegría. Desde este contexto teológico, exploramos la tensión entre penitencia y gozo, mostrando que la alegría cristiana no constituye una negación del pecado ni del arrepentimiento, sino el fruto de la experiencia restauradora del perdón. En diálogo con el Salmo 32, afirmamos que la bienaventuranza emerge de la confesión y de la reconciliación, configurando una espiritualidad donde la gracia precede y sostiene toda conversión auténtica.
Asimismo, nuestro quehacer examina la parábola dentro del marco más amplio de la teología lucana de la salvación. Las parábolas de la oveja perdida, la dracma perdida y el hijo pródigo son interpretadas como una unidad narrativa que responde a las críticas de los fariseos y escribas contra Jesús por compartir la mesa con publicanos y pecadores. Desde esta perspectiva, la mesa se convierte en símbolo del banquete mesiánico y en espacio de confrontación entre una lógica basada en el mérito y una lógica fundada en la misericordia. La investigación destaca que el Dios revelado por Jesús no permanece indiferente ante la pérdida, sino que busca activamente, restaura la dignidad de quienes han sido excluidos y celebra escandalosamente su reintegración a la comunidad.
Nuestra exégesis narrativa busca mostrar que el hijo menor encarna la ruptura visible, el desorden y la pérdida de dignidad, mientras que el hijo mayor representa una forma más sutil de extravío caracterizada por la autojustificación, la lógica del mérito y la incapacidad de participar del gozo del otro. En contraste, el padre emerge como la figura central de la parábola, cuya misericordia trasciende toda lógica retributiva al salir tanto al encuentro del hijo que regresa como del hijo que rehúsa entrar en la fiesta.
Finalmente, buscamos explorar con nuestro artículo las implicaciones pastorales de esta lectura para la Iglesia contemporánea. Es por lo que argumentamos que la parábola constituye una crítica a las espiritualidades excluyentes que privilegian el mérito sobre la gracia y reproducen dinámicas de marginación. Desde una perspectiva liberadora, la verdadera conversión no consiste únicamente en abandonar el pecado, sino en aprender a participar de la alegría de Dios, celebrando la restauración de quienes han sido encontrados. Así, la misericordia, más que una doctrina, se convierte en el criterio fundamental para discernir la autenticidad de toda práctica eclesial.

Поуке и савети о савременим тумачењима црквеног учења ипођакон Душан Миљковић Савремена архијерејска поучавања у Српској Православној Цркви и њихове последице за духовни развој омладине Резиме Овај рад анализира савремене изазове са којима се суочава Српска православна црква у контексту очувања својих традиционалних духовних и догматских вредности. Посебан акценат стављен је на светосавско и јустиновско наслеђе као темеље српског православног идентитета и духовног живота народа. У фокусу је преиспитивање начина на који савремени религијски токови, екуменистичке тенденције и нагласак на масовности, утичу на црквену праксу, литургијски живот и верско образовање омладине. Рад наглашава важност јединства предања, догмата и подвижничког искуства као мерила аутентичне православне вере, истовремено указујући на опасности које произилазе из прилагођавања духу времена и релативизације изворног идентитета Цркве.

The term "pre-Pauline" designates creedal and hymnic passages embedded in Paul's letters, most prominently the Carmen Christi of Philippians 2:6–11. The dominant scholarly consensus, following Ralph P. Martin's landmark 1967 monograph, holds to be compositions Paul received from prior community tradition. This essay challenges that consensus on grounds of probability, chronology, and linguistic evidence. The pre-Pauline hypothesis requires an anonymous, predominantly Aramaic-speaking Jerusalem community to have composed theologically precise Greek hymns drawing on LXX vocabulary within five to fifteen years of the crucifixion, by a process that remains unspecified and unattested. Against this, the essay proposes a simpler explanation: Paul of Tarsus, a trained Pharisee with demonstrated LXX competence, received the Damascus vision within two to three years of the crucifixion and immediately began preaching, not composing in silence, a fully formed cosmic victory theology. The Pauline letter dates are the terminus ad quem for the written form only; the preached theology preceded the correspondence by years, supported by the Aretas incident of 37–39 CE. The essay further argues that Paul's developmental theology, the Carmen Christi encoding early Damascus Christology before the Torah controversy generated the later justification-by-faith framework, resolves the three-stage Christology objection without recourse to community authorship. The pre-Pauline hypothesis is not a conclusion from evidence. It is an assumption, a model of apostolic tradition that Paul himself explicitly rejected in Galatians 1:11–12.

Kesatuan gereja merupakan salah satu tema sentral dalam teologi Paulus. Di tengah keberagaman latar belakang etnis, sosial, budaya, dan karunia rohani dalam jemaat mula-mula, Paulus menekankan pentingnya hidup dalam kesatuan yang berakar pada karya Kristus dan dipelihara oleh Roh Kudus. Efesus 4:1–16 menjadi salah satu bagian terpenting dalam Perjanjian Baru yang membahas konsep kesatuan gereja secara sistematis dan mendalam. Perikop ini menunjukkan bahwa kesatuan gereja bukanlah hasil usaha manusia semata, melainkan anugerah Allah yang telah dikerjakan melalui karya penebusan Kristus. Namun demikian, kesatuan tersebut harus dipelihara melalui kehidupan yang rendah hati, lemah lembut, sabar, dan penuh kasih.
Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis pemahaman Paulus mengenai kesatuan gereja berdasarkan Efesus 4:1–16 dengan menggunakan metode penelitian kualitatif melalui pendekatan eksegesis dan studi literatur. Kajian dilakukan terhadap konteks historis Surat Efesus, analisis gramatikal teks Yunani, serta pemahaman teologis yang terkandung dalam perikop tersebut. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa kesatuan gereja menurut Paulus memiliki dasar trinitarian yang kuat, yaitu satu Roh, satu Tuhan, dan satu Allah dan Bapa dari semua. Kesatuan itu diwujudkan dalam tubuh Kristus yang terdiri dari berbagai anggota dengan karunia yang berbeda-beda.
Selain menegaskan kesatuan, Paulus juga menyoroti pentingnya keberagaman dalam tubuh Kristus. Karunia-karunia yang diberikan Kristus kepada gereja bukan dimaksudkan untuk menciptakan hierarki kekuasaan, melainkan untuk memperlengkapi orang-orang kudus bagi pekerjaan pelayanan dan pembangunan tubuh Kristus. Dengan demikian, kesatuan gereja tidak berarti keseragaman, melainkan harmoni dalam keberagaman. Tujuan akhirnya adalah mencapai kedewasaan rohani yang penuh di dalam Kristus.
Penelitian ini menemukan bahwa konsep kesatuan gereja dalam Efesus 4:1–16 memiliki relevansi yang sangat besar bagi gereja masa kini yang menghadapi berbagai tantangan berupa denominasionalisme, konflik internal, individualisme, dan polarisasi sosial. Gereja dipanggil untuk kembali kepada dasar kesatuan yang sejati dalam Kristus serta mengembangkan budaya pelayanan yang membangun dan mempersatukan tubuh Kristus. Kesatuan gereja yang alkitabiah menjadi kesaksian yang kuat bagi dunia tentang karya keselamatan Allah dalam Kristus.

Hubungan antara Hukum Taurat dan Injil merupakan salah satu tema sentral dalam teologi Paulus yang terus menjadi bahan diskusi dalam studi Perjanjian Baru. Di satu sisi, Paulus menegaskan bahwa manusia dibenarkan oleh iman kepada Kristus dan bukan oleh perbuatan hukum. Di sisi lain, ia tetap mengakui nilai dan fungsi Hukum Taurat sebagai wahyu Allah yang kudus, benar, dan baik. Ketegangan ini sering menimbulkan kesalahpahaman bahwa Paulus menolak Taurat secara total atau bahkan memandang Taurat sebagai sesuatu yang negatif. Artikel ini bertujuan menganalisis secara teologis fungsi Hukum Taurat dalam hubungan dengan Injil berdasarkan Surat Roma dan Galatia. Metode yang digunakan adalah penelitian kualitatif dengan pendekatan eksegesis dan analisis teologis terhadap teks-teks utama dalam Roma dan Galatia. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Paulus tidak meniadakan Hukum Taurat, melainkan menempatkannya dalam perspektif karya keselamatan Kristus. Dalam Roma, Taurat berfungsi menyatakan dosa, menunjukkan standar kekudusan Allah, dan memimpin manusia kepada kebutuhan akan kasih karunia. Dalam Galatia, Taurat dipahami sebagai paidagōgos atau penuntun sementara yang mengarahkan umat kepada Kristus. Paulus menegaskan bahwa pembenaran tidak pernah diperoleh melalui ketaatan terhadap hukum, tetapi melalui iman kepada Yesus Kristus. Namun demikian, kehidupan orang percaya tetap memiliki dimensi etis yang selaras dengan kehendak Allah melalui pimpinan Roh Kudus. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa Taurat dan Injil bukanlah dua sistem yang saling bertentangan, melainkan dua tahap dalam rencana keselamatan Allah. Taurat mengungkapkan kebutuhan manusia akan keselamatan, sedangkan Injil menghadirkan penggenapan keselamatan tersebut dalam Kristus. Pemahaman yang benar terhadap hubungan Taurat dan Injil akan membantu gereja masa kini menjaga keseimbangan antara anugerah dan tanggung jawab moral dalam kehidupan Kristen.

Christian believers often think they are special, even better than other humans. Some of this kind of thinking comes from the group mentality of the community to which they belong. One of a set of concepts which is shared in Christian teaching and in the self-definitions of Christian groups is the concept of "remnant." A misunderstanding of the idea of being part of a remnant has meant for some Christians that they belong to a special, chosen, recognized group of God's people who earnestly share goals and identifying lifestyles. The extension of being part of God's special people is misconstrued to mean that the individual member is a special kind of human. States, and through his life as a husband, father, teacher, and leader.

The Pluralistic Nigeria Society is currently bedevilled with many vices and corruption, especially in the marketplace. To surmount these problems and achieve the needed transformation, there is a need to raise marketplace ambassadors as God's divine tools for engaging the pluralistic culture. This paper identifies Nigerian society as a pluralistic society and the marketplace as the seat of power and authority where real societal change can occur in a pluralistic society. The paper underscores that "Christ's ambassadors in the marketplace" are the agents of change; however, much emphasis is placed on raising marketplace ambassadors in Nigeria. The paper highlights some biblical examples of marketplace ambassadors, critical areas of society where churches need to raise marketplace ambassadors and how the churches can equip business leaders for effective changes in Nigerian society. Finally, the paper addresses some peculiar challenges associated with marketplaces in Nigeria and recommends a means of overcoming such difficulties.

This article proposes a redemptive-historical framework for understanding the cessation of the foundational ecclesial offices enumerated in Ephesians 4:11. Rather than grounding the cessation argument in the biographical terminus of the apostolic generation-a common but logically vulnerable strategy-the paper argues that the apostle, prophet, and evangelist were defined by their missional function within the strategic expansion of the church described in Acts 1:8. The completion of that mission, understood as the planting of the church across the Roman oikoumene, constitutes the objective criterion for the cessation of those offices. The pastor-teacher, by contrast, is identified as a permanent office of institutional stewardship. Continuationist exegesis of Eph 4:13 by Fee, Storms, and Grudem is addressed and rebutted on canonical-completionist grounds. Patristic evidence from Ignatius, the Didache, and the Muratorian Fragment confirms the sub-apostolic recognition of this transition. A positive pneumatology for the stewardship era is developed, affirming the Spirit's fullbodied ongoing work through the completed canon without implying a diminished post-apostolic age.

This research work examined the effectiveness of priesthood in the Old Testament: as a panacea for good governance in Nigeria. Generally speaking, people believe that the term priest denoted religious functionaries whose activities are concerned with the right performance of the ritual acts required by the divine power and Supernatural Being. Even some scholars enumerated that priest is an authorised minister of God who, on behalf of a community officiated at the altar and in other rites, acting as a mediator. In other word, a chosen officer or prince with the capacity to draw near to God and he also responsible for offering the divinely appointed sacrifices to God, for executing the different procedures and ceremonies relating to the worship of God, and for being a representative between God and man. Contrary to some scholars' believe that priestly functions were limited to sacred and sacrificial activities. This research argued that priests could influence or bring positive changes to Nigerian politics. Narration and analysis of data were the two methodological approaches employed to interpret the materials. The findings revealed that our nation (Nigeria) is blessed with priests like the Old Testament who could also play a leading role in electing God fearing leaders like the ethical prophets in the Old Testament and discourage them from performing irresponsible acts such as; embezzlement, kidnapping, money ritual etc. This work concluded and recommended that negligence of priests in political affairs of our country (Nigeria) is a major cause of chaos in our governance. Since our leaders are mostly members of religious bodies, then, the adherent of various religions should advise them to work towards the tenet of each religion. Believing that no religious tenet preaches thuggery, political killing etc. These approaches proved to be effective as they allowed for consultation and evaluation of a great number of existing arguments.

Digital transformation has reshaped patterns of communication, community formation, and church worship practices, while simultaneously creating opportunities for disinformation, fragmented attention, and weakened interpersonal relationships among congregants. Although studies on transformational leadership, digital literacy, and community resilience have developed independently, theological-pastoral syntheses that systematically integrate these three domains remain limited, particularly within the context of Evangelical churches in Indonesia. This study aims to formulate a conceptual framework of transformational pastoral leadership that can strengthen congregational resilience amid digital disruption. Employing an integrative literature review approach, the study examines relevant sources and synthesizes interdisciplinary findings through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that congregational resilience is fostered through three principal domains. First, apologetic-doctrinal teaching strengthens congregants' critical capacity to respond to misinformation and doctrinal distortion. Second, contextual digital literacy equips congregants to evaluate, verify, and manage online information responsibly. Third, adaptive spiritual formation sustains relationships, participation, and intergenerational solidarity within digital environments. Based on this synthesis, the study proposes an integrative pastoral framework that positions pastors not only as teachers and guardians of doctrine but also as architects of a healthy digital ecosystem that nurtures spiritual growth and communal resilience. This study contributes to the development of digital pastoral theology and provides a conceptual foundation for local church ministry in the era of digital transformation.

This paper presents a Scripture-only, historically informed reassessment of the Trinity. It does not reject the Trinity but returns to the Bible's own language and categories to recover a model that is older, simpler, and more faithful to the biblical text than the post-Nicene doctrine of three co-equal, co-eternal persons sharing one divine essence. The paper is neither anti-Trinitarian nor a concession to Islam or Unitarianism. It affirms the full deity of Christ, the pre-existence of the Word, and the personhood of the Spirit. It challenges only the unbiblical philosophical additions, eternal generation, three hypostases, one ousia, that entered Christianity through Greek metaphysics and imperial councils.

This essay contrasts two visions of the future: a libertarian utopia built on ownership, competition, and exclusion-and an egalitarian one that allows for participation without structural sacrifice. It argues that social inequality is often rooted in the notion of being chosen-and argues in favor of a spiritual transformation in which identity is created through connectedness rather than separation. Ownership, in this vision, is not abolished but repurposed to serve the common good.

Cette étude examine les paroles de Jésus concernant son corps et son sang à la lumière du contexte biblique et juif dans lequel elles furent prononcées. Alors que de nombreux débats contemporains opposent les interprétations symboliques et réalistes de l’Eucharistie, cette recherche soutient que les déclarations eucharistiques de Jésus trouvent leur cohérence dans les grandes catégories théologiques de l’Ancien Testament, particulièrement celles de la Pâque, de la manne et du Nouvel Exode.

À partir d’une analyse des récits évangéliques, de Jean 6, des écrits de saint Paul et des traditions juives relatives à la célébration pascale, l’étude montre que le commandement de manger la chair du Christ et de boire son sang s’inscrit dans la continuité de l’accomplissement des figures de l’Exode. La Pâque juive, qui exigeait non seulement le sacrifice de l’agneau mais également la consommation de sa chair, ainsi que la manne, pain céleste donné pour soutenir Israël dans son pèlerinage vers la Terre promise, constituent des clés essentielles pour comprendre l’enseignement de Jésus sur l’Eucharistie.

L’étude explore également la signification biblique du mémorial pascal, non comme un simple souvenir psychologique d’événements passés, mais comme une participation réelle à l’acte salvifique originel. Enfin, elle examine le témoignage des premiers auteurs chrétiens afin d’évaluer la manière dont l’Église primitive comprenait la présence du Christ dans le repas du Seigneur.

Cette réflexion propose ainsi une lecture des textes bibliques qui situe l’Eucharistie au cœur de l’accomplissement des promesses de l’Ancien Testament et du Nouvel Exode inauguré par Jésus-Christ.

*Mots-clés :* Eucharistie, Sainte Cène, Jean 6, Pâque juive, Manne, Nouvel Exode, Présence réelle, Mémorial, Christianisme primitif, Racines juives du christianisme.

Qualche anno fa, acquistai il volume "Apocalisse ieri oggi e domani-Atti della giornata di studio in memoria di Eugenio Corsini (Torino, 2 ottobre 2018). Si tratta di un volume di 172 pagine che raccoglie vari contributi in memoria dell'illustre studioso (che era morto nel marzo di quello stesso anno), contributi tra i quali spicca quello del professor Edmondo Lupieri: L'Apocalisse dopo Corsini: un'eredità in evoluzione (pp. 19-28). Lupieri ricorda di aver conosciuto Corsini da giovane, dopo aver ultimato gli studi, e di essersi subito convinto che, riguardo all'Apocalisse, "Corsini aveva ragione" (p. 20). Nel corso del suo contributo, Lupieri disquisisce a lungo sulla novità più rilevante della lettura corsiniana: quella di aver identificato la prostituta Babilonia con la Gerusalemme del I secolo.

This paper continues an inquiry begun in Can Ritual Know More Than Its Participants?, which explored the possibility that ritual signs may preserve meanings and rationales that exceed the conscious awareness of those who first receive or perform them. The present study advances that question by asking whether ritual participants themselves may know more than they understand. If a ritual can embody intelligibility beyond explicit explanation, then participation in the ritual may constitute a form of knowledge not reducible to conceptual awareness.

The investigation focuses upon the rabbinic category of the chok, the divine decree whose rationale is traditionally regarded as hidden. Particular attention is given to the paradoxical claim that Moses understood the rationale of the red heifer, even though the rite is frequently presented as the paradigmatic example of an incomprehensible commandment. Rather than treating the rationale of a chok as a secret deferred to a future revelation, this paper explores the possibility that the rationale is already present within the sign itself and concealed not by time but by interpretation. The question therefore shifts from chronology to hermeneutics: not when the rationale will be revealed, but how it may be known.

To examine this possibility, the paper considers the relationship between legal interpretation and symbolic signification, arguing that a sign may preserve meanings that later explanations fail to exhaust. The discussion culminates in a reexamination of the “tokens of virginity” in Deuteronomy 22, proposing that the narrative may preserve a covenantal rationale obscured by later forensic readings. Whether or not the specific interpretation advanced is accepted, the broader argument suggests that ritual signs function as living structures of meaning whose rationales may be discovered through deeper participation and interpretation rather than through the arrival of a future disclosure. In this sense, ritual participants may indeed know more than they understand.

This paper develops a biblical anthropology rooted in the narrative structure of Scripture, arguing that human identity cannot be understood apart from the relationship between matter, breath, and divine purpose. By examining the Genesis creation account alongside the teachings of Jesus, the study proposes that humanity’s meaning is found not merely in biological existence but in the vocation to bear God’s image through moral agency, relational responsibility, and participation in God’s redemptive work. The paper contrasts modern materialist assumptions with a theological vision in which matter is created good, ordered toward purpose, and fulfilled in Christ, the true image of God.

I once had an individual ask the question that if baptism is essential for the forgiveness of sins, Acts 2:38, then why did Jesus not tell the rich young ruler who came to him inquiring, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 18:18 NKJV)  My inquirer asked the wrong question.

Luke alone records a pause at Luke 21:10, a narrative detail often overlooked by commentators. This study examines the literary and theological significance of that pause within Jesus’s eschatological discourse. It argues that the formula marks a transition between preliminary disturbances—wars, disorders and false expectations that do not signal the immediate end—and the composite sign of the συντέλεια. By its form, the lacuna mirrors the temporal interval it describes, creating space for a global witness before the τέλος arrives.

Pemilihan informan dan penerapan strategi sampling merupakan tahapan krusial dalam penelitian kualitatif yang secara langsung menentukan kedalaman serta keabsahan data yang diperoleh. Berbeda dengan penelitian kuantitatif yang mengejar representasi statistik, penelitian kualitatif berfokus pada kekayaan informasi (information-richness). Makalah ini bertujuan untuk menguraikan secara komprehensif berbagai strategi sampling non-probabilitas serta langkah-langkah sistematis dalam memilih informan kunci dan utama. Metode yang digunakan dalam penulisan makalah ini adalah studi literatur (literature review) dengan menganalisis berbagai referensi metodologi penelitian kualitatif kontemporer. Hasil pembahasan menunjukkan bahwa purposive sampling dan snowball sampling merupakan dua teknik yang paling efektif untuk menjangkau kelompok subjek yang spesifik atau terisolasi. Selain itu, makalah ini menegaskan bahwa jumlah informan dalam penelitian kualitatif tidak ditentukan oleh angka nominal atau rumus statistik, melainkan oleh prinsip saturasi data (data saturation), yaitu titik di mana tidak ada lagi informasi baru atau variasi variabel yang ditemukan. Implikasi dari telaah ini diharapkan dapat menjadi panduan praktis bagi peneliti pemula dan mahasiswa dalam merancang desain penelitian kualitatif yang metodologis, rigor, dan dapat dipertanggungjawabkan.

Mazmur 50 adalah sebuah "Mazmur Asaf" yang unik. Ini bukan sekadar lagu pujian, melainkan sebuah nubuatan penghakiman (prophetic lawsuit). Allah diposisikan sebagai Hakim yang turun dari Sion untuk mendakwa umat-Nya. Namun, dakwaan-Nya bukan karena mereka kurang beribadah, melainkan karena mereka salah memahami siapa Allah dan apa yang Ia inginkan.

Leadership in ministry and society often wrestles with the tension between depth and expansion. Some leaders fear that growth compromises faithfulness, while others pursue expansion without theological grounding. This paper argues that true leadership is not about doing everything oneself, but about creating structures where many can flourish under shared values. Drawing from biblical exegesis, systems theory, and historical examples from church history, this study demonstrates that sustainable leadership growth is a theological imperative rather than a pragmatic option. Through the examples of Moses, Jesus, Paul, the early church, and later Christian leaders such as Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley, the paper shows that leadership flourishes when responsibility is distributed, accountability is maintained, and shared theological convictions guide expansion. The study concludes that healthy growth is not opposed to faithfulness but is often the fruit of faithful stewardship.

Leadership in ministry and society often wrestles with the tension between depth and expansion. Some leaders fear that growth compromises faithfulness, while others pursue expansion without theological grounding. This paper argues that true leadership is not about doing everything oneself, but about creating structures where many can flourish under shared values. Drawing from biblical exegesis, systems theory, and historical examples from church history, this study demonstrates that sustainable leadership growth is a theological imperative rather than a pragmatic option. Through the examples of Moses, Jesus, Paul, the early church, and later Christian leaders such as Augustine, Martin Luther, and John Wesley, the paper shows that leadership flourishes when responsibility is distributed, accountability is maintained, and shared theological convictions guide expansion. The study concludes that healthy growth is not opposed to faithfulness but is often the fruit of faithful stewardship.

The present article counters the common assumption that ברא Qal with subject God means “to create” and the common rendering of humanity “created in God’s image” in Gen 1:26-27. A number of scholars in the past expressed doubts about the understanding of ברא Qal “to create,” and concluded that ברא Qal might better be understood in terms of separation or division. I further build on these arguments and extend it with an analysis of all verbal constructions of ברא Qal in the Hebrew Bible. Based on this analysis I propose a new reading of Gen 1:26-27. The conclusion is that this text tells that God sets the human being apart from all other living beings in its capacity to make God present on earth.

Buku Dinamika Pendidikan Kristen dalam Transformasi Digital menggambarkan perubahan yang terjadi dalam pendidikan agama Kristen seiring dengan berkembangnya teknologi digital. Dimulai dari pembahasan tentang pentingnya literasi digital bagi pendidik, pembaca diajak memahami bagaimana teknologi tidak hanya menjadi alat bantu, tetapi juga bagian dari proses pembelajaran yang membentuk cara berpikir dan berinteraksi. Berbagai pendekatan pembelajaran digital dijelaskan secara praktis, termasuk bagaimana menyesuaikan metode, kurikulum, dan strategi pengajaran agar relevan dengan generasi yang hidup di era digital.

Selanjutnya, buku ini mengulas beragam inovasi yang dapat digunakan dalam pendidikan Kristen, seperti pemanfaatan media sosial, gamifikasi, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), hingga kecerdasan buatan (AI). Teknologi-teknologi tersebut dipaparkan sebagai sarana untuk memperkaya pengalaman belajar dan mendukung pertumbuhan iman, baik secara personal maupun dalam komunitas. Di sisi lain, dibahas juga tantangan yang muncul, seperti perubahan pola komunikasi, otoritas rohani, serta perlunya kebijaksanaan dalam menggunakan teknologi agar tetap selaras dengan nilai-nilai iman Kristen.

Pada bagian akhir, buku ini menyoroti pentingnya etika digital, keamanan, serta pendekatan inklusif dalam pendidikan agama Kristen. Pembelajaran tidak hanya ditujukan untuk mentransfer pengetahuan, tetapi juga membentuk karakter, tanggung jawab, dan sikap bijak dalam ruang digital. Selain itu, strategi kurikulum yang peka terhadap keberagaman budaya dan agama di Indonesia turut dibahas sebagai upaya menciptakan pendidikan yang relevan, terbuka, dan kontekstual. Secara keseluruhan, buku ini memberikan gambaran menyeluruh tentang bagaimana pendidikan Kristen dapat beradaptasi dan tetap bermakna di tengah arus transformasi digital.

This paper argues that elect believers in Christ who have died before the Parousia exist in a disembodied, incorporeal state sustained by divine grace and will receive resurrection bodies at the return of Christ. Drawing on Pauline anthropology, the paper first establishes that Scripture presents humanity as a dual being of body and soul, such that death constitutes an abnormal and temporary separation, not a final state. The argument then addresses the strongest objection-that a disembodied intermediate state imports Greek dualism into Hebrew anthropology-by distinguishing between Platonic substance dualism and the more modest biblical position that an incorporeal existence, though unnatural and unwanted, is divinely maintained. The paper proceeds to examine corporeal descriptions attributed to confirmed incorporeal beings (angels and God) alongside parallel descriptions of deceased persons, demonstrating through a comparative taxonomy that such descriptions function phenomenologically rather than as evidence of literal corporeal existence. Paul's expressed longing for the resurrection body in 2 Corinthians 4:7-5:10 is then shown to confirm rather than undermine the disembodied view: one does not groan for what one already possesses. A historical survey demonstrates that this position represents the dominant consensus of orthodox Christianity from the Patristic era through the Reformation and post-Reformation periods. The conclusion affirms that the Parousia entails the embodiment of incorporeally existing souls who are raised 2 from earthly remains, while the living are simultaneously transformed into identical spiritual bodies.