Tag: Paul
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An Exegetical Walkthrough of Acts 15:1–21 Few chapters in the New Testament have had a greater influence on Christian theology than Acts 15. The Jerusalem Council is often cited in discussions about salvation, circumcision, the Law of Moses, and the relationship between Jewish and Gentile believers. Yet before we ask what the council’s decision means…
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The apostle Paul is one of the most familiar figures in Christian history, and that familiarity is part of the problem. Many readers already “know” Paul before they read him. He is often imagined as the former Jew (Saul) who left Judaism behind, the preacher of grace who rejected law, the founder of Christianity, or…
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Ad fontes means “to the sources.” It was one of the great cries of the Renaissance and Reformation. Humanists and Reformers believed that renewal required returning to the earliest witnesses rather than relying only on inherited interpretations. For the Reformers, this meant returning to Scripture in its original languages—Hebrew and Greek—so the church could hear…
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Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 3 are often misunderstood as if he were contrasting a failed Torah with a successful Messiah. But Paul is doing something far more rooted in the story of Israel. He is interpreting Exodus 32–34—the sin of the golden calf, the breaking and renewal of the covenant, and Moses’ radiant face—and…
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Replacement theology—also called supersessionism in academic circles—is the belief that the Church has replaced Israel in God’s covenant plan. According to this view, the promises God made to the Jewish people in the Hebrew Scriptures are no longer directed toward them as a people. Instead, the Church is believed to have inherited those promises in…
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Below is an exegetical walkthrough of Romans 7. While multiple interpretations of this passage exist, this study aims to approach the text as objectively as possible within its historical context, setting aside supersessionist assumptions. The goal is to situate several highly debated verses within the flow of Paul’s broader argument. All Scripture references are from…
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Scriptures Often Used to Argue That the Torah or Jewish People Were Replaced Throughout church history, certain New Testament passages have been interpreted to suggest that the Torah is no longer relevant or that the Jewish people have lost their covenantal role in God’s purposes. The following verses and themes are often treated as foundational…