I have long been wondering about the word "Radical" in the label that refers to the group of scholars who do not allow Paul to be read outside Judaism, i.e., the so-called Radical New Perspective on Paul (or the Paul-within-Judaism Perspective). I think that the term "Radical" is a red herring because placing Paul back … Continue reading Paul: Far Too Radical an Apostle
The First Draft of my Dissertation
By God's grace, I finally submitted the first draft (committee copy) of my dissertation on December 1st, 2022. I still remember that surreal feeling that I felt that night when I clicked SEND. It was a long, hard push. I would be lying if I say I never felt like quitting, because I did from … Continue reading The First Draft of my Dissertation
Romans 1:17a
It's impossible to overemphasize the significance of Rom 1:16-17. Porter is absolutely right when he claims that Rom 1:16-17 is the "theme for the entire letter" (Porter, Letter to the Romans, 57). I read and re-read Rom 1:17a this morning to realize that this is one of the most complete and satisfying descriptions (or even … Continue reading Romans 1:17a
The One True Messiah: Jesus
Allow me to ask you two seemingly unrelated questions: Have you ever seen the face of a “messiah”?; have you ever seen something that combines all three, i.e., Islam, Hinduism, and Christianity? You can answer “yes” to both if you’ve seen the photo I attached above. When I was driving by a mosque yesterday, I … Continue reading The One True Messiah: Jesus
God Does Not Show Favoritism
Twenty-four years ago (1998), I attended a small Christian church in Kyongju, South Korea. It was only a temporary involvement because I was part of the church’s ministry of helping immigrant workers learn Korean. Although I occasionally sensed the theological eccentricity of the pastor, he was a nice man. The real shock came when he … Continue reading God Does Not Show Favoritism