Biblical Studies Commons^™

Beyond Change-Overcoming The Barriers To Small Rural Church Revitalization, Allen F. Wachter

Doctor of Ministry

Many of the rural churches of the Free Methodist Denomination in the Northeast region of the United States have experienced substantial stagnation and/or decline of their attendance rates over the past five years. This begs the questions, "What is preventing these churches from being revitalized so they too can be used as vessels to grow the Kingdom of God?" Though many obstructions to kingdom growth1 exist, this study focuses on the following five barriers: resistance to change, under-utilization of spiritual gifts, relational dysfunction, apathy, and lack of love. The source of these barriers was discovered through personal observation and experience …

Paul's Vision Of The Risen Lord, Brian Schmisek

Brian Schmisek

Paul, the one New Testament author who states clearly that Jesus appeared to him, has been cited as one who understood the resurrection of Jesus as fleshly, or physical. This article examines whether Paul himself understood the result of what happened to Jesus after his death to be a physical reality akin to the return of Jesus alive in the flesh. By investigating the three passages in which Paul refers to his own life-changing experience of the risen Christ (Gal 1:16; 1 Cor 9:1; 1 Cor 15:8), the article shows that there is just as much evidence to argue that …

Luke 18:9-14: An Expositional And Literary Discussion On The Parable On The Pharisee And Tax Collector, Nathan A. Schwenk

Senior Honors Theses

In the third Gospel of the New Testament, Luke consistently writes about the Pharisees and their piety pronouncing woes and judgments upon them. Representing the religious leaders of that day, they exalted themselves above everyone else and most of all, tax collectors, who are the epitome of sinners. However, the principle of the great reversal is a prominent theme in Luke’s Gospel, in which the exalted are humbled and the humble are exalted. Multiple times Jesus uses this principle to completely transform peoples’ mindset on who is greatest in the world.

This thesis will offer an extensive exposition on the …

Luke And Work, Theology Of Work Project, Aaron Kuecker

Theology of Work Project

1. Introduction to Luke
2. The Kingdom of God Shows Up at Work (Luke 1-5)
   • God at Work (Luke 1, 2 and 4)
   • Jesus Calls People at Work (Luke 5:1-11; 27-32)
   • John the Baptist Teaches Workplace Ethics (Luke 3:8-14)
   • Jesus is Tempted to Abandon Serving God (Luke 4:1-13)
3. Healing in Luke
4. Sabbath and Work (Luke 6:1-11; 13:10-17)
5. The Ethics of Conflict (Luke 6:27-36; 17:3-4)
6. God's Provision (Luke 9:10-17; 12:4-7; 12:22-31)
   • The Shrewd Manager and the Prodigal Son (Luke 16:1-13; 15:11-32)
7. Wealth in Luke
   • Concern for the Wealthy (Luke 6:25; 12:13-21; 18:18-30)
   • Concern for the Poor (Luke 6:17-26; 16:19-31)
   • Generosity: The Secret to …

The Authorship Of The Johannine Epistles, Thaddaeus S. Taylor

Senior Honors Theses

The first century church believed Jesus’ return would be immediate and as a result, compiling the writings of the apostles was not an immediate priority. In the few hundred years that followed, authentic letters from apostles as well as pseudepigraphical works had begun to circulate. Therefore, a process began of acceptance and rejection for the writings. The book of 1 John was immediately accepted into the Canon along with the Gospel of John. However, 2 John and 3 John were at first disputed and then later included in the twenty-seven books of the New Testament. This thesis will examine the …

Wisdom Christology: How Jesus Becomes God's Wisdom For Us, Daniel J. Ebert

Faculty Books

The Explorations in Biblical Theology series addresses the need for quality literature that attracts believing readers to good theology and builds there up in their faith. Each title in the series combines solid content with accessibility and readability-a valuable addition to the library of any college student, thoughtful lay reader, seminarian, or pastor.

What is true wisdom? While contemporary culture locates it in self-absorption, the first-century apostles revealed how wisdom is located supremely in Jesus Christ. Daniel Ebert explains how Old Testament wisdom motifs are not only appropriated in New Testament Christology but also far surpassed in God's Son.

Weighing Conscience, Perceptions Of Divine Truth, Lawrence E. Frizzell

Reverend Lawrence E. Frizzell, S.T.L., S.S.L., D.Phil.

Cycle A liturgical readings for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, April 10, 2011: Ez 37:12-14; Rm 8:8-11; Jn 11:1-45.This article was previously published in The Catholic Advocate.

Discerning A Vocational Theology Of Marriage For The Smyrna Church Of Christ, Daniel F. Camp

Doctor of Ministry Theses

The goal of this project was to discern a vocational theology of marriage for the Smyrna Church of Christ in Smyrna, Tennessee. Through a group discernment process, the participants studied Genesis 1-3 and 2 Corinthians 5 as a basis for understanding God’s design for marriage at creation, the effects of sin on the vocational aspect of the marriage relationship, and the call of Christ for husbands and wives to participate in the resurrection life through the ministry of reconciliation. At the end of the discernment process, the participants articulated a theology statement for the church that examined our current context …

Putting John On Trial: Teaching Christology By Using The Classroom As A Courtroom, George Faithful

Collected Faculty and Staff Scholarship

My purpose today is to share the results of an experiment I conducted and to suggest ways it could be improved and reproduced. In a 200-level course called “Christian Beliefs” at a Saint Louis University, a Catholic institution, I staged a mock trial. All students in the class were assigned to read the Gospel of John with an eye for how its author portrayed Christ’s nature. From among the thirty students, I asked for four volunteers, two each for two competing teams, the defense and prosecution. The defense was charged with summarizing John’s Christology and with making the case that …

Crafting A Congregational Narrative For The College Church Of Christ In Fresno, California, Jason W. Locke

Doctor of Ministry Theses

This thesis describes a ministry project in the College Church of Christ in Fresno, California. In this project I led the congregation through a narrative crafting process in order to clarify the church’s identity and increase its capacity for mission. In recent decades, the College Church moved away from some of its founding characteristics yet failed to clarify a new sense of identity. It subsequently had difficulty acting with a unified sense of purpose and instead moved increasingly toward fragmentation.

Data for crafting the new narrative came from three weeks of group interviews. My research team conducted these interviews in …

Book Review: New Creation In Paul's Letters, Mark D. Owens

Biblical and Theological Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Beauty Of The Ethical: An Everyday Ethics That Brings Grace To Life, Ross W. Mccullough

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

Excerpt: "Malcolm Muggeridge entitled his reflection on Mother Teresa Something Beautiful for God. Perhaps the force of that expression does not immediately strike us, but consider how curious a statement it is: that here was something—an act, a project, a life—beautiful for God. By far the most curious aspect, and the hardest to see afresh and not as mere formula, is that it was for God; but I leave that to a subsequent essay, with only the saints, here Teresa and Irenaeus, to point toward my sequel. For now note instead that it was something beautiful."

Interpretation Of BereʼŠît In The Context Of Genesis 1:1-3, Jiri Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Fresh Look At Two Genesis Creation Accounts: Contradictions?, Jiri Moskala

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Sabbath And Sanctification, Roy Gane

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Sacrifice Of The Life-Giving Death: The Atonement And Its Theological Presuppositions In Eastern Orthodox Soteriology, Daniel L. Marchant

Senior Honors Theses

Whereas much Western theology tends to portray the sacrifice of Christ as an act of penal substitution, the patristic tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church emphasizes an understanding of Christ's atoning work that is participatory rather than substitutionary, ontological rather than juridical, and cosmic rather than individual. These differences in emphasis arise from different understandings of such foundational doctrines as man's original created nature, the fall, and the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Since man was created in a dynamic condition in the image of God, called to attain to the likeness through deification in the energies of God, and as …

The Pastoral Epistles And Work, Theology Of Work Project, Alex Kirk

Theology of Work Project

1. Introduction to the Pastoral Epistles and Work
2. 1 Timothy - Working for Order in God's Household
   • True belief leads to a sound organization (1 Timothy 1:1-11, 18-20; 3:14-16)
   • Prayer, peace and order are needed at work as in church (1 Timothy 2:1-15)
   • Integrity and relational ability are key leadership qualities (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9)
   • God's Creation is Good (1 Timothy 4:1-5)
   • Good relationships arise from genuine respect (1 Timothy 5:1-6:2; Titus 2:1-10)
   • Godliness with contentment is great gain (1 Timothy 6:3-10, 17-19)
3. 2 Timothy - Encouragement for a Faithful Worker
4. Titus - Working for Good Deeds
5. Conclusions to the …

The Lost And Found World Of Genesis 1, Roy Gane

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

John Walton On The Contextual Approach To Biblical And Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Roy Gane

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

The Identity Of The Διψυχος In The Shepherd Of Hermas, Jeremiah Mutie

SOR Faculty Publications and Presentations

No abstract provided.