Digital Commons Network^™

Can A Biblical Inspired Writer Use Literary Sources?, Jiří Moskala

Ellen White Issues Symposium

No abstract provided.

The Clarity And Obscurity Of Inspired Writings: A Historical Survey From Late Antiquity To Early Nineteenth- Century America, Denis Kaiser

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

Throughout Christian history, pastors, scholars, and church leaders have discussed whether, or to what extent, Scripture is clear or obscure. This article surveys the views on the clarity and obscurity of Scripture as advocated by Christian writers in five eras from late antiquity to early nineteenth-century America. Writers in the Protestant tradition have generally objected to the common notions among Roman Catholics that Scripture is obscure, consists of a four-fold sense, and that normative teaching authority is in the hands of the magisterium. Lutheran, Reformed, and Pietist scholars have generally emphasized the importance of having an educated clergy that understands …

The Concept Of Israel In The Old Testament And Its Divine Purpose: An Exegetical And Theological Analysis, Gregory Arutyunyan

Dissertations

The aim of this study is to undertake a fresh look into the concept of Israel in the Old Testament and its divine purpose in the context of the overarching theology of the Hebrew Bible. The working method used in this research is a theological and exegetical analysis of relevant Hebrew text along with incorporating historical and socio-archaeological background studies.

The conclusion that is reached is that Old Testament Israel was a cosmopolitan community of people connected through biological links, intermarriage relationships, and political alliances. In a spiritual sense, the term Israel served as a characterizing title granted to Jacob …

"God's Obedience": A Linguistic And Narrative Exploration Of The Hebrew Idiom In 1 Kings 17:22 And Its Theological Implications, Oliver Glanz, Jonatas Leal

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This article explores a particular sentence in the first resurrection narrative of the Bible: “And the LORD obeyed Elijah” (1 Kgs 17:22a). Before the widow’s son returns to life, the prophet calls YHWH to perform a miracle. Subsequently, and surprisingly the narration reports that the LORD obeyed. In contrast to the Hebrew of the source text, we argue that modern Bible translations do not render 1 Kgs 17:22a (וַיִּשְׁמַ֥ע יְהוָ֖ה בְּקֹ֣ול אֵלִיָּ֑הוּ) correctly. Instead of translating “The LORD listened to the voice of Elijah” (NRSV), “The LORD heard Elijah’s cry” (NIV), or “The LORD answered Elijah’s prayer” (GNB), one …

Going Deeper With New Testament Greek [Review]/ Merkle, Benjamin L., Robert L. Plummer, With Andreas J. Köstenberger., Stanislav Kondrat

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Stanislav Kondrat.

"The Oxford Hand Book Of The Book Of Revelation"[Review]/Koester, Craig R., Ed, Flavio Prestes Iii

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Flavio Prestes III.

"The Antichrist Tradition In Antiquity: Antimessianism In Second Temple And Early Christian Literature" [Review]/Kusio, Mateusz, Rodrigo Galiza

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

This is a book review by Rodrigo Galiza.

A Comparative Analysis Of National Identity Construction And Rhetorization In William Shakespeare's King Henry V And Aphra Behn' Oroonoko; Or, The Royal Slave, David Forner

Honors Theses

Positioned at the climax of both William Shakespeare’s King Henry V (1600) and Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave (1688) are dynamic calls for battle. While King Henry rallies his forces against the French, Oroonoko—an enslaved African prince—ignites a slave revolt against English colonial masters. This comparative analysis of the speeches’ rhetoric identifies three sets of similar appeals: to martial masculinity, honor as a moral code, and collective political identities. From Behn’s application of Shakespeare’s canonical rhetoric derives commentary on each rhetor’s ability to construct and rhetorize his national identity. Importantly, analysis reveals the impact of racialized difference on …

Creation Care: A Biblical Theology Of The Natural World [Review] / Moo, Douglas J., And Jonathan A. Moo., Jo Ann Davidson

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Intermediate Greek Grammar: Syntax For Students Of The New Testament [Review] / Mathewson, David, And Elodie B. Emig., Lincoln Nogueira

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Personality Of The Holy Spirit: A Biblical, Historical, And Theological Investigation, Christopher R. Mwashinga

Journal of the Adventist Theological Society

Down through the history of the Christian church, people have held different views about the personality of the Holy Spirit. 1 Some view Him as the personification of holy power in the same sense that they view Satan as the personification of evil power, and they conclude that neither Satan nor the Holy Spirit is a personal being. 2 Others see the Holy Spirit as the energy of God, an impersonal power God uses to activate His will in the universe, 3 and still others maintain that the Holy Spirit is a person and that He was active with the …

Ministering To Youth And Young Adults Through A Sports Initiative In The Normandie Avenue Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Michael S. Jenkins Jr.

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Normandie Avenue Seventh-day Adventist church is centrally located among other nearby Seventh-day Adventist churches in south Los Angeles, California. The presence of youth and young adults in worship services has diminished. Ministry participation among this group at Normandie has also diminished. Adventist and non-Adventist youth and young adults are not being attracted to the church or its ministries. Youth and young adults who do attend worship service and or participate in ministries do not have a strong relationship with the pastor or other spiritual figures. A 2008 study shows the median age of Adventist congregations is 51 while …

Oregon Conference Pathfinders' Teen Leadership Development Program As A Model For The North American Division, Tracy Leon Wood

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Pathfinder Teen Leadership Training (TLT) program was introduced in 1994 in the North American Division. Although the TLT Manual had gone through three revisions, there had never been any staff training or conference-level leader training resources developed. Because the TLT program was an NAD Pathfinder curriculum, it was imperative that the components of the Conference-level Leadership Skills Development Program be consistent throughout the division. The problem was that there were no developed processes or guidelines that conferences could follow to develop their TLT conference-sponsored program from the TLT Manual. The Oregon Conference had developed a TLT academic credit …

Strategies For Retention Of New Members In The Ebenezer And Gethsemane Seventh-Day Adventist Churches, Keith Woodard

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

The Ebenezer Seventh-day Adventist Church of Greenville, North Carolina, was organized 33 years ago and is located on the periphery of Pitt County. In the past five years, the church has baptized 27 people; however, 15 of them are currently missing. As a result, growth has been inconsistent and members have become concerned about the growth of God’s kingdom. A possible factor in this situation is the lack of a structure to retain members after baptism. The Gethsemane Seventh-day Adventist church in 2013 held an evangelistic meeting in which 15 people were baptized. Only one person from the 15 …

The Book Of Revelation: Guidelines For Responsible And Meaningful Preaching, Ranko Stefanovic

Faculty Publications

"Cautious preachers will be aware that their exposition of Revelation has far-reaching effects on the listeners,whether for blessing or eternal loss.

Therefore, it is of primary importance for preachers to acquaint themselves with the principles of prophetic inter- pretation so that they may be sure that their exposition of Revelation’s messages matches the intention of the inspired author who wrote down and organized theologically what had been shown to him in vision. This article provides several prac- tical guidelines for responsible and meaningful preaching of Revelation. This is a product of my own pilgrimage and many years of personal experi- …

A Comprehensive Strategy For The Calgary Metropolitan Area Churches, Christopher L. Holland

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem

In my 16 years of ministry, in every location I have pastored, the church has struggled to connect with the surrounding community. In Calgary, there are 14 Seventh-day Adventist churches and companies. These churches have, on occasion, worked in unity for evangelism. However, according to several of the local pastors, that has not happened for over 10 years. If the churches in Calgary are to fulfill the Great Commission, an effective way of engaging the community is needed. Because the communities that surround churches are growing increasingly secular, comprehensive evangelistic strategies may be an effective way of reaching them. …

The Lord’S Supper In The Early Church: Covenant Extension Or Eucharistic Presence?, Silvia Bacchiocchi

Andrews University Seminary Student Journal

This study seeks to show how the Lord’s Supper lost its relational and historical (past-present-future) covenant focus and instead became fixed on the Platonic now of mystical contemplation, displacing the eschatological hope of Christ’s physical return with the real presence of Christ in the eucharist. This resulted from the Hellenistic interpretation of reality in general and of Christian rituals in particular. The first section explores the nature of God and the Old Testament covenant, followed by the covenant’s continuity in the New Testament through the Lord’s Supper. The second portion analyzes the Didache’s Jewish-Christian perspective of the Lord’s Supper and …

Recognition Assembly, Jiri Moskala

Seminary Scholarship Symposium

Highlighted Projects:

Merlin Burt, editor, Understanding Ellen White.

John Reeve, editor, Women and Ordination: Biblical and Historical Studies.

Roy E. Gane, Current Issues in Priestly and Related Literature.

L. S. Baker, Jr. Land of Rameses.

Bruce Bauer and Wagner Kuhn, editors. Biblical Principles for Missiological Issues in Africa, Journal of Adventist Mission Studies.

Gerald Klingbeil, editor. Represented by Ronald Knott, Andrews University Press. The Genesis Creation Account and Its Reverberations in the Old Testament.

John Peckham, The Love of God: A Canonical Model.

S. Joseph Kidder, Moving Your Church: Become a Spirit-Led Community. …

Full Issue

Andrews University Seminary Student Journal

No abstract provided.

Fundamentals Of New Testament Textual Criticism [Book Review] / Porter, Stanley E., And Andrew W. Pitts, Dominic Bornand

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

A Change Of Heart: A Personal And Theological Memoir [Book Review] / Oden, Thomas C., Woodrow W. Whidden

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Ethics Of Love? Morality And The Meaning Of Divine Love, John C. Peckham

Andrews University Seminary Student Journal

While there is wide agreement on the importance of love to Christian ethics, just what an ethics of love includes and entails differs depending upon how Christian love is understood. Toward clarifying the relationship between love and Christian ethics, this essay briefly engages the highly influential agapist conception of love and questions its sufficiency as the basis of Christian ethics. Consideration of some apparent shortcomings of the agapist conception leads to the proposal that the continued quest for a more intentionally and distinctively biblical conception of divine love is integral to a compelling and faithfully Christian ethics of love.

Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia: A Reader’S Edition [Review] / Vance, Donald A., George Athas, And Yael Avrahami, Oliver Glanz

Andrews University Seminary Studies (AUSS)

No abstract provided.

Cultural Intelligence: A Model To Empower The West Houston Seventh-Day Adventist Church For Multicultural Ministry, Ashwin James Somasundram

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The West Houston Church is a large multicultural congregation and is located within a large multicultural neighborhood on the west side of Houston. As such, one would assume that the church, with its diverse nature, would have an active and strong presence in the local community. However, that was not the case. Pastoral observation suggested that the members were too internally focused and struggled to relate to people from a different cultural background within the congregation. The consequence was a disconnect between the church and the community. There existed a paramount need for cultural intelligence in the minds of …

1 Corinthians 11:2 - 16 And The Ordination Of Women To Pastoral Ministry, Teresa Reeve

Faculty Publications

The purpose of this paper is to explore what guidance the instruction of Paul to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 may give regarding the ordination of women to pastoral ministry.

The Eschatological Role Of The Jerusalem Temple: An Examination Of Jewish Writings Dating From 586 Bce To 70 Ce, Eric W. Baker

Dissertations

Topic. This research investigates the relationship between eschatology and the Jerusalem temple within the second temple period. -- Purpose. This research investigates the role of the Jerusalem temple within the second temple Jewish writings to establish whether the Jerusalem temple has any role to play in relation to the end of the exile and the beginning of the eschaton. Previous analyses of second temple Judaism have not focused on the role of the Temple in eschatology. -- Sources. The primary documents investigated in this research were the proto-canonical, deutero-canonical, Qumran writings, and the Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. -- Conclusion. The Jerusalem …

The Pastor As Vital Link : A Study In How Seminary-Educated Pastors Engender Engagement With Scripture In Select Congregations, Jewel Gingerich Longenecker

Dissertations

Problem. The problem this study sought to address was the tendency of “ordinary readers” of Scripture to misuse the Bible on the one hand, or to give up reading it entirely, on the other hand. The purpose of this study was to develop a grounded theory that describes how seminary-educated pastors are successfully leading ordinary readers to informed, enthusiastic engagement with the Bible. The conceptual lenses through which research data were compared to literature in the field included teaching methodologies proposed by Wink, Blair, and Borsch.

Method. The study used a qualitative research design. It was field focused, utilized …

Back To Creation: Toward A Consistent Adventist Creation — Fall — Re-Creation Hermeneutic (Biblical - Theological Reflections On Basic Principles Of Biblical Hermeneutics Applied To The Ordination Of Women), Jiri Moskala Thd, Phd

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Short History Of Ordination (Part I), Darius Jankiewicz

Memory, Meaning & Faith

No abstract provided.

Retaining Young Adults Through A Wholistic Formational Discipleship Program At The Immanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, John S. Nixon Ii

Doctor of Ministry Projects

Problem. The Immanuel Temple Seventh-day Adventist Church is located in the University-saturated city of Durham, NC. As such, it has the potential for a thriving young adult population of active churchgoers. Instead, the young adult attendance at ITSDA mirrors that of most American Christian churches as it is in decline. The result is an increasingly aging church with few youngsters energetically engrossed in the life of the congregation.

Method. Research was conducted and a wholistic formational discipleship program was tested as a means of addressing the issue of young adult attrition at ITSDA. The program included these steps: 1. An …