Exegetical Thoughts and Biblical Theology

In Acts 13:14-41, Paul speaks in a synagogue in Psidian Antioch and proclaims Jesus as the promised Messiah. When he finishes the people plead for him to tell them more (Acts 13:42-43). The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembles (Acts 13:44). As Paul preaches, key synagogue leaders reject the gospel (Acts 13:45-47); however, many Gentiles accept it—“as many as were ordained to eternal life” (Acts 13:48). There are three key questions that have to be addressed in seeking to understand v. 48: 1) what does the word “ordained” mean; 2) by whom were they ordained; and 3) on what basis were they “ordained.” First, most scholars agree that the word “ordained” means “appointed,” and that is certainly the ordinary sense of the word (see Acts 15:2; 22:10; 28:3). Since nothing in the text or context requires a different sense, we should go with the ordinary sense. Second, the text does not say who appointed them to eternal life. The grammar requires only that their appointm...

I was struck by 1 Samuel 8:18 some time ago in my devotional reading   18 וּזְעַקְתֶּם֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא מִלִּפְנֵ֣י מַלְכְּכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּחַרְתֶּ֖ם לָכֶ֑ם וְלֽא־יַעֲנֶ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶתְכֶ֖ם בַּיּ֥וֹם הַהֽוּא׃    18  "Then you will cry out in that day because of your king whom you have chosen for yourselves, but t he LORD will not answer you in that day. " It turns out that there are at least three other places where God said he would not answer: 1) 1 Sam. 28:6  When Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him , either by dreams or by Urim or by prophets.  6 וַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל שָׁאוּל֙ בַּֽיהוָ֔ה וְל֥א עָנָ֖הוּ יְהוָ֑ה גַּ֧ם בַּחֲלֹמ֛וֹת גַּ֥ם בָּאוּרִ֖ים גַּ֥ם בַּנְּבִיאִֽם׃ 2) 2 Sam. 22:38 "I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, And I did not turn back until they were consumed.  39 "And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise; And they fell under my feet.  40 "For You have girded me with ...

On what bases does God hold humans morally responsible, i.e., culpable, for their actions? This question is at the heart of salvation. God, who is just, must be just in His justification of those who trust in Christ (Rom. 3:26) and in His condemnation of those who do not believe (John 3:18). I see in Scripture three grounds upon which God holds men responsible: 1) capacity, 2) knowledge, and 3) intent. Of these three, intent is the most frequently mentioned and most obvious.   Intent Determination of culpability on the basis of intention is evident from Num. 35:16-34 and Deut. 19:4-6. A man who "without knowledge" ( bivli da'at ) or unintentionally ( bishgagah ) slays his neighbor “does not deserve to die” (cf. Josh. 20:3). If the one who commits unintentional manslaughter is killed by the "avenger of blood," God regards it as the shedding of innocent blood (Deut. 19:10). While intentional manslaughter receives the death penalty, involuntary manslaughte...