*The Lord’s Prayer* by Nijay K. Gupta #2

This is the second post on Gupta's work on the Lord's prayer. Having given his introduction, Gupta proceeds to explore the first line of the prayer, "Our Father in heaven." Interestingly, besides the name "Lord's prayer," the prayer has alternatively been known in church history as the Pater noster, in Latin, the Our Father. Gupta …

*The Lord’s Prayer* by Nijay K. Gupta #1

In my spare time (!), I am currently reading through Nijay K. Gupta's commentary, The Lord's Prayer, Smyth and Helwys Bible Commentary (Smyth and Helwys: 2017). The Smyth and Helwys commentary series, while not addressing the deeper exegetical questions of larger commentaries, produces short and accessible commentaries on biblical texts and are generally helpful for those …

*A World without ‘Whom’,* by Emmy J. Favilla

Written by the chief copy editor at BuzzFeed, A World without 'Whom' addresses language in a fast-changing world. The title of the book refers to one of the greatest markers of this change, the use of the word "whom," often deliberately avoided for its datedness or unconsciously substituted with "who." Favilla provides an accessible take on various …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #9: 1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10

Nissinen treats 1 Cor 6:9 and 1 Tim 1:10 under the same heading. The texts read: "Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes (malakos), sodomites (arsenokoitēs), thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, robbers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #8: Romans 1:26-27

In chapter six, Nissinen proceeds to address NT passages dealing with homoeroticism. He identifies three: Rom 1:26-27; 1 Cor 6:9; and 1 Tim 1:10. Nissinen opens in contending that "Paul himself was flesh and blood, an educated male of Hellenistic Jewish origin whose worldview and moral standards, even after his conversion to Jesus Christ, had …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #7: Judaism

In the following chapter, Nissinen turns to attitudes towards homoeroticism in ancient Judaism. He begins with the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. Here, the moral depravity of the Gentiles comes into focus, and homoeroticism is given as an example: "The majority of other men defile themselves in their relationships, thereby committing a serious offense, and lands and …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #6: Ancient Greece and Rome

In his next chapter, Nissinen turns to homoeroticism in classical antiquity. This will provide important background context for the ways that homoeroticism is approached in the NT. Nissinen begins with Greek pederasty, from paiderastia, love for boys, which was a form of homoeroticism that took place between adult men and boys. The majority of sources concerning …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #5: Gibeah, Ham and Noah, and David and Jonathan

Nissinen addresses three other OT texts that relate to homoeroticism in the OT: Judges 19; Gen 9:20-27; and 1 Sam 18-20; 2 Sam 1:26. Judges 19 presents a similar story to that of Genesis 19 (Sodom), and Nissinen suspects the texts may be related, perhaps Judges 19 being later, but he doesn't go into detail …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #4: Sodom

Having addressed the prohibitions in Leviticus, Nissinen proceeds to the destruction of Sodom in Gen 19:1-11: "The two angels came to Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them, and bowed down with his face to the ground. He said, 'Please, my …

Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective, by Martti Nissinen #3: Leviticus

In this third post, I address Nissinen's comments on OT biblical texts dealing with homoeroticism. I will just focus on Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 in this post, but in the same chapter Nissinen will also address Genesis 19:1-11; Judges 19; Genesis 9:20-27; 1 Sam 18-20; and 2 Sam 1:26. Because of the paucity of such …