The Gospel of Luke contains a story in which an attorney attempts to test Jesus by asking how he ... more The Gospel of Luke contains a story in which an attorney attempts to test Jesus by asking how he may obtain eternal life. Jesus responds with his own set of questions: "What is written in the Law and how do you read it?" The lawyer replies, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." According to Jesus, his answer was correct. He needed only to follow his own summary of the Law. "Who is my neighbor?"-the attorney's follow up question-prompts Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus's response is evocative, even shocking to the Hebrew mind, a sense of shock that is lost on the contemporary reader. Neither the Pharisee nor the priest counted as a good neighbor, even though identifying them as such would have been an easy response from Jesus. It was the despised Samaritan who was more religious and worthy of eternal life. The parable of the Good Samaritan can be interpreted in two complementary ways.1 On the one hand, Pentecostals and Evangelicals generally take the parable as a moral narrative to encourage them to participate in works of help and service. On the other hand, the parable can be read as an interreligious encounter with the other. The Jewish-Samaritan relationship is a complex one, full of tensions. Around the eighth century BCE, Samaria fell to the Assyrians, who settled the land and brought with them their own cultural and religious practices. This produced syncretism in which the Samaritans worship the One God but continued worshipping other deities as well. During the fourth century, the Persians allowed them to build their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which exacerbated the Samaritan-Jewish relationship with a competing center of worship, even though by this time the Samaritans had become fully monotheistic. The Samaritans saw themselves as the true Israelites: descendants of Jacob, devoted to the prophethood of Moses, committed to the Torah, and centered around the temple on Mount Gerizim. In the second century, the tensions and conflicts between the Samaritans and the Jews produced a final
Times of transition are great opportunities to reflect on historical developments and share futur... more Times of transition are great opportunities to reflect on historical developments and share future hopes. As the new editors we are most grateful for the quality leadership provided by our predecessors, William W. Menzies, Cecil M. (Mel) Robeck, Jr., Murray W. Dempster, Frank D. Macchia, and most recently Amos and Dale. We are indebted to them for their years of service and visionary leadership as they have expanded the quality and influence of the journal. We are humbled by their contributions and challenged to continue in their footsteps. We also appreciate Nestor Medina for his years of service as the Book Review Editor. Yolanda Pierce at Princeton Theological Seminary is now serving in this capacity, and we are excited about the direction she will bring to this role. We also want to thank Danielle Banzon for agreeing to be the new managing editor, and we are grateful for her administrative capabilities. The transition to the new editorial team has been relatively easy, due in large part to the professionalism of Mirjam Elbers and Iedske van Coevorden at Brill and the reliable and careful eyes of the journal's long-term copyeditor, Nancy de Flon. It has been vital to have such a competent team to support us during the editorial changeover. We would like to thank the Executive Committee of the Society for the trust they have placed in us by selecting us to be the new editors, and we are especially appreciative of the substantial and generous support we are receiving from President Kent Ingle at Southeastern University. The new editorial team is committed to the continuation and expansion of Pneuma's influence as a world leader in pentecostal and charismatic scholarship. Under the tutelage of Amos and Dale, the journal developed in multidisciplinary directions with an interest in capturing global perspectives. We want to continue to develop each of these gains and strengthen the quality of publications in diverse disciplines as they take account of pentecostal-charismatic
This brief review and response commends Levison's Filled with the Spirit for its fresh articu... more This brief review and response commends Levison's Filled with the Spirit for its fresh articulation of biblical pneumatologies and seeks to examine and explore possible effects of Levison's methodology and conclusions for future Pentecostal scholarship on pneumatology.
Despite the lack of unambiguous references to the Spirit, scholars have argued vigorously both fo... more Despite the lack of unambiguous references to the Spirit, scholars have argued vigorously both for and against identifying some (though not all) of the occurrences of πνεῦμα as references to the Holy Spirit. In the last couple of decades, a renewed interest in the Apocalypse—especially by pentecostal biblical scholars—has led to a fresh discovery of its pneumatology, among other insights. This essay surveys the pneumatological components found in Revelation. Specifically, it investigates references to πνεῦμα, which naturally fall into four groupings: (1) the seven spirits, (2) John’s claim to be “in the Spirit,” (3) references to the Spirit speaking, and (4) the concept of “the Spirit of prophecy.”
This chapter ventures in a postmodern direction by acknowledging a socio-religious context, Pente... more This chapter ventures in a postmodern direction by acknowledging a socio-religious context, Pentecostalism. There are distinctives within the worldview of Pentecostalism which have predisposed the manner in which the chapter interprets the biblical texts. It sketches the contours of Pentecostalism and suggests a possible hermeneutic which is faithful to the ethos of the movement. The chapter describes the origins and theological ethos of Pentecostalism which serves as a contextual intertext for both the development of a Pentecostal hermeneutic and the application of that hermeneutic to the text of Revelation. Following the delineation of a Pentecostal hermeneutic, the chapter examines the work on the role of the Spirit in the Apocalypse by a few Pentecostal scholars to see to what extent their theological persuasion has affected their work. As Christ is revealed, the church adopts an identity that reflects the image of Christ that has been revealed. Keywords: Apocalypse; biblical text; early church; Holy Spirit; Pentecostal hermeneutic; Revelation; theological hermeneutic
Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association
Arguments for and against a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational rapture presuppose a final period o... more Arguments for and against a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational rapture presuppose a final period of world history, normally seven years, when the world will experience an unparalleled 'time of anguish.' Contrary to the characteristic debates that focus on the timing of the rapture, this article interrogates the fundamental theory of a seven-year tribulation. It begins with a sketch of the Dispensational reading of Daniel's vision of seventy weeks visà-vis other scholarly interpretations of the passage. After this comparison an alternative theory of eschatological time is proposed-informed by how the New Testament writers understood the concept of the last days. Special attention is given to the representation of eschatological time in the Book of Revelation and its use of Daniel's references to a time of three-and-a-half years.
The Gospel of Luke contains a story in which an attorney attempts to test Jesus by asking how he ... more The Gospel of Luke contains a story in which an attorney attempts to test Jesus by asking how he may obtain eternal life. Jesus responds with his own set of questions: "What is written in the Law and how do you read it?" The lawyer replies, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself." According to Jesus, his answer was correct. He needed only to follow his own summary of the Law. "Who is my neighbor?"-the attorney's follow up question-prompts Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus's response is evocative, even shocking to the Hebrew mind, a sense of shock that is lost on the contemporary reader. Neither the Pharisee nor the priest counted as a good neighbor, even though identifying them as such would have been an easy response from Jesus. It was the despised Samaritan who was more religious and worthy of eternal life. The parable of the Good Samaritan can be interpreted in two complementary ways.1 On the one hand, Pentecostals and Evangelicals generally take the parable as a moral narrative to encourage them to participate in works of help and service. On the other hand, the parable can be read as an interreligious encounter with the other. The Jewish-Samaritan relationship is a complex one, full of tensions. Around the eighth century BCE, Samaria fell to the Assyrians, who settled the land and brought with them their own cultural and religious practices. This produced syncretism in which the Samaritans worship the One God but continued worshipping other deities as well. During the fourth century, the Persians allowed them to build their own temple on Mount Gerizim, which exacerbated the Samaritan-Jewish relationship with a competing center of worship, even though by this time the Samaritans had become fully monotheistic. The Samaritans saw themselves as the true Israelites: descendants of Jacob, devoted to the prophethood of Moses, committed to the Torah, and centered around the temple on Mount Gerizim. In the second century, the tensions and conflicts between the Samaritans and the Jews produced a final
Times of transition are great opportunities to reflect on historical developments and share futur... more Times of transition are great opportunities to reflect on historical developments and share future hopes. As the new editors we are most grateful for the quality leadership provided by our predecessors, William W. Menzies, Cecil M. (Mel) Robeck, Jr., Murray W. Dempster, Frank D. Macchia, and most recently Amos and Dale. We are indebted to them for their years of service and visionary leadership as they have expanded the quality and influence of the journal. We are humbled by their contributions and challenged to continue in their footsteps. We also appreciate Nestor Medina for his years of service as the Book Review Editor. Yolanda Pierce at Princeton Theological Seminary is now serving in this capacity, and we are excited about the direction she will bring to this role. We also want to thank Danielle Banzon for agreeing to be the new managing editor, and we are grateful for her administrative capabilities. The transition to the new editorial team has been relatively easy, due in large part to the professionalism of Mirjam Elbers and Iedske van Coevorden at Brill and the reliable and careful eyes of the journal's long-term copyeditor, Nancy de Flon. It has been vital to have such a competent team to support us during the editorial changeover. We would like to thank the Executive Committee of the Society for the trust they have placed in us by selecting us to be the new editors, and we are especially appreciative of the substantial and generous support we are receiving from President Kent Ingle at Southeastern University. The new editorial team is committed to the continuation and expansion of Pneuma's influence as a world leader in pentecostal and charismatic scholarship. Under the tutelage of Amos and Dale, the journal developed in multidisciplinary directions with an interest in capturing global perspectives. We want to continue to develop each of these gains and strengthen the quality of publications in diverse disciplines as they take account of pentecostal-charismatic
This brief review and response commends Levison's Filled with the Spirit for its fresh articu... more This brief review and response commends Levison's Filled with the Spirit for its fresh articulation of biblical pneumatologies and seeks to examine and explore possible effects of Levison's methodology and conclusions for future Pentecostal scholarship on pneumatology.
Despite the lack of unambiguous references to the Spirit, scholars have argued vigorously both fo... more Despite the lack of unambiguous references to the Spirit, scholars have argued vigorously both for and against identifying some (though not all) of the occurrences of πνεῦμα as references to the Holy Spirit. In the last couple of decades, a renewed interest in the Apocalypse—especially by pentecostal biblical scholars—has led to a fresh discovery of its pneumatology, among other insights. This essay surveys the pneumatological components found in Revelation. Specifically, it investigates references to πνεῦμα, which naturally fall into four groupings: (1) the seven spirits, (2) John’s claim to be “in the Spirit,” (3) references to the Spirit speaking, and (4) the concept of “the Spirit of prophecy.”
This chapter ventures in a postmodern direction by acknowledging a socio-religious context, Pente... more This chapter ventures in a postmodern direction by acknowledging a socio-religious context, Pentecostalism. There are distinctives within the worldview of Pentecostalism which have predisposed the manner in which the chapter interprets the biblical texts. It sketches the contours of Pentecostalism and suggests a possible hermeneutic which is faithful to the ethos of the movement. The chapter describes the origins and theological ethos of Pentecostalism which serves as a contextual intertext for both the development of a Pentecostal hermeneutic and the application of that hermeneutic to the text of Revelation. Following the delineation of a Pentecostal hermeneutic, the chapter examines the work on the role of the Spirit in the Apocalypse by a few Pentecostal scholars to see to what extent their theological persuasion has affected their work. As Christ is revealed, the church adopts an identity that reflects the image of Christ that has been revealed. Keywords: Apocalypse; biblical text; early church; Holy Spirit; Pentecostal hermeneutic; Revelation; theological hermeneutic
Journal of the European Pentecostal Theological Association
Arguments for and against a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational rapture presuppose a final period o... more Arguments for and against a pre-, mid-, or post-tribulational rapture presuppose a final period of world history, normally seven years, when the world will experience an unparalleled 'time of anguish.' Contrary to the characteristic debates that focus on the timing of the rapture, this article interrogates the fundamental theory of a seven-year tribulation. It begins with a sketch of the Dispensational reading of Daniel's vision of seventy weeks visà-vis other scholarly interpretations of the passage. After this comparison an alternative theory of eschatological time is proposed-informed by how the New Testament writers understood the concept of the last days. Special attention is given to the representation of eschatological time in the Book of Revelation and its use of Daniel's references to a time of three-and-a-half years.
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