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2026-06-17T20:00:59-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

5 Portraits of God as Father in the Old Testament

Last updated on: June 17, 2026 at 8:00 pm By B. J. Oropeza

As Father’s Day approaches, it is a good idea for us to reflect on God as our heavenly Father. In the Old Testament, God often gets a bad rap as an angry, legalistic, vengeful meanie who often loses his temper like the Hulk on steroids. Such perceptions may be why Marcion in the second century cut out the Old Testament and even parts of the New Testament from his Bible! I wonder whether these images about God, however, have something... Read more

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Family, Parenting and Religion

2026-06-01T22:57:22-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What does it mean that Scripture is inspired? 2 Timothy 3:16

Last updated on: June 1, 2026 at 10:57 pm By B. J. Oropeza

“All Scripture is inspired of God…” This is how 2 Timothy 3:16 begins, but what does it mean that Scripture is inspired? And which Scriptures? The second question is not too difficult to answer. The letter of 2 Timothy claims to be written by the Apostle Paul who writes to his disciple and colleague, Timothy (2 Tim 1:1–2).* Most scholars agree that this is supposed to be the same Timothy mentioned in Paul’s other letters and the Book of Acts.... Read more

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2026-05-18T13:41:27-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Why are the Scriptures Holy? Dr. Thomas Robinson Responds

Last updated on: May 18, 2026 at 1:41 pm By B. J. Oropeza

Why are the Scriptures holy? We explore what Thomas A. Robinson, D. D., writes regarding the term, “holy Scriptures” from Romans 1:2. More than 150 years ago, Robinson came out with a unique commentary. It collects a number of succinct interpretations from valuable commentaries of his time and earlier in order to interpret biblical texts from various perspectives. For Dr. Robinson, these interpretations have the aim of assisting the busy layperson, minister, and scholar alike. Robinson’s commentary comes from an... Read more

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2026-05-04T17:37:31-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Quest for the Intertextual Jesus? His view of Scripture

Last updated on: May 4, 2026 at 5:37 pm By B. J. Oropeza

The Gospels, especially Matthew’s, speak of Jesus fulfilling Scripture, but what did Jesus himself think of the Scriptures? In other words, what might we know about the historical Jesus and his view of Jewish sacred texts that today are called the Old Testament? It is not enough to point to a passage such as John 10:35 in which Jesus considers Scripture to be the word of God and claims that it cannot be broken. Most texts in John are unique... Read more

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2026-05-04T21:58:48-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

How did Saul’s name change to Paul the Apostle?

Last updated on: May 4, 2026 at 9:58 pm By B. J. Oropeza

In Acts, Paul is first mentioned as Saul, a persecutor of the Jesus followers (Acts 7:58; 8:1, 3; 9:1, 4). Later on in Acts, his name changes to Paul. In Paul’s letters, he is never called Saul. So how did Saul’s name change to Paul? Paul always introduces himself in his letters with the honorable Latin-Roman name Paul (in Greek Παῦλος, and in Latin Paul(l)us). It is not clear whether this was his given name at birth. In Acts, he... Read more

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Paul the Apostle: Studies

2026-03-31T05:02:28-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What I hate, that I do! The Divided I in Romans 7

Last updated on: March 31, 2026 at 5:02 am By B. J. Oropeza

The famous words, “What I hate, that I do,” along with “Oh wretched man that I am!” are expressions of exasperation. They come from the person who despises doing wrong but can’t stop doing it in Romans 7:7–25. Scholars identify this passage in Paul as “the divided I.” It reflects the human dilemma of knowing what is right but unable to do it—the person is enslaved to sin. Vice and addiction control them. Is Paul referring to his own plight... Read more

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History and Religion

Education and Religion

2026-03-18T10:32:45-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Is Faith a Gift? Michael Wolter Explains Relevant Passages

Last updated on: March 18, 2026 at 10:32 am By B. J. Oropeza

We probably have heard that faith is a gift, but in what sense? Is faith opposed to works and human effort? Helping us sort through questions related to faith is Dr. Michael Wolter, Professor of New Testament at the University of Bonn, Germany. He is also Honorary Professor at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. His book, Paul: An Outline of His Theology (Baylor University Press) is mistitled in my opinion—it is quite a magisterial work at almost 500 pages.*... Read more

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History and Religion

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Paul the Apostle: Studies

Paul: An Outline of His Theology

2026-03-03T15:09:30-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Did Demas really forsake Paul? Rereading 2 Timothy 4:10

Last updated on: March 3, 2026 at 3:09 pm By B. J. Oropeza

Did Paul’s colleague Demas really desert Paul? If so, in what sense? The relevant Scripture reads, “For Demas has forsaken me, having loved the present world-age and gone to Thessalonica, Crescens to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me…” (2 Timothy 4:10–11a). Traditionally speaking, Paul is said to be writing this letter to Timothy when in prison in Rome. The way the apostle speaks of Demas in tandem with Crescens and Titus may suggest all three of them... Read more

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Paul the Apostle: Studies

2026-02-25T09:31:02-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

14 Hot Books on Christology

Last updated on: February 25, 2026 at 9:31 am By B. J. Oropeza

Here are some recent books on Christology, a total of 14 biblical-theological works on the study of Christ. The books I recommended in a previous blog focus on questions about the Jesus of history. But the books in this current blog focus more on Jesus as he relates to theology. These books center on such issues as his preexistence and incarnation, his messianic identity, his titles, and whether he was God manifest in the flesh. Some of these studies I... Read more

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2026-02-10T00:06:25-07:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

The A. I. Bible: Your Own Personal Savior?

Last updated on: February 10, 2026 at 12:06 am By B. J. Oropeza

An A. I. Bible? The famous Depeche Mode song spoke about having your own personal Jesus. But in the 1989 hit, this happens by lifting up the telephone receiver. Nowadays, it’s happening by touching one’s screen or speaking to one’s smartphone. At an ever-increasing rate, Siri, Gemini, chatbots, and search engines are replacing the standard leatherbound editions of the Bible. What is good news is that sites and platforms like Bible Gateway and You Version are reaching and equipping many... Read more

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