Paul’s Zeal

The concept of zeal is a complex one in Scripture. It is often linked in the Old Testament to physical violence against those who opposed God and his covenant with Israel. This is the kind of zeal demonstrated by Saul the Pharisee in his persecution of the infant church. The zeal of Paul the apostle, on the other hand, had been transformed by the cruciform zeal of Christ. An appreciation of this transformation sheds new light on some exegetical cruxes in Paul’s writings. It also highlights key differences between the old and new covenants and between proper and misplaced religious zeal.

Post-Crisis Assurance and the ‘Tests of Life’ Reading of 1 John

1 John has often been read as advocating a series of personal ‘tests of life’, by which individuals can evaluate the genuineness of their conversion. This article argues that framing 1 John’s teaching on assurance in this way distorts its teaching by failing to recognise the epistle’s rhetorical strategy. It argues that this epistle was intended to positively cultivate assurance in its original recipients by highlighting that they had already proven their possession of salvation by their perseverance in their confession, whereas others had recently abandoned it. This invites reflection on the role of pastoral evaluation and exhortation in cultivating assurance rather than on individualistic strategies alone.