“Honor” in the New Testament
The main New Testament word for honor is timē. The word refers to the value of an object. In material transactions, the word means “price” or “a sum (of money).” For example The tomb that Abraham had bought for a …
Tag: NT
“Shame” in the New Testament
The New Testament uses a variety of words to speak about shame. This post discusses main three roots for shame. This first pie chart shows the various Greek terms behind the word “shame” in the NRSV. The primary NT word …
“Husbands, Honour Your Wives” (1 Peter 3:7)
Andrew Bartlett, QC of Crown Office Chambers, London, is a highly-rated international arbitrator, and also a Deputy High Court Judge in England and Judge of the Upper Tribunal. He has a BA in Theology (University of Gloucestershire) and has served …
James 1 (HSP)
This paraphrase of James 1 is from the new book James: An Honor-Shame Paraphrase, by Dr. Daniel K. Eng. From James, a slave in the service of Jesus, the exalted King. To the twelve tribes of God’s cherished people, far away …
The Meaning of Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” That is how most English Bibles translate Romans 3:23. Western Christianity typically interprets these words as, “Every individual person has done something wrong and not lived up to God’s …
Communion, from an Honor-Shame Perspective
God is the “King of Glory.” God does not have honor. He is honor. Glory radiates from his very being. He is the One who bestows and grants honor upon us. God is the only source of honor. David says, …
Set of 30 Bible Stories about Honor & Shame
Biblical writers communicated God’s honor for the shamed through stories. Narratives recount how God saves his people from disgrace and displays honor.Here is a story set of 30 biblical narratives that address honor and shame. For a more complete list , …
New Book: Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures (IVP)
My latest book Ministering in Honor-Shame Cultures: Biblical Foundations and Practical Essentials (InterVarsity Press) is now available.This 270-page book equips Christians to proclaim and embody the gospel in honor-shame contexts. Our aim was simple: to show how honor-shame is central …
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Honor-Shame in Jude and 2 Peter
Andrew M. Mbuvi (Ph.D., Westminster) is Associate Prof. of Biblical Studies and Hermeneutics at Shaw University Divinity School. His latest book is a commentary on Jude and 2 Peter (NCCS: Cascade, 2015). In this post, he summarizes the honor-shame dynamics …
Jesus’ Death, for Muslims
How is Jesus’ death good news for Muslims? Ten years ago this month EMQ published my article, “A Muslim Theology of Jesus’ Birth and Death.” Though it was well before I began thinking in “honor-shame” terms, I was surprised to see how much my ideas were already …
7 Reasons Jesus Has Supreme Honor
God acted decisively through Jesus Christ to confirm his glory and restore honor to the human family. Jesus, being the essence and perfect embodiment of God’s Honor, was uniquely qualified for the task. For Jesus to atone for sin, he …
The Apostolic Honor Code (1 Pet)
How does God’s Kingdom reshape morality and ethics in honor-shame contexts?The most common proposal for Christian’s ethics in shame-based contexts is something like, “People should not care about other people’s opinions, but just do what is right. Get rid of all vestiges …
How Jesus Changed the Honor Code
Was Jesus teaching an “honor code”? One dimension of Jesus’ earthly ministry was helping people realign their notions of “honorability” and “shamefulness” with God’s values of honor and shame. Jesus’ teachings reveals how people access true and eternal honor from God …
God’s New (Testament) Face
“I will never again hide my face from them, when I pour out my spirit upon the house of Israel, says the Lord God.” (Ez 39:29). New Covenant saints behold the face of God as never before.The knotty passage of 2 Cor …
Charlie Hebdo, Being Human, & Gal 5
I happened to be in France the week after the Charlie Hebdo tragedy. Reactions to the events revealed the rather large gap between the cultural values of “individualism” and “collectivism.” Yet, the incident surrounding Charlie Hebdo reveals not only two distinct …
The Audience – Lk 15 (4)
As a piece of literature, the parable is rather strange…it has no ending! What happened with the older son? … the village celebration? …the family estate? We don’t know. The previous posts in the Lk 15 series are: The Prodigal, The …
The Brother – Lk 15 (3)
But just then, the older brother heard the music in the fields and walked into the village to investigate. The older brother asked a servant about the music, but getting him to explain was like pulling teeth. “Well sir…well sir… …
The Father – Lk 15 (2)
Just as the community surrounded the younger son, the father came out of his house, jumped the hedge, and sprinted through the village, yelling, “My son! My son!” Everybody watched in shock. Everybody eyes were on the father now, not …
The Prodigal – Lk 15 (1)
A respected man was blessed with two sons. One day, his younger son says to him, “Father, give me the share of the property coming to me.” The father (should have) said, “WHAT ?!#?! I’m as good as dead to …