Jesus was “lifted up” onto the cross. This phrase refers to the physical act of raising the person so that everyone could see. However, the term also has royal/status connotations. Crucifixion was a moment of exaltation. On this topic, Joel Marcus…
The removal of shame is a new covenant reality. When God (re)makes his covenant, he removes the shame of his people. This covenantal context, I believe, is crucial to properly understanding the nature of biblical shame, and, thus, salvation as…
In The Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer offers powerful insights about the role of shame in sin and honor in salvation. The following quotes are from Chapters 8 and 9 of the book, which is available for free in PDF and Kindle. Chapter…
Jesus Christ and Donald Trump share a remarkable similarity—they both promise honor. What is “honor”?Honor is essentially status or respect in a community. Such honor comes about in two ways—inclusion and exaltation. The campaign of Donald Trump and gospel of Jesus Christ…
In the Bible, the “law” is not primarily a legal concept. For Western Christians, their view of the “law” is heavily influenced by cultural assumptions. (Some might call this “syncretism.”)When teaching about the “law,” I prefer to use the original words…
What is addiction? How is addiction healed? This new TED talk—“Everything You Think You Know About Addiction is Wrong”—connects these questions about addiction to shame and honor (granted, it uses language besides “honor” and “shame” to do so). Research shows…
“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…
Since the 1950’s Christian missiology has used the phrase missio Dei (Latin for the ‘sending/mission of God’) to frame God’s missional, saving activity in the world. What is the missio Dei in scripture? How exactly is God working to save people? Honorification is missio Dei. …