Intro
This website is devoted to biblical exegesis, studies on early Christian theology, and critical engagement with Christadelphian theology. Note that my blog is updated much more frequently with shorter articles.
The name of this resource, dianoigō, is taken from a Greek verb meaning "to open the mind of one, i.e. to cause to understand a thing; to open one's soul, i.e. to rouse in one the faculty of understanding or the desire of learning" (Thayer's Greek Lexicon). The word is so used in several New Testament texts such as Luke 24:45 and Acts 16:14.
Article Index
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Online Articles
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Farrar, Thomas J. "Is ἑκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων in the Gospels a Funerary Formula?", Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok 87 (2022): 181-201. |
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| The published version of this article can be downloaded using the above link. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. "New Testament Satanology and Leading Suprahuman Opponents in Second Temple Jewish Literature: A Religio-Historical Analysis," Journal of Theological Studies 70 (2019): 21-68. |
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| At the above link you can access the published version of this study. Neither this link nor the article itself may be shared with third parties. The author's original version can be accessed here. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. "The Intimate and Ultimate Adversary: Satanology in Early Second-Century Christian Literature," Journal of Early Christian Studies 26 (2018): 517-546. |
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| The above link will take you to the journal's homepage where you can read the abstract and find options for accessing the published version. Alternatively, you can download a preprint version here. The preprint is not suitable for citation. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. "Satanology and Demonology in the Apostolic Fathers: A Response to Jonathan Burke," Svensk Exegetisk Årsbok 83 (2018): 156-91. |
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| The published version of this article can be downloaded using the above link. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. "Today in Paradise? Ambiguous Adverb Attachment and the Meaning of Luke 23:43," Neotestamentica 51 (2017): 185-207. |
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| The above link will take you to the journal's homepage where you can read the abstract and find options for accessing the published version. Unfortunately copyright does not allow me to share any version of the article here. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. and Williams, Guy J. "Diabolical Data: A Critical Inventory of New Testament Satanology," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 39 (2016): 40-71. |
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| The above link will take you to the journal's homepage where you can read the abstract and find options for accessing the published version. Alternatively, you can download the accepted version here. The accepted version is not suitable for citation. | |
Farrar, Thomas J. and Williams, Guy J. "Talk of the Devil: Unpacking the Language of New Testament Satanology," Journal for the Study of the New Testament 39 (2016): 72-96. |
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| The above link will take you to the journal's homepage where you can read the abstract and find options for accessing the published version of the study. Alternatively, you can download the accepted version here. The accepted version is not suitable for citation. | |
Online Articles
A Review of and Response to The Doctrine of the Trinity: Christianity’s Self-Inflicted Wound, by Anthony F. Buzzard and Charles F. Hunting |
June 2021 |
| A detailed review of and response to a book that seeks to show that unitarianism is the true doctrine of God and that Trinitarianism is false. My conclusions are the opposite, and I interact with the authors' exegetical and other arguments in detail to show why I do not find them compelling. The document includes a table of contents and an index of Scripture references. | |
'When an unclean spirit goes out of a person': An Assessment of the Accommodation Theory of Demon Possession and Exorcism in the Synoptic Gospels |
January 2015 |
| A detailed exegetical study of the references to demons, unclean spirits and exorcism in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) with a view to evaluating the accommodation theory. This theory holds that, contrary to appearances, Jesus and the Synoptic writers did not actually believe in demons but accommodated themselves in some way to the beliefs of their contemporaries. The conclusion drawn is that the accommodation theory is biblically unsound, and that Jesus and the Synoptic writers did believe in the real existence of demons. Theological implications are briefly explored. | |
The Devil in the General Epistles, Part 4: Jude |
July 2014 |
| A study of the puzzling reference to the devil in Jude 9. Zechariah 3:1-2 is also studied as part of the literary background to this text. An investigation of the source of Jude's allusion is undertaken, which provides the key to identifying the meaning of 'the devil' in this text. Christadelphian interpretations of this passage are described and critiqued. Key biblical texts: Zechariah 3:1-2; Jude 9 |
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The Devil in the General Epistles, Part 3: 1 John |
July 2014 |
| A study of the texts in the First Epistle of John which refer to the devil, reading them in the context of early Christian satanology as well as the apocalyptic Jewish worldview characterized by modified dualism and cosmic conflict. The conclusion reached is that the writer understood the devil to be a personal supernatural being. Key biblical texts: 1 John 2:13-14; 1 John 3:8-12; 1 John 4:4; 1 John 5:18-19 |
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The Devil in the General Epistles, Part 2: James and 1 Peter |
July 2014 |
| A study of the two closely related references to the devil in the Epistle of James and the First Epistle of Peter respectively. Particular attention is paid to Christadelphian interpretations of these texts and showing why they are best understood to refer to a personal supernatural being. This paper also discusses James 1:13-15 since Christadelphians infer from this passage that James could not have believed in a personal devil. Key biblical texts: James 1:13-15; James 4:7; 1 Peter 5:8 |
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The Devil in the General Epistles, Part 1: Hebrews |
July 2014 |
| A study of the single reference to the devil in the Epistle to the Hebrews, as well as the testimony of this epistle concerning Jesus' experience of temptation. Particular attention is paid to Christadelphian interpretations of these texts, since they are used as proof texts for the Christadelphians' figurative understanding of the biblical devil. Key biblical texts: Hebrews 2:14; Hebrews 2:18; Hebrews 4:15 |
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Satan in early Gentile Christian communities: an exegetical study in Mark and 2 Corinthians |
January 2014 |
| A study of the term Satan as used in the New Testament, with particular attention to Mark and 2 Corinthians. Evidence is provided to show that Satan functions as a proper name (or at least a definite title) in the New Testament, and not merely a word meaning 'adversary'. This insight is brought to bear on Christadelphian interpretations of specific passages and a case is made that they refer to a supernatural personal being. Key biblical texts: Mark 8:33; Luke 22:31-32; John 6:70; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 2 Corinthians 12:7 |
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The Enemy is the Devil |
January 2014 |
| A study of Jesus' teaching about the devil in his parables, which have been neglected in Christadelphian writings on the devil. Existing Christadelphian interpretations of the devil in Jesus' parables are examined. It is argued that three of Jesus' parables (the parable of the strong man, the parable of the sower and the parable of the tares) presuppose that the devil is a supernatural personal being. Key biblical texts: Mark 3:22-30; Matthew 12:22-32; Luke 11:14-22; Mark 4:2-20; Matthew 13:3-23; Luke 8:4-15; Matthew 13:24-43 |
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The Devil in the Wilderness |
December 2013 |
| A study of the identity of the devil who tempted Jesus in the wilderness. It begins with a history of Christadelphian interpretation of the temptation narratives and then proceeds to a careful analysis of each of the three accounts, looking for clues which can help us to determine whether the temptations were of a subjective, internal nature or whether an external tempter was present. Evidence is provided that Jesus was tempted by an external, supernatural devil. Key biblical texts: Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13 |
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The Contribution of Hebrews to New Testament Christology |
December 2014 |
| An exegetical study of the Christology of the Epistle to the Hebrews. The conclusion drawn is that the writer regarded Jesus as the pre-existent Son of God who became incarnate in order to deal with sin and was rewarded by God for his faithfulness unto death with exaltation to the full prerogatives of divinity. Key biblical texts: Hebrews 1:1-14, Hebrews 2:6-18, Hebrews 3:1-6, Hebrews 7:1-28 |
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You, Lord, in the beginning: Hebrews 1:10-12 and Christology |
July 2012 |
| A Christological study of the application of Psalm 102:25-27 to Christ in Hebrews 1:10-12, showing that this text implies the pre-existence and deity of Christ Key biblical texts: Psalm 102:25-27, Hebrews 1:10-12, Hebrews 7:3 |
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The Pre-existence of Christ: A study of the narrative of John's Gospel |
January 2010 |
| Christological studies of John's Gospel often focus on the prologue (John 1:1-18), but this study examines the evidence for the personal pre-existence of Christ within the narrative of this Gospel. Key biblical texts: John 1:30, 1:51, 3:11-13, 3:31-32, 5:37, 6:46, 6:62, 8:38, 8:42, 13:3 |
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Before Abraham was, I am he: Jesus' self-revelation as Yahweh |
May 2009 |
| A detailed study of Jesus' absolute "I am" or "I am he" sayings and their meaning in the context of Yahweh's absolute "I am" or "I am he" sayings in the Old Testament. Key biblical texts: Matthew 14:27, 28:20, Mark 6:50, 14:62, Luke 24:39, John 4:26, 6:20, 8:24, 8:28, 8:58, 13:19, 18:5-8, Acts 18:10, Revelation 1:17, 2:8, 2:23, 22:13 |
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Yahweh, our Kinsman-Redeemer: a study of the Hebrew concept of go'el |
May 2009 |
| The Hebrew concept of the kinsman-redeemer-avenger appears extensively in the Old Testament and is given deep spiritual significance in the prophets, in which Yahweh promises to take on this role to save His people. In the New Testament, the very same language is used of Christ, implying his identification with Yahweh. Key biblical texts: Mark 10:45, Isaiah 59, Isaiah 63, Galatians 4:1-7, Ephesians 1:7, Titus 2:10-14, 3:3-7, Hebrews 2:14-15, 9:12, Revelation 5:8-10 |
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The Greek word dia |
May 2009 |
| Biblical unitarians or Socinians typically interpret passages about Christ's role in creation in terms of indirect agency, i.e. all things were created 'on account of' him. However, the grammar of New Testament Greek rules out such an interpretation and requires that we understand these texts in terms of direct agency, i.e. all things were created 'through' him, implying personal pre-existence Key biblical texts: John 1:3,10, Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Colossians 1:16, Hebrews 1:2, 2:10 |
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Copyright and Contact
© Thomas Farrar 2021. The author can be contacted by email.