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Item Captured by Christ Jesus : Paul as Christ's Trophy Slave in Philippians 3:12c Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 12, Issue 09, Sep 2011, p. 1 - 38(South African Theological Seminary Press Johannesburg, South Africa) Asumang, AnnangPaul's autobiographical account of his Christian existence in Philippians 3:12 has been a source of immense encouragement to believers, as well as a subject of extensive academic debate. An aspect of this debate is the group of grammatical conceptual and theological problems presented by his transitional disclaimer in Philippians : Several proposals for resolving these questions have been made but the full import of his cryptic statement in Philippians 3:12c that he as κατελήμφθην ύπό Χριστοΰ Ϊησοΰ appears not to have received the attention it deserves. By examining Paul's self-understanding throughout the epistle, and pertinent data in the secondary literature on the Roman triumphus, during which prized captives of war were proudly paraded as the victor's trophy this article argues that Paul describes himself in Philippians 3:12c as Christ's captive trophy slave. The merits of the proposal including how it rebutted the arguments of Paul's opponents and how it helps elucidate the link between Philippians 3:12c and the rest of the epistle, are also discussed.Item Put On the Lord Jesus Christ, Put on the Last Adam : The Background of Paul's Ethical Instructions in Romans 13 : 11-14 Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 4, Issue 09, Sep 2007, p. 1 - 22Asumang, AnnangThe background of Paul's ethical instructions in Rom 13 : 11-14, that, in view of the imminent return of Christ, Christians should eschew sinful behaviour and instead live righteously, have been assumed by several commentators to have derived from a cluster of disparate images. This approach however results in an irregular and unsatisfactory appreciation of the powerful rhetorical effects of the passage. In this paper, by exploring elements of Paul's doctrine of the ""Last Adam"" and its associations, especially the ""Divine Warrior"" motif, I propose that the images in the passage are derived from this Last Adam doctrine. Christians must be motivated to live godly lives because they will imminently inherit the incorruptible and glorious nature of the Last Adam by sharing in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.Item Be Filled With the Spirit and Not with Wine : Echoes of the Messianic Banquet in the Antithesis of Ephesians 5:18 Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 5, Issue 03, Mar 2008, p. 21 - 38Asumang, AnnangEphesians 5:18 contrasts wine drinking with being filled with the Holy Spirit. There are a number of reasons, both in the text and the socio-cultural context, to suggest that Paul is not primarily addressing an ongoing problem of alcohol abuse in the congregation. Instead, this article will suggest that he is using the antithesis as a double-edged theological foil to descriptionbe the practical inauguration of the Messianic Banquet in the life of the church. Collaborating evidence for this interpretation, which highlights the celebratory mood of the passage, will also be found in Ephesians 2 & 4. Christian worship and mutual submission that is fuelled by the liberating power of the Holy Spirit is a practical foretaste of the forthcoming Messianic Banquet.Item ‛Resist him’ (1 Peter 5:9): Holiness and Non-retaliatory Responses to Unjust Suffering as ‛Holy War’ in 1 Peter Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 11, Issue 03, Mar 2011, p. 7 - 46Asumang, AnnangAbstract 1 Peter exhorts readers to respond to unjust suffering with nonretaliatory righteous behaviour, while looking forward to vindication at the Lord‟s return. Although several literarytheological and sociological approaches to the epistle have shed considerable light on this exhortation, a number of interpreters maintain that ultimately, the epistle engenders a paralyzing sense of passive victimhood in believers. This article examines the theological significance of several military metaphors throughout the epistle, to show that the exhortation to resist the devil in the final chapter is a climax to a consistent theme in the epistle, aimed at galvanizing spiritual warriors whose weapons are peaceful nonretaliation, hope, and holiness through Christ‟s redemptive work. It also argues that Peter‟s approach is in line with the New Testament‟s transformation of the holy war motif of the Old Testament. Rather than being paralyzed into helplessness, the first readers of the epistle would have been emboldened by the call to holy resistance.Item Modelling the Gospel in Joyful Partnership : Exemplars and the Uniting Theme of Philippians Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 13, Issue 03, Mar 2012, p. 1 - 50Asumang, AnnangMost interpreters now recognize the literary unity and integrity of Paul's letter to the Philippians. This consensus has however made the question of the letter's uniting theme a matter of urgent inquiry for biblical scholars and preachers alike. Even here, significant advances have of late been made; but, questions remain. The aim of this article in the light of this progress is threefold. It will first evaluate some of the key proposals for the letter's uniting theme. Secondly, it will propose that 'modelling the gospel in joyful partnership' best represents the uniting theme of Philippians. And thirdly, it will demonstrate that Paul extensively employs positive and negative exemplars to illustrate this theme in each section of the letter. The article concludes by highlighting the contribution of Philippians to current reflections on New Testament ethics.Item Powers of Darkness : An Evaluation of Three Hermeneutical Approaches to the Evil Powers in Ephesians Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 5, Issue 03, Mar 2008, p. 1 - 19Asumang, AnnangThe Book of Ephesians remains one of the main sources for understanding Paul's doctrine of the nature, influence and conquest of the evil powers. Yet, the process of applying this teaching into the contemporary setting has been fraught with difficulties. The continental differences in worldviews significantly affect the hermeneutical process. This article aims to review a number of current hermeneutical approaches to understanding the nature and influence of the evil powers in Ephesians. Though Paul's teaching is timeless, it is salutary that he refrained from over systematizing the doctrine. The interpretation in the African, Asian and Southern American contexts therefore require a modest appreciation of the shared understanding with the biblical worldview of spirits. Yet, it also necessitates cautious discernment against reinventing superstition.Item Vehicles of Divine mystery : Paul's Danielic Self-understanding in Ephesians 3 Conspectus : The Journal of the South African Theological Seminary, Volume 7,Asumang, AnnangRecent applications of social identity theories in Pauline studies have highlighted the importance of considering Paul's self-understanding as a window through which to interpret his letters. Though this insight has proved fruitful with regard to Paul's earlier letters, its application in the later prison letters has been inconsistent. This article examines the precedence for Paul's self-characterization in Ephesians 3 as Christ's prisoner "for the sake of you Gentiles", and as one of the "holy apostles and prophets" who have received God's mystery by revelation and for which he "kneels" in prayer. It is argued that aspects of the language resonate with the characterization of Daniel in Babylonian exile and that Paul portrays himself as a vehicle of God's revelation in the mold of Daniel. External evidence is also adduced in support of this interpretation, which if correct, may have some implications for interpreting the later prison letters.Item The Role of the Doctrine of Trinitarian Worship in Paul’s Dispute with the Judaizers: Galatians 4:6 and Philippians 3:3 as Test Cases (Conspectus Volume 14 September 2012)(South African Theological Seminary Press Johannesburg, South Africa) Asumang, AnnangAbstract Paul’s dispute with the Judaizers primarily centred on the soteriological implications of the ‘works of the law’, specifically, whether the circumcision of males, participation in Jewish festivals ,and eating of kosher food were a prior preconditions for salvation. However, several aspects of Paul’s arguments indicate that there were secondary areas of divergence from these Jewish opponents, which, when taken together with the primary issue, have important implications for understanding the theological bases of the ‘parting of the ways’ between Christianity and Judaism. One such secondary issue is reflected in Paul’s appeal to Trinitarian worship as part of his denunciation of the Judaizers. After a brief summary of the dimensions of Paul’s dispute with the Judaizers, this article sets out definitional criteria for identifying references to Trinitarian worship as Paul conceptualized it in his letters. It then demonstrates that Galatians 4:6 and Philippians 3:3 are test cases describing the role of the doctrine of Trinitarian worship in the dispute. It concludes by enumerating the implications of the findings to the Trinitarian distinctiveness of Christian worship.Item Washing One Another’s Feet as Jesus Did: Revelatory Activities and the Progressive Sanctification of Believers (Conspectus Volume 13 March 2012)Asumang, AnnangAbstract While John 13:1–11 soteriologically interprets the foot-washing as symbolising participation and purification in Jesus, the subsequent John 13:12–20 ethically interprets the act as a humble self-sacrificing service emanating from love. Scholarly attempts at relating these two tiers of interpretations have sometimes tended to view them as conflicting. The first tier, taken to be christological, is said to be diametrically opposite to the second discipleship-oriented tier. This article draws on recent conceptualisations of Johannine symbolism to argue against this trend. Instead, it proposes that through the foot-washing, Jesus was instructing his disciples to participate in revelatory activities centred on his death. Humble participation in such revelatory activities maintains the cohesion of the fellowship while also triggering their purification in Jesus. This interpretation is supported by 1 John 1:7–10, a passage thought to be a commentary on the foot-washin