John Paul Heil

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of all of the parables in the Gospel of Matthew. It discusses the significance of each parable as it is heard within the progression of the narrative. Rather than focusing on the intent of Jesus the parable teller, or of Matthew their redactor, it is concerned with what happens as the authorial audience interacts with the parables.

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of all of the parables in the Gospel of Matthew. It discusses the significance of each parable as it is heard within the progression of the narrative. Rather than focusing on the intent of Jesus the parable teller, or of Matthew their redactor, it is concerned with what happens as the authorial audience interacts with the parables.

This book presents a comprehensive treatment of all of the parables in the Gospel of Matthew. It discusses the significance of each parable as it is heard within the progression of the narrative. Rather than focusing on the intent of Jesus the parable teller, or of Matthew their redactor, it is concerned with what happens as the authorial audience interacts with the parables.

J.P. Heil proposes that the letter to the Hebrews was heard by its audience as a cohesive series of 33 microchiastic units coherently arranges in three macrochiastic levels of 11 units each.

J.P. Heil proposes that the letter to the Hebrews was heard by its audience as a cohesive series of 33 microchiastic units coherently arranges in three macrochiastic levels of 11 units each.

In his commentary, John Paul Heil presents two new proposals regarding Paul's letter to the Galatians. First, he demonstrates an entirely new chiastic structure embracing the entire letter, based on strict linguistic and textual criteria rather than on conceptual or theological themes. This chiastic structure accords with the view that Galatians was originally performed orally in a setting of communal worship. Second, Heil offers a new proposal for a key theme that runs throughout Galatians, as expressed by the subtitle of this book - 'Worship for Life by Faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord'. Here, 'worship' is considered to be a comprehensive concept that includes liturgical, cultic, or ritual worship as well as the moral behaviour that is to complement it as ethical worship in accord with the biblical tradition. 'Life' refers both to the present way of living as well as to future eternal life. 'Faith' refers to the acceptance of divine grace available to the believer because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This book presents two new proposals regarding Paul's Letter to the Romans. First, with regard to the structure of the letter, it demonstrates how each of the four main sections of the letter is comprised of a series of microchiastic units arranged in a macrochiastic pattern. The delineation of these structures facilitates the demonstration of the second new proposal, namely, that worship is a key theme of the letter. The theme of worship, both liturgical and ethical, streams through the letter from beginning to end. The letter's theme of worship is closely associated with its themes of hope and glory. In and through the letter Paul calls on believers, made righteous with God from the faith that engenders an absolutely assured hope, to worship in hope of the glory of God, in hope of attaining the glory of the immortal God for which they were created, the glory of the divine life eternal of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

This book presents two new proposals regarding Paul's Letter to the Romans. First, with regard to the structure of the letter, it demonstrates how each of the four main sections of the letter is comprised of a series of microchiastic units arranged in a macrochiastic pattern. The delineation of these structures facilitates the demonstration of the second new proposal, namely, that worship is a key theme of the letter. The theme of worship, both liturgical and ethical, streams through the letter from beginning to end. The letter's theme of worship is closely associated with its themes of hope and glory. In and through the letter Paul calls on believers, made righteous with God from the faith that engenders an absolutely assured hope, to worship in hope of the glory of God, in hope of attaining the glory of the immortal God for which they were created, the glory of the divine life eternal of the risen Lord Jesus Christ.

This book presents two new proposals regarding Paul's letter to the Galatians. First, it demonstrates an entirely new chiastic structure embracing the entire letter, based on strict linguistic and textual criteria rather than on conceptual or theological themes. This chiastic structure accords with the view that Galatians was originally performed orally in a setting of communal worship. Secondly, it offers a new proposal for a key theme that runs throughout Galatians, as expressed by the subtitle of this book--""Worship for Life by Faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord."" It considers ""worship"" to be a comprehensive concept that includes liturgical, cultic, or ritual worship as well as the moral behavior that is to complement it as ethical worship in accord with the biblical tradition. ""Life"" refers both to the present way of living as well as to future eternal life. ""Faith"" refers to the acceptance of divine grace available to the believer because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. ""This creative re-reading of Galatians as a primarily doxological and liturgical text, is grounded in a sound and imaginative literary framework. The result is a wealth of fresh insights, unencumbered by many of the age-old arguments within which Pauline scholarship is often embroiled, a keener appreciation of the centrality of the resurrection than is often afforded Galatians, and a plausible account of Paul's rhetorical objectives as they pertain to a life of worship."" --Andrew Boakye, University of Manchester John Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of Luke-Acts: Foundations for Christian Worship (Cascade, 2018).

This book presents two new proposals regarding Paul's letter to the Galatians. First, it demonstrates an entirely new chiastic structure embracing the entire letter, based on strict linguistic and textual criteria rather than on conceptual or theological themes. This chiastic structure accords with the view that Galatians was originally performed orally in a setting of communal worship. Secondly, it offers a new proposal for a key theme that runs throughout Galatians, as expressed by the subtitle of this book--""Worship for Life by Faith in the Crucified and Risen Lord."" It considers ""worship"" to be a comprehensive concept that includes liturgical, cultic, or ritual worship as well as the moral behavior that is to complement it as ethical worship in accord with the biblical tradition. ""Life"" refers both to the present way of living as well as to future eternal life. ""Faith"" refers to the acceptance of divine grace available to the believer because of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. ""This creative re-reading of Galatians as a primarily doxological and liturgical text, is grounded in a sound and imaginative literary framework. The result is a wealth of fresh insights, unencumbered by many of the age-old arguments within which Pauline scholarship is often embroiled, a keener appreciation of the centrality of the resurrection than is often afforded Galatians, and a plausible account of Paul's rhetorical objectives as they pertain to a life of worship."" --Andrew Boakye, University of Manchester John Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of Luke-Acts: Foundations for Christian Worship (Cascade, 2018).

The Gospel of Matthew encourages and inspires its audience to practice the true, authentic, and holistic worship required for believers in Jesus to live in the kingdom of Heaven. In accordance with all that Jesus taught and exemplified regarding authentic worship, believers are invited to complement their worship of God by worshipping and praying to Jesus, who, as God's beloved Son, represents 'God with us'. They are also invited to complement their ritual worship - especially the Baptism and Eucharist - instituted for them by Jesus, with an ethical worship that extends to others, especially to disciples, children, and 'the least ones' with whom Jesus identifies himself, the mercy God desires for a holistic worship. Indeed, a compassionate mercy toward all is the distinctive and noteworthy hallmark that characterizes the theme of worship in the kingdom of Heaven, according to the Gospel of Matthew.

This book demonstrates that Luke-Acts provides its audience with a basic foundation for all of the various dimensions of Christian worship. With the arrival of Jesus, and especially his being raised from the dead by God, the preeminent locations, leadership, and times for worship move beyond the Jerusalem temple, Jewish synagogues, Sabbath, and the Jewish feasts of Passover and Pentecost to worship in and by the Christian community. As Son of God and Lord, Jesus becomes an object of true worship along with God the Father. Jesus serves as a subject for laudatory worship. Jesus teaches about prayer, engages in it, and serves as an object for supplicatory worship. Jesus not only took part in the ritual worship of being baptized by John, but as the risen and exalted Lord baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of baptism. In addition, the many meal scenes throughout Luke-Acts provide numerous insights foundational for proper celebrations of the Eucharist. ""John Paul Heil skillfully demonstrates how Luke presents the Lord Jesus as the object of worship not only for his first disciples, but also for those who come to know him through the Luke-Acts narrative, and seek to worship that same Lord in their prayers and the breaking of the bread. This book is an excellent introduction to the foundations of the Christian life as understood and formulated by Luke."" --Thomas Esposito, Assistant Professor of Theology, University of Dallas John Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of The Gospel of Matthew: Worship in the Kingdom of Heaven (2017).

This book demonstrates that Luke-Acts provides its audience with a basic foundation for all of the various dimensions of Christian worship. With the arrival of Jesus, and especially his being raised from the dead by God, the preeminent locations, leadership, and times for worship move beyond the Jerusalem temple, Jewish synagogues, Sabbath, and the Jewish feasts of Passover and Pentecost to worship in and by the Christian community. As Son of God and Lord, Jesus becomes an object of true worship along with God the Father. Jesus serves as a subject for laudatory worship. Jesus teaches about prayer, engages in it, and serves as an object for supplicatory worship. Jesus not only took part in the ritual worship of being baptized by John, but as the risen and exalted Lord baptizes believers with the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of baptism. In addition, the many meal scenes throughout Luke-Acts provide numerous insights foundational for proper celebrations of the Eucharist. ""John Paul Heil skillfully demonstrates how Luke presents the Lord Jesus as the object of worship not only for his first disciples, but also for those who come to know him through the Luke-Acts narrative, and seek to worship that same Lord in their prayers and the breaking of the bread. This book is an excellent introduction to the foundations of the Christian life as understood and formulated by Luke."" --Thomas Esposito, Assistant Professor of Theology, University of Dallas John Paul Heil is Professor of New Testament at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the author most recently of The Gospel of Matthew: Worship in the Kingdom of Heaven (2017).