Posts by Moyer Hubbard

Moyer Hubbard

Moyer Hubbard is a professor and chair of New Testament Language and Literature at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. Hubbard's area of specialty is the Pauline epistles and the Greco-Roman context of the New Testament. His books include Christianity in the Greco-Roman World (Baker), New Creation of Paul's Letters and Thought (Cambridge) and two commentaries on 2 Corinthians (Zondervan, Baker). He has contributed articles to New Testament Studies, the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha and the Journal for the Study of the New Testament. He has served on the pastoral staff to youth in the local church, and he is engaged in applying biblical exegesis to the development of Christian spiritual formation.

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The Good Book Blog
“Let the One Who Has No Sword, Buy One”: The Biblical Argument for Gun Control, Part Two
Moyer Hubbard — February 25, 2014
This is the second post in a series of blogs dealing with gun control from a Christian perspective. In the first installment (“Seek the Welfare of the City”), I sketched the general theological case for sane restriction on guns, particularly assault weapons, and applied biblical principles to common objections. Now I will begin looking at biblical texts used by Christian gun advocates to support their view that Scripture supports unrestricted access to lethal weaponry for private individuals. In this installment I examine Luke 22:36, where Jesus tells his disciples, “And let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one.”
The Good Book Blog
Seek the Welfare of the City: The Biblical Argument for Gun Control, Part One
Moyer Hubbard — November 18, 2013
This is the first of a series of blogs dealing with gun control from a Christian perspective. In this first installment, I sketch the general theological case for sane restriction on guns, particularly assault weapons, and apply biblical principles to common objections. In subsequent (shorter) posts, I will respond to alleged “biblical” arguments used by gun advocates, who claim that Scripture supports unrestricted access to lethal weaponry for private individuals. [I have slighly modified this post in the wake of the horrible tragedy at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando.]
The Good Book Blog
“Mormons Just Believe!” (Christians too?)
Moyer Hubbard — September 25, 2012
Many of you have probably heard of The Book of Mormon—not the book itself, but the Broadway musical that garnered nine Tony awards in 2011, including Best Musical, and earned a Grammy as well. It tells the story of two bright-eyed American Mormon missionaries who attempt to bring their good news to a remote village in Uganda racked by war, poverty, AIDS, and famine. (From the summary on Wikipedia). It is a powerful—albeit raunchy—satire of religion from the creators of that epitome of high-brow, cultured entertainment, South Park. I have not seen the musical myself, but I have viewed several segments on YouTube, and found myself (I admit it!) snickering at the delicious lampoon of Mormon doctrine, marveling at the music and vocal performances, and also deeply challenged by the message of the show.
The Good Book Blog
The God Who Triumphs Over Us: 2 Corinthians 2:14
Moyer Hubbard — August 21, 2012
Which version interprets 2 Cor 2:14 more accurately, the English Standard Version or the New Living Traslation? "But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere" (ESV). "But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume" (NLT).
The Good Book Blog
New Creation in Christ
Moyer Hubbard — June 04, 2012
The biblical story, from beginning to end, can rightly be described as an epic of new creation. As its prologue opens with God’s creation of heaven and earth, so its epilogue closes with the dramatic appearance of the new heaven and the new earth—a place where sorrow and death are no more, and where the dwelling place of God is with his people. But this grand inclusio, while hopeful in its preface and jubilant in its finale, brackets a history of pain and toil, agony and tears. As early as Genesis 3 the battle lines are firmly fixed. The creature has shunned the creator, the creation groans in bondage to decay and posterity is left with a legacy of despair. It is worth recalling, however, that the biblical story is a drama of redemption. And while the plot is not without its twists and turns, it does reach a fitting and moving climax in the passion narratives.
The Good Book Blog
Are you a “Savvy Spender”?
Moyer Hubbard — September 12, 2011
I was perusing the news on msn.com some time ago and saw a link that said, “Do you have a spending problem? Take the Savvy Spending quiz.” I guess I had too much time on my hands, so I thought I’d take a look at the quiz. Before I started, however, MoneyCentral at msn.com gave me their advice ...
Biola Magazine
Polytheistic Christians?
What the struggles of the Corinthian church can teach us about our own residual paganism
Moyer Hubbard — June 30, 2011
This is the first in what will be a regular column for Biola Magazine, featuring selected posts from the Talbot School of Theology faculty blog,...
The Good Book Blog
Christianity and Polytheism
Moyer Hubbard — May 03, 2011
Is it possible to be a Christian and a polytheist? The correct answer, of course, is no, but a close reading of 1 Corinthians 8 reveals that the matter is perhaps not so simple.