Dr Paul Allen

 Paul’s use of glory is determined by two factors—the OT and the revelation of Christ to Paul on the Damascus road. The OT and Jewish traditions form the proper context for interpreting glory in Paul. The appearance of the resurrected and exalted Christ to Paul was the key for understanding Paul’s specific appropriation of glory language.  In glory (doxa) Paul inherited a word already invested with meaning. The OT refers to God’s glory (kabod), His visible presence, in several different contexts: (1) the revelation to Moses on Mount Sinai and in the tabernacle (Exod 24–40); (2) the regular celebration of God’s revelation of glory in creation and at the temple in Jerusalem; and (3) the promised revelation of God’s glory which will inaugurate the recreated kingdom of God (see Isa 40–66; Ezek 40–48).  In particular the graphic description of God in Ezekiel 1:28 (and to a lesser extent Isa 6) exerted a powerful influence on the development of glory in the Jewish tradi...

Some people are inexplicably drawn to Jesus while others are just as inexplicably repelled by Him. Philip is an example of the former. He leaves behind his livelihood to follow this itinerant preacher who beckons him to “follow me” (John 1:43). No questions. He just follows. The crowds and disciples described in John 6:60–66 represent the latter. When many of his disciples heard it, they said, “This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?” But Jesus, knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them, “Do you take offense at this? Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it ...