By following the halakah of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit-Paraclete, believers are equipped to carry out God’s will upon the earth and spread his redemptive mission throughout creation.
Heaven or Halakah:
Walking with Jesus in John 14
By Dr. Andrea L Robinson
The idea of “going to heaven” is more a matter of tradition than sound biblical interpretation. Often referenced to support the notion of a heavenly afterlife, John 14 is a staple of Christian funerals. The promise of “many rooms” in the “Father’s house” is typically interpreted as Jesus’ assurance that he will return to usher believers into “heaven.”
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However, John 14 has much more to say about how we live than what happens when we die. A closer look at John 14 in the broader context of the Gospel reveals that “the Father’s house” is not a designation for heaven, but a reference to God’s household of faith. In his going away and coming again, Jesus doesn’t transport his followers to “heaven,” but rather, prepares the way into the presence of God by going to the cross. As Christ walks in cruciform obedience, he models a new way of walking with God, a new halakha based on intimate, relational faith. By following the halakah of Jesus, through the power of the Spirit-Paraclete, believers are equipped to carry out God’s will upon the earth and spread his redemptive mission throughout creation.
Temple of Presence: The Christological Fulfillment of Ezekiel 40–48 in Revelation 21:1–22:5
In Revelation 21–22, John offered a resplendent portrayal of a new Jerusalem without a temple, in which he seemed to reference the final chapters of Ezekiel. The puzzling issue for interpreters is why John chose to utilize Ezekiel’s temple vision if he wanted to dispense with the temple. In her published dissertation, Andrea Robinson delves into the complex relationship between these two visions of heaven and earth.
By Dr. Andrea L Robinson
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The Hebrew Scriptures
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By McGahan Publishing House
Edited by Joshua E. Stewart
With The Hebrew Scriptures, McGahan Publishing House presents an original and profound reading experience of the Old Testament that is focused on the writers’ literary artistry that shaped the theological messages. Each book of of the Old Testament is prefaced by an introduction from established scholars.
Dr. Andrea contributes the introduction to Proverbs.
New Testament Texts &
The Roman World
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Edited By Renate Vivian Hood
& Craig Price
This Festschrift celebrates the rich teaching and ministry career of Dr. Gerald Stevens. The collected essays in resonate with the interests of Stevens—studies in Acts, Pauline texts, and John’s Apocalypse. Contributors present studies using intertextuality, social-scientific approaches, theological approaches, literary studies and historical backgrounds. Dr. Andrea contributes an essay titled "Sexual Purity, Idolatry, and Community in Thessalonica: The Jewish Background of 1 Thess 4:1–8."
Endorsements
on Heaven or Halakah -
Robinson’s book tries to correct the deeply rooted idea that John 14:2 – In my Father’s house are many dwellings – is a reference to some sort of heavenly mansion after death. Robinson argues instead that this text refers to the current life of Jesus’ followers dwelling in God’s household now. Drawing on the Jewish understanding of Halakah, meaning a way of ‘walking’ according to the covenant, Robinson, speaks of walking in the cruciform way of Christ, following the will of the Father. So, dwelling in the Father’s household entails living a pattern of life according the example of Jesus. Based on sound scholarship, the writing style is attractive to the ordinary reader as well as the academic, looking to understand the unique approach of John’s Gospel.
Mary L. Coloe,
Professor Emerita University of Divinity,
Melbourne, Australia
on Heaven or Halakah -
Robinson powerfully articulates the radical nature of John 14:1-3. Instead of an eschatological escape to a heavenly mansion far away, she persuasively argues that this text invites all of humanity into God's presence through Christ's own body in the here and now. Living into this presence is only possible through the gift of the Spirit that Christ gives us, enabling us to walk as Jesus walked. This is a clear and compelling book that I hope is widely read.
Christa McKirland,
lecturer in systematic theology,
Carey Baptist College, New Zealand
on Heaven or Halakah -
I am honored to endorse Andrea Robinson's publication of Heaven or Halakah. Her thesis was born in a doctoral seminar we shared together. She challenges traditional interpretations of John 14 where she offers exegetical insights in line with rabbinical halakah and walking in obedience to Jesus Christ here and now. Robinson is a capable scholar in both Hebrew and Greek. Her work is worthy of consideration by all Johannine scholars.
Craig Price,
Adjunct Instructor,
Liberty Theological Seminary
