Jun 13, 2022
Doug Hoffer first gave Greek a try at Wheaton College and found himself hooked. He carried on to pursue more of the same, first in Wheaton’s M.A. in Biblical Exegesis and then at the University of Chicago, where he is now completing his doctoral dissertation, Covenants Human and Divine: Diathēkē in Gal 3:15-17 and Its Relevance for Paul's Argument in Gal 3-4. John's Gospel is perceived by some as anti-Jewish in its portrayal of Jesus’ Jewish compatriots as frequently misunderstanding his teaching. In John 16:25, however, Jesus asserts that his speech (in John) had been to that point deliberately veiled and claims that he would subsequently speak more forthrightly. Jesus’ comment thus suggests that his audience’s failures of understanding were the (intended) result of his enigmatic speech rather than his listeners’ wickedness or spiritual dullness.