John C. Poirier examines the "theopneustic" nature of the Scripture, as a response to the view that "inspiration" lies at the heart of most contemporary Christian theology. In contrast to the traditional rendering of the Greek word theopneustos as "God-inspired" in 2 Tim 3:16, Poirier argues that a close look at first- and second-century uses of theopneustos reveals that the traditional inspirationist understanding of the term did not arise until the time of Origen in the early third century CE, and that in every pre-Origen use of theopneustos the word instead means "life-giving." Poirier thus conducts a detailed investigation of theopneustos as it appears in the fifth Sibylline Oracle, the Testament of Abraham, Vettius Valens, Pseudo-Plutarch (Placita Philosophorum), and Pseudo-Phocylides, all of whom understand the word to mean "life-giving." He also studies the use of the cognate term theopnous in Numenius, the Corpus Hermeticum, on an inscription at the Great Sphinx of Giza, and on an inscription at a nymphaeum at Laodicea on the Lycus. Poirier argues that a rendering of "life-giving" also fits better within the context of 2 Tim 3:16, and that this meaning survived late enough to figure in a fifth-century work by Nonnus of Panopolis. He further traces the pre-Origen use of theopneustos among the Church Fathers. Poirier concludes by addressing the implication of rethinking the traditional understanding of Scripture, stressing that the lack of "God-inspired" scripture ultimately does not affect the truth status of the gospel as preached by the apostles.

This book discusses the composition of the synoptic gospels from the perspective of the Farrer hypothesis, a view that posits that Mark was written first, that Matthew used Mark as a source, and that Luke used both Mark and Matthew. All of the articles in the volume are written in support of the Farrer hypothesis, with the exception of the final chapter, which criticizes these articles from the perspective of the reigning Two-Source theory. The contributors engage the synoptic problem with a more refined understanding of the options set before each of the evangelists pointing towards a deepened understanding of how works were compiled in the first and early second centuries CE. The contributors include Andris Abakuks, Stephen Carlson, Eric Eve, Mark Goodacre, Heather Gorman, John S. Kloppenborg, David Landry, Mark Matson, Ken Olson, Michael Pahl, Jeffrey Peterson, and John C. Poirier.

This book discusses the composition of the synoptic gospels from the perspective of the Farrer hypothesis, a view that posits that Mark was written first, that Matthew used Mark as a source, and that Luke used both Mark and Matthew. All of the articles in the volume are written in support of the Farrer hypothesis, with the exception of the final chapter, which criticizes these articles from the perspective of the reigning Two-Source theory. The contributors engage the synoptic problem with a more refined understanding of the options set before each of the evangelists pointing towards a deepened understanding of how works were compiled in the first and early second centuries CE. The contributors include Andris Abakuks, Stephen Carlson, Eric Eve, Mark Goodacre, Heather Gorman, John S. Kloppenborg, David Landry, Mark Matson, Ken Olson, Michael Pahl, Jeffrey Peterson, and John C. Poirier.

John C. Poirier examines the "theopneustic" nature of the Scripture, as a response to the view that "inspiration" lies at the heart of most contemporary Christian theology. In contrast to the traditional rendering of the Greek word theopneustos as "God-inspired" in 2 Tim 3:16, Poirier argues that a close look at first- and second-century uses of theopneustos reveals that the traditional inspirationist understanding of the term did not arise until the time of Origen in the early third century CE, and that in every pre-Origen use of theopneustos the word instead means "life-giving." Poirier thus conducts a detailed investigation of theopneustos as it appears in the fifth Sibylline Oracle, the Testament of Abraham, Vettius Valens, Pseudo-Plutarch (Placita Philosophorum), and Pseudo-Phocylides, all of whom understand the word to mean "life-giving." He also studies the use of the cognate term theopnous in Numenius, the Corpus Hermeticum, on an inscription at the Great Sphinx of Giza, and on an inscription at a nymphaeum at Laodicea on the Lycus. Poirier argues that a rendering of "life-giving" also fits better within the context of 2 Tim 3:16, and that this meaning survived late enough to figure in a fifth-century work by Nonnus of Panopolis. He further traces the pre-Origen use of theopneustos among the Church Fathers. Poirier concludes by addressing the implication of rethinking the traditional understanding of Scripture, stressing that the lack of "God-inspired" scripture ultimately does not affect the truth status of the gospel as preached by the apostles.