Studium Biblicum literally means biblical study. This journal is created by the Biblical Research Center (Pusat Kajian Biblika) of Jakarta Theological Seminary (Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Theologi Jakarta - STFTJ), Jakarta Indonesia. Biblical Research Center was founded as a result of the main concern of STFTJ in the biblical studies esp. in the context of Asia in general and Indonesia in specific. STFTJ aims to create a center of research in the areas of biblical studies in a broad sense the covers text criticism, hermeneutics or biblical exegesis, biblical theology, contextualization of biblical theology, and all studies related to the Bible. This online theological journal is open for everyone who wants to share her/his biblical theological ideas in terms of developing local as well as Asian biblical theology. The editorial board publishes this journal twice a year, in Mei and November. The prospective authors should use the online facilities on this website to send articles. The editorial board provides double-blind peer reviewers to evaluate each article sent whether it will be published or not. Focus and Scope of Studium Biblicum: Biblical text criticism Biblical Hermeneutics/Exegesis Biblical Interpretation Biblical Theology Biblical Studies Contextualizing Bible Bible and context Biblical languages Synoptical Studies Pauline studies Johannine studies Study of Torah or Mosaic law Old Testament Studies New Testament Studies Journal Information 1. Journal Title: Studium Biblicum 2. Frequency of Issue: Twice A Year, in May and November 3. DOI: 10.55935/thilo 4. Online ISSN: - 5. Print ISSN: - 6. Editor in Chief: Asigor Parongna Sitanggang 7. Publisher: Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Theologi Jakarta
Pusat Kajian Biblika Sekolah Tinggi Filsafat Theologi Jakarta
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The Healing Meal by Jesus: Analysis of Luke 24:30-35 from the Lens of Trauma
The Emmaus journey narrative (Luke 24:13–35) is often interpreted as a post-resurrection story affirming faith and providing a liturgical framework. However, traditional readings tend to overlook the traumatic dimension experienced by the disciples after Jesus’ crucifixion. This study examines Luke 24:30–35 through the lens of trauma theology, focusing on the meal by Jesu0073 at Emmaus as an act of divine restoration. Drawing on Shelly Rambo’s concepts of the middle and witnessing, this study interprets the meal as Jesus’ act of hospitality that heals the disciples from their liminal state between suffering and resurrection. The narrative analysis reveals that the breaking of bread serves as the structural and theological center of the text, marking the disciples’ transformation from despair to renewed recognition of Christ. The Emmaus meal thus functions not merely as a liturgical event but as a restorative encounter, in which Jesus reawakens memory, restores identity, and reintegrates the wounded into their calling as witnesses. This study highlights the Emmaus narrative as a paradigm for pastoral and liturgical theology, showing that faith recovery after trauma occurs through the living presence of Christ manifested in shared meal and healing community.
Reading Emmaus Story with Lens of Trauma
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"Inbetweenness" in Hevel, Meaning, Absurdity, and Faith: An Analysis of the Meaning of Human Existence based on Ecclesiastes 2:17, 12:13-14 and Søren Kierkegaard's Thoughts Directed to "Death toward Life" through the Grace of Jesus Christ
Human life is often faced with the reality of hevel (הֶבֶל)—vanity, absurdity, and pain as described in the Book of Ecclesiastes. This seemingly meaningless existence is also highlighted in the thinking of Søren Kierkegaard, who asserts that humans, when they cling only to the aesthetic and ethical realms, remain in a state of hidden despair. However, he offers a way out through a “leap of faith” that transcends beyond rationality and brings humans into an existential relationship with God (the religious realm). In addition to discussing Kierkegaard's thinking, this paper also focuses on examining Ecclesiastes 2:17 and 12:13-14 in relation to Kierkegaard's thinking, highlighting how faith in God and recognition of His existence become a way to transcend the absurdity of life. Furthermore, the concept of "death toward life" by leaving all our lives behind to follow God in the teachings of Jesus Christ can be understood as a grace that redeems humans from despair and directs them to true life in relationship with God. With this, life is not merely a meaningless experience of suffering, but an existential call to realize the Kingdom of God in the midst of transience. In essence, this paper seeks to emphasize that faith is not only an answer to hevel, but also a means to bring God's love, truth, and justice into a world that seems meaningless. Through the grace of Christ, human life is no longer trapped in emptiness, but is directed toward a true fullness, namely, a life that transcends hevel and centers God in all aspects of existence.
You Must Be Born Again: Narrative Interpretation of John 3:1-21 in Understanding New Life and Its Practical Implementation
This study is motivated by the importance of understanding the concept of being born again (new birth) in John 3:1-21 as a prerequisite for entering the Kingdom of God and experiencing spiritual transformation. The method used is narrative interpretation, which emphasizes analyzing the biblical text in its final form with a focus on characters, plot, and the narrator’s perspective. The purpose of the study is to explore the meaning of new birth in the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus and to relate it to the reality of the new life that believers must live. The scope of the study includes a narrative analysis of John 3:1-21 and a study of pneumatology in the New Testament. The findings indicate that new birth is the work of the Holy Spirit who spiritually revives and transforms a person, producing a new life that bears fruit in love, obedience, and growth in faith. The implications of the study affirm that the new life must be manifested in concrete actions, including ecological and social responsibilities as part of service and obedience to God. This study encourages readers to apply the message of spiritual transformation holistically in their daily lives.
New Life; Born Again; Nicodemus; Narrative; John 3:1-21
Forgiveness Among People as an Expression of Jesus’ Hospitality in Matthew 18:21-35
The theme of forgiveness plays an important role, both in the biblical context and today, because the Bible is the basis for reflecting on how the content should be the proclamation of hospitality in everyday life. Matthew 18:21-35 makes this topic even more important because in addition to forgiveness that should be based on love and has no limits, for those who have suffered deep wounds or trauma, it requires an admission of guilt from the offender. Forgiveness must come from those who are hurt (victims), but the person who hurt (the perpetrator) must also not be passive, but must make efforts to support forgiveness, namely by humbling themselves and declaring their full guilt. The author uses a qualitative method through a descriptive approach and literature review, such as biblical books and books in which figures who discuss ethics are informed. Through this research, it is found that humans who are expected to give forgiveness are also entitled to receive an admission of guilt from the perpetrator. It does not mean that forgiveness cannot be presented in this situation, but rather to realize one's position as a guilty human being. Here, self-awareness becomes a very important aspect.
The Word of the Lord Spoken by Jeremiah Fulfilled
The presence of the narrative in Ezra 1:1-11 by the Priestly writer (P) concerning the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem does not rely solely on his own sources. The author of the Chronicler’s History, identified as P, draws upon other sources beyond his personal records, ranging from the Abrahamic tradition to the era of Solomon. This includes the traditions of prophets both before and after the exile, such as Deutero-Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Haggai, and Zechariah. P elaborates on these various sources in detail, rendering the narrative engaging and rich in content. As a result, the narrative offers a new theology for both the post-exilic community and contemporary readers. It seems that the rebuilding did not occur solely due to Cyrus’s decree. In fact, the decree was not realized during Cyrus’s reign; rather, it took nearly eighteen years before the reconstruction of the Second Temple actually began. This paper offers an examination of the Priestly writer (P) and the traditions within the narrative of Ezra 1:1-11 concerning the history of the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem. The approach taken in this study employs relevant literature to substantiate the sources used by P and other materials incorporated into Ezra 1:1-11.
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“Christianization” of the Septuagint, A Jewish Legacy from Alexandria?
The Septuagint (hereafter LXX) is generally recognized as a translation that provides textual and theological sources for understanding the New Testament (NT) and the theology of the early church. Yet, as Hengel (2002:19) emphasizes, for many readers or interpreters of Scripture, the study of the LXX remains a terra incognita that is in fact crucial for probing the theological and literary context of the New Testament and the early church (Jobes and Silva 2000:23; McLay 2003:137–170). Quotations and implicit allusions from the Old Testament in the NT often display a text that aligns more closely with the LXX than with the Hebrew text. This reality inevitably raises fundamental questions, not only in terms of translation but also interpretation and theology: To what extent did the NT writers and the early church make use of the LXX to support their theological agenda? Given that the LXX was a Jewish translation produced in the diaspora of Alexandria, one must ask: What influence did the use of this source text exert on the theological development of the early church? Has the LXX, in fact, undergone a process of “Christianization”—whether in the sense of being “appropriated” to serve the proclamation of the church or in the sense of being “altered” to support the church’s theological agenda? And how did Judaism and Christianity position themselves in the polemics concerning the alleged falsification of Scripture?
The Tradition of Yetzer in Rabbinic Literature of the Second Temple Period within the Narrative of Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness in Matthew 4:1–11: An Intertextual Study
Christianity cannot be separated from the historical roots of Judaism. Within Judaism, there exists a concept known as Yetzer Hara, which inclines human beings toward sin, and its antithesis, Yetzer Hatov, which directs them toward what is good. It is also said that Yetzer Hara can be understood as the personification of Satan, the evil entity who tempts humankind. The Gospel of Matthew presents the narrative of Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1–11), where Satan subjects Jesus, the Messiah and fully human, to various temptations. The Gospel of Matthew bears a strong Jewish background in its author, its intended audience, and the broader context in which it was written. This study focuses on the intertextual relationship between the Jewish tradition of Yetzer Hara and Matthew 4:1–11, using biblical hermeneutics complemented by intertextual analysis, and shows that the author of Matthew intertextually assimilates the Yetzer tradition in narrating the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness.
Israel's invasion on Palestine has sparked a variety of responses from the world society, including in Indonesia. One of the most prominent responses is the action to boycott certain products that are believed to be providing capital to Israel in the invasion. Most people believe that a war that denies humanity is wrong. However, there is a dilemma in responding to this global issue, especially when confronted with Israel's biblical promise of reconciliation. This article will explore the solidarity of the cosmic encounter space, which encompasses all of creation including Israel and the church. The text of Galatians 6:15-16 is also examined to reveal who is meant by the Israel of God and how it relates to the idea of a new creation. Finally, the idea of ethical-participatory is used to emphasize the solidarity that should be done as a cosmic encounter space in addressing this global issue. The church and Israel have a bond as the people of God, but humanity still has a special place in this connection.
Twofold Shepherding: An Argumentative Analysis of 1 Peter 5:1-11
Biblical interpretation is an important theological task in the life of the church. After the golden era of the historical-critical approach, some approaches focused on the text in its final (literary) form. One of them is Argumentation Analysis, developed by Thomas R. Schreiner with a case study on Paul's letters. This approach traces the logical relationship between propositions in the text, which is then very effective for interpreting letters in the New Testament that are argumentative in nature. This time, the authors apply the approach to 1 Peter 5:1-11, which has never been applied before. The aim is to reveal Peter's argumentation structure and rhetorical strategy in delivering his pastoral advice. The result shows a two-layered pastoral exhortation that forms two major propositions that are related in series. Both are advice to the church leaders (elders) and the congregation (young people). This approach is also expected to enrich practical hermeneutical understanding for the contemporary church as it focuses on the text in its final form.
Argumentation analysis, propositions, rhetoric, pastoral, church leadership
Contextualisation of John 8:37-47 in the Context of Hoax among Indonesians
This article is written in order to explain the contextualization of John 8: 37-47 to share awareness against the spread of false information among Indonesians, namely hoax. The spread of these hoaxes has caused much distrust among the people, causing many bad outcomes and influences. Due to the many instances of it happening, people are more doubtful in receiving the information they receive from the news. Yet, at the same time, many Indonesians are being fooled by false news that are created with very bad intentions. Henceforth, the aim of this article is to explore John 8:37-47 as a relevant text in the broader context of hoaxes among Indonesians. The passage, which records Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees, presents a striking parallel with the current situation of misinformation in Indonesia. Especially in verse 44, where Jesus explicitly stated that the devil is the father of all lies and that there’s no truth in him. The same thing applies to hoaxes that are being used to spread misinformation among the people. Through a thorough contextualization and explanation of the text, this article will demonstrate the importance of preserving and speaking the truth. This should be done in order to combat the lies that are being shared massively through hoaxes in many Indonesian media. This struggle is based on the support for the truth itself.
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Christianity has yet to reach all parts of the world, hence the need to contextualize the gospel to all parts of the world. Understanding how the gospel should be preached in context requires a specific approach. However, research on context-specific approaches for missional purposes is limited. The main purpose of this study is to provide a new method of approach in missions as well as provide a new understanding of missions. The data presented is based on literature study and adapted to the narrative analysis approach. The results of the analysis show that Paul demonstrated a deep understanding of the culture and religion in Athens, recognizing the diversity of its gods and philosophical traditions. He used cultural references, such as the altar to the “unknown God” and the Greek way of speaking to build relationships with his audience in Acts 17:16-34. This article provides how evangelism should be done through the “marriage” of culture with the spread of the gospel such as providing new methods of inductive approaches, contextualizing relevant teaching and dialogical and continuous preaching, so that the mission process can be effective.
The Consequences of Jonah Disobedience to Himself and People Around Him
Individual offences in daily life often impact on others. One example is the negligence of the community and the lack of assertiveness of the government in handling and preventing illegal logging. This has led to natural disasters due to environmental degradation. The Bible explains that blessings and calamities involve common responsibility and common punishment. This is similar to the story of the Prophet Jonah when he was about to flee to Tarshish. Jonah's case should have only resulted in his punishment, but in reality the passengers and crew also suffered from Jonah's actions. The purpose of this study is to understand the common responsibility and common punishment in the story of Jonah's disobedience in fleeing to Tarshish. This research also aims to raise public awareness that natural disasters signify that humans must be responsible in preserving nature. The research was conducted with a literature study through a critical historical approach and concluded that the consequences experienced by the community are a form of God's wisdom for a person's (or community's) offence against Him. The concept of common responsibility and common punishment is God's way of building obedience to Him, restoring the situation and bringing people to know Him more deeply.
Be Strong and Very Courageous (Biblical Theology Review on Leadership in Joshua 1:1-18)
This study explores the leadership of Joshua in Joshua 1:1-18 and its implications for today’s leadership. Specifically, this study uses a method of library study or a review of documents derived from books or journal that are biblical in nature. As for the results of this study, Joshua led the people of Israel to Canaan because of the extraordinary involvement of God in strengthening Joshua. This reinforcement is based on Joshua’s obedience to God to lead the nation of Israel. God has a highest authority gives Joshua authority in transforming the lives of the Israelites. This study emphasizes that God’s instructions are essential to support Joshua in his leadership pattern as well as the role of people around him in supporting all activities. This divine instruction is rooted not only in the manifest actions of a leader, buat also in the spirit or spirituality. The similarity between the meaning of the name Jesus and Joshua represents that the revelation of God to Joshua was also given to Jesus in the New Testament. Joshua brought the people of Israel to the land of Canaan, in the New Testament also Jesus brought every believer to the ground of spirituality covenant to eternal life through His sacrifice and resurrection. From this research, the theological implications are the importance of acknowledging the sovereignty of God’s power as the primary foundation of effective leadership as well as directing on the significance of strengthening faith and obedience to God when leading people.
Research of Ephesians 2:11-22 and its Relevance to the Issue of Racism in the Church
This paper aims to draw out the contribution of the biblical research of Ephesians 2:11-22 to the issue of racism in the church that still exists today. This paper utilizes the biblical method by directly exegeting the biblical text by including the flow of thought of Ephesians 2:11-22 as well as including historical context analysis and key word analysis. I find that Ephesians 2:11-22 explains its argument in three main parts: 1) the condition of Gentiles and Jewish Christians before in Christ; 2) while in Christ; 3) after in Christ. From this research, several findings are relevant to the issue of racism in the church.
Confronting Church Divisions and Realizing Peace
Christianity is the following of Christ who is the Prince of Peace. A church that follows Christ should bring peace like Christ. However, in reality, church divisions have occurred throughout church history. There are various factors that lead to church divisions. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Paul looks at the phenomenon of church division. Through Social-Rhetorical Interpretation (SRI), the author tries to find the factors that cause church divisions and Paul's strategy in resolving church divisions. In the end, it appears that the church split occurred due to the church's lack of unity in serving because of the various gifts they possessed. To address this, Paul gave arguments and explanations to the Corinthians to do peaceful service for the common good in the power of the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ who is the Prince of Peace. Paul's message in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 is not only useful to the Corinthian church but also to the church throughout history, including the church today.
Church Divisions; Corinth; Gifts; Social-Rhetorical Interpretation; Unity of Service.
This article interprets the term sheep in John 10:11-18 based on three points that found from animal husbandry research. First, sheep are a communal animal. This trait will be elaborated with L. Roger Owens’ idea of participation to construct a “cosmic encounter space” in an effort to provide an inclusive message from the text. Secondly, the tameness of the sheep makes it easier for the shepherd to take care of it. This fact will be confronted with H. Richard Niebuhr’s ethics of responsibility to emphasize that humans are in Christ not by instinct or divine coercion. Finally, shepherds have a role to ensure and improve the quality of life of the sheep. I will use the findings to emphasize the significance of the figure of Christ in the soteriological and ethical dimensions.
The teaching of the Law and the Prophets by the scribes and Pharisees tended to be directed towards the spirit of piety, an expression of love for God. This triggered the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees, as Jesus accused in Matthew 23:1-36. Using a descriptive approach to the text of Matthew 5:17-48, this study seeks to see how Jesus interpreted and taught the Torah and the prophets. This effort shows that Jesus implied the teachings of the Torah on compassion for fellow human beings, which on other occasions He referred to as a commandment that is equal to the commandment to love God. This approach of Jesus is referred to as pleromacy. Furthermore, this research offers pleromacy as a hermeneutical approach that is oriented towards the spirit of loving people. In this case, pleromative interpretation in the future can be considered as a hermeneutical approach to looking at biblical texts.
This article examines efforts to acquire unity in heterogeneous churches by drawing inspiration from 1 Corinthians 1:10-17 and Ephesians 4:1-6. In Indonesia, unity is challenged due to divisions arising from differences of opinion. Similar to the Corinthians, recent disputes between Christians have emerged due to distinctions in the doctrine of salvation. Through a descriptive qualitative method using literary and historical criticism, this literature study delves into the historical and theological context of the two letters. It presents practical efforts to achieve ecclesial unity. The results show that both texts emphasize the importance of avoiding factionalism and promoting the unity that Paul aspires to. Interestingly, the author of Ephesians uses Paul’s argument that Christians are of one baptism and adds teachings that Paul did not record in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17: five moral virtues that believers can apply in their daily lives and seven concepts of oneness theology that underlie ecclesial unity. In conclusion, the epistles warn the modern church to maintain and strengthen the “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” spirit in their complex and varied congregational life. Therefore, they can also emulate the accomplishments of the Ephesian audiences, who embraced and celebrated diversity among diverse members.
A Comparative Study of the Events when Peter and Paul Raised the Dead (Acts 9:36-42 and Acts 20:7-12)
Apart from Jesus, Peter and Paul are the two great apostles of Christianity who are said to have raised the dead; Peter raised Tabitha (Acts 9:36-42) and Paul raised Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12). If Jesus raised the dead on His authority, then Peter is described as raising the dead with divine assistance. The problem is that Paul is not portrayed as raising the dead by Jesus’ authority and it is worth exploring further where Paul’s power to raise the dead came from. Through a literature study approach, a construction will be built that the events of Peter and Paul raising the dead did not come from their power, but with different approaches. However, where the power came from is the end of the comparative study of these two stories.