Ville Suutarinen | Newbold College of Higher Education (original) (raw)

Papers by Ville Suutarinen

It is undeniable that secret societies have had their influence in the flow of history. But is th... more It is undeniable that secret societies have had their influence in the flow of history. But is their influence so great that it should be considered as a part of hermeneutics of prophecy? Yes, it is, we argue in this paper. The paper also claims that the book of Revelation, and especially Daniel 11 on which we concentrate in this paper, reveal an organized deception behind the scenes of global politics and economics. The crucial exegetical and hermeneutical argument of this research paper is that the text of Daniel 11 includes overlapping levels, which point to different phases in history, and that a hinge-section (Dan 11:27–39) shows that both Atheistic Secularism and Islam are the king of the south in their own ways and phases in history, and that they are the end-time king of the south. A special deceptive sign of Satan in history and current events is the juxtaposition of two sides ("north" and "south"), which leads to conflicts and crises (chaos), out of which order is created. This deceptive method may include proxy wars, just like the one that is going on in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas.

By analysing Tom Wright and John Piper, the dissertation studies the old dilemma of justification... more By analysing Tom Wright and John Piper, the dissertation studies the old dilemma of justification by faith and judgment according to works from an ontological perspective. The paper investigates why in the writings of Wright and Piper good deeds or faith-works may or may not carry qualitatively sufficient ontological weight in justification and/or judgment in which God takes into consideration inheritance of his people in Christ's representativeness and human sinfulness inherited from Adam. This analysis defines the ultimate criteria for one to be able to stand in front of God in judgment or what is the climax of the judgment. By evaluating the cores of the authors' soteriological-ontological systems, and by showing qualitative and processive problems of the systems, the study ends up arguing that through a qualitative process of judgment, three goals are reached. (1) We argue that in the judgment process we have actual responsibility for our sins, and, hence, pro Wright, faith-works/life led have actual weight in judgment; yet, through comparing the ontological qualities of Christ and the righteous people of God in judgment, which we call the comparison theme, God nullifies the quality of the saints' ontological state, nullifying the quality of works and boast simultaneously, and, thus, pro Piper, Christ's imputed quality for God's people stands as the climax in the end; (2) the imputation of Christ's righteousness, including forgiveness, via the comparison theme and the Adam-Christ representative headship motif, is introduced as an integral part and the climax of the pre-advent judgment; and (3) a possible soteriological-ontological framework for a solution for the dilemma of justification by faith and judgment according to works is proposed.

The intrinsic value of individual freedom is challenged in current global societal thinking. The ... more The intrinsic value of individual freedom is challenged in current global societal thinking. The philosophy of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770–1831) and postmodern philosophy are two examples of a kind of continual opposition to freedom, as is argued in this paper. This essay studies whether Hegel and postmodernism have holistic and substantial means for upholding the value of intrinsic individual freedom.

The paper aims to bring a starting point for, and a starter for the discussion about, the relationship between individual freedom of choice /private judgment and collective responsibility by taking individual right to private property as an example, and to offer a framework which prevents overuse of communal responsibility as the definer of the bounds of individual freedom, by showing the inner inconsistencies of the two philosophies in holism and highest substance, and by offering Protestant philosophy as a better system.

Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made... more Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.” (ESV) It is argued that this verse establishes capital punishment. However, this research paper claims that Genesis 9:6 can be translated in a way that does not specify who executes the judgment of shedding blood. In fact, Genesis 9:6 is a part of the universal Noachian covenant, which is established on Jesus Christ’s, not man’s, mercy, justice, omniscience, and authority to save or destroy life, as historical and literary contextual exegeses show; and as textual, grammatical and lexical research, and biblical and theological studies, point out. When the text is applied for today, the testimony of the whole Bible in the light of the new and eternal covenant needs to be taken into consideration. When this is done, the Bible teaches that capital punishment was sufficient for the old covenant theocracy of the nation of Israel, but it is not applicable for modern governments.

The identity of the little horn power in Daniel 8 (and 7) is largely determined by the method of ... more The identity of the little horn power in Daniel 8 (and 7) is largely determined by the method of interpretation of that chapter, the book of Daniel as a whole, apocalyptic prophecies, and the entire Bible. The Maccabean thesis, which is built on preteristic interpretation method, believes that the little horn corresponds for a Seleucid king, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who stood against the Jews in the second century BCE. There is also a view, that claims that the little horn in Daniel 7 is not the same little horn as in Daniel 8, as André Reis argues (André Reis, “A Response to Glifford Goldstein on the Little Horn on Daniel 8,” ResearchGate, April, 2018, accessed August 18, 2019, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/324758761_A_RESPONSE_TO_CLIFFORD_GOLDSTEIN_ON_THE_LITTLE_HORN_OF_DANIEL_8.). However, this interpretation has many problems. For example, it breaks the unity and apocalyptic-universal and end-time characteristics of the book of Daniel. Historicism, on the other hand, stands on these characteristics. As a matter of fact, the principles of Protestant biblical hermeneutics point to the direction of historicism, as will be shown when textual, lexical, and theological areas are researched.

The goal of this paper is to bring the following contributions: It establishes a chiastic structure for Daniel 7-12, which thematic peaks are Christ and the Day of Atonement. It offers answers for André Reis' grammatical, lexical, textual, and theological arguments for Antiochus Epiphanes being the little horn in Daniel 8. It shows that when the little horn continues the philosophical and spiritual legacy or continuum of the king of the north, it establishes the little horn's coming from the cardinal point of north, without the little horn needing to come from one of the four horns of the goat.

The thesis statement: This research argues that Antiochus IV Epiphanes cannot be the little horn of Daniel 7 and/or 8 because: (1) The historicist view for the origin of the little horn is the most probable; (2) Epiphanes was not great enough and the preeminent in the land for the proportions of the little horn, but Rome was preeminent in its imperial stage, and was and is preeminent in its papal stage; (3) the time prophecies of Daniel do not fit into the reign of this Seleucid king; (4) Epiphanes did not rise at the latter period of the Seleucid kingdom; (5) the book of Daniel is mainly a universal book, and Christocentric interpretation model leads to that conclusion; (6) because the book is universal in scope, the little horn grants universal proportions, which are also seen in history; (7) it is more probable that the little horn comes from one of the four winds (the northern wind) than one of the four horns, because the little horn continues the philosophical and spiritual legacy or continuum of the king of the north; and (8) the “abomination of desolation”, ultimately, has a spiritual and end-time meaning, which is fulfilled in history.

This article shows how in its postmodern “development”, a major part of Christianity has shifted ... more This article shows how in its postmodern “development”, a major part of Christianity has shifted away from the biblical justification by faith and the theology of the cross. Justification is sought from experiences and works, and it is believed to happen inside human being. This has moved the Christian world to the unbiblical Roman Catholic teaching of infused righteousness and justification by sacrament/creation. For example, the joint declarations of the Roman Catholic Church and the Lutheran Church, and theologies of Karl Barth and Ivan T. Blazen (a Seventh-day Adventist theologian), are studied.* This research paper argues that (1) the postmodern theology is based on communal focus, experiential focus, and deconstruction of the basis on Scripture; (2) justification and sanctification need to be demerged; (3) the Christian postmodern world has gone back to Roman Catholic teaching of infused righteousness; (4) the postmodern view believes in justification by human works; and (5) the postmodern theological thinking unbiblically merges justification and sanctification.

* The author of this paper is a Seventh-day Adventist, and he argues that Blazen's teaching about justification does not represent the whole view of Seventh-day Adventists. See for example: Richard Davidson, "Justification by Faith According to the Old Testament: In the Footsteps of the Reformers," Andrews University Faculty Publications 859 (2017), https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/pubs/859/.

What did Paul mean with the comment that “nothing is unclean in itself” (Rom. 14:14, NIV)? By lo... more What did Paul mean with the comment that “nothing is unclean in itself” (Rom. 14:14, NIV)? By looking at the immediate context, the historical background, and the textual study in relation to the cultural context of the passage, the word “unclean” (koinos [κοινός] in Greek) means “defilement by association,” which in the first century Jewish culture was applied to association with the Gentiles. This means that by “unclean” Paul did not mean the unclean animals of Leviticus 11. Moreover, this research applies the argument biblically and theologically, bringing scientific evidence for the claim, as well, which include the question about the rationality of listing pig as an unclean animal. The conclusion of the paper is that God is caring about our, human beings’, health even today during the New Testament (NT) and the new covenant time.

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This study shows that church and state, when they unite in legislation of beliefs and worship, vi... more This study shows that church and state, when they unite in legislation of beliefs and worship, violate the God-given freedom of conscience of the individual. Firstly, the paper presents supportive evidence for the argument that the union of church and state does not stand for social justice. Secondly, it shows a couple of examples of the union's terrible consequences in history. Finally, the research goes to the root of the illegitimacy of the union of church and state by asserting what the Bible says about this issue. In short, this study indicates that the union of church and state is an unwarranted political-religious order.

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