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Daniel Bediako

Valley View University, Theology and Missions, Faculty Member

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Daniel Kwame Bediako is Professor of Old Testament Language and Interpretation. He has held several academic and administrative positions at Valley View University including serving as President of the university from 2015-2021. He has authored a number of scholarly works, and has edited several volumes, most recent ones including The Sabbath in Old Testament and the Intertestamental Period (a project of the Biblical Research Institute) and Prosperity Gospel (a project of West-Central Africa Division of Seventh-day Adventists). He also served as associate editor of the Andrews Bible Commentary. In July 2021, Daniel was appointed Associate Director of the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. He is married to Gifty and both have two children, Hehra and Daniel. The family moved to Maryland in July 2022.

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Mission University

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Far Eastern Bible College

University of KwaZulu-Natal

Durham University

North Park University

Indiana University

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Phoenix Seminary

Martti Nissinen

William K Gilders

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Papers by Daniel Bediako

Sexual Identity: A Reflection

When Jesus Confesses Your Name

From Conquest to Coexistence: Ideology and Antiquarian Intent in the Historiography of Israel’s Settlement in Canaan. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 45

Bulletin for Biblical research, 2014

with many of the same assumptions in compositional theory that have main tained currency in bibli... more with many of the same assumptions in compositional theory that have main tained currency in biblical studies for decades. Perhaps this work will provide a model/framework for additional investigations regarding the biblical text's reception history but from different compositional assumptions. At times, it appears as though Levinson uses this method to support his commitments to source analysis, which then colors the way he reads the Second Temple docu ments. His method may, however, offer other fruitful paths of inquiry for those scholars outside the guild of the documentarians who are also intrigued by this intersection of philology and hermeneutics.

Genesis 1:1-2:3 in the light of text linguistics and text-oriented-literary studies

The Story Of The Israelite Conquest Of Canaan

“Knowledge Shall Increase:” an Interpretation of Daniel 12:4

There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly in... more There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly interpretations. Besides scholarly discussions on text and semantics, the verse has been understood by many to predict the increase in scientific knowledge. This article investigates the contextual meaning of the verse through exegetical analysis. Considering genre, context, and language in Dan 12, the article suggests that ’knowledge’ in v. 4 is prophetic knowledge rather than scientific knowledge. It is this knowledge which shall increase at the time of the end when the sealed portions of the prophecy get unsealed.

Spirit and Flesh: An Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 5:5

Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Dec 28, 2013

Corinthians 5:5 presents both exegetical and theo 1 logical difficulties that relate to the spiri... more Corinthians 5:5 presents both exegetical and theo 1 logical difficulties that relate to the spirit-body dichotomy. After establishing the historical-literary context and analyzing the relevant lexical items of the text, the study submits that Paul's verdict in 1 Corinthians 5:5 is figurative. The Apostle instructs the church to figuratively hand over the incestuous man to Satan (i.e., expel him from fellowship), so that in light of the accompanying disgrace and grief the man would come back to his senses, turn away from his sin, and be accepted back into fellowship. The contrast between "flesh" and "spirit" indicates that either of these terms refers to the person as a whole. It appears that generally Paul uses the "body-soul-spirit" terminology to refer to the totality of the person, but uses "body/flesh-spirit" terminology either as an abbreviation of "body-soul-spirit" or as another form of expressing the old creature/new creature dialectic of Christians.

A New Glimpse of Day One: Intertextuality, History of Interpretation, and Genesis 1:1–5. BZNW 172

Bulletin for Biblical research, 2011

Genesis 1: 1-2:3

The Sheaf Offering and Resurrection Sunday

Asia-Africa journal of mission and ministry, Aug 31, 2017

Sabbath in the Book of Isaiah

The Sabbath is an important theological concept in the book of Isaiah. The significance attached ... more The Sabbath is an important theological concept in the book of Isaiah. The significance attached to the Sabbath does not only find expression in the prediction of its observance in the renewed conditions following the captivity, but also in the fact that continual possession of the promised land would depend upon proper Sabbathkeeping. The final verses connect Sabbath-keeping with eschatology by implying that Sabbath will be observed in the "new heavens and new earth." Through contextual analysis, however, it is suggested that the eschatology in this text is best understood in a postexilic sense (i.e., an extended period following the return from captivity) rather than in an apocalyptic sense. Further, the creation of "new heavens and new earth" is to be understood as a highly poetic expression anchoring the redemption and restoration of Judah from the Babylonian captivity. Sabbath-keeping sums up righteousness.

Torah and the Book of Numbers. FAT 2/62

Bulletin for Biblical Research

Andrews Bible Commentary (Old Testament)

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/books/1179/thumbnail.jp

The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Missions

As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, societies tend to become more and more diverse cultu... more As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, societies tend to become more and more diverse culturally, politically, religiously and economically and pluralism becomes the order of the day. The urbanisation trend is experienced on every continent and region of the world, with varying degrees of intensity. Urbanisation has a way of touching all social institutions and the church does not escape this onslaught in any way. Today, the church is becoming an increasingly urban institution and requires new approaches to sustain its impact. Cultural identity and diversity are some of the underlying challenges that the church has to deal with in an urbanising environment, and Christian mission needs to reinvent itself to be able to tackle this ever growing task. This paper identifies aspects of urban social change that are both causes and products of the diversified cultural environment in our cities and how an appropriate response can make all the difference in Christian mission.

The Covenant of Abraham: Relationship Between Genesis 15 and 17

The relationship between Gen 15 and 17 has long been debated, leading to conflicting viewpoints. ... more The relationship between Gen 15 and 17 has long been debated, leading to conflicting viewpoints. Scholars from the diachronic perspective consider these passages to be two variants accounts from different sources. Those from the synchronic perspective garner a range of possible relationships. This article has suggested a five-element structure as a systematizing grid of the contents of these chapters. Based on structure and content, it is argued that Gen 15 and 17 constitute a single covenant, and that each chapter focuses on one side of the covenant promise. In other words, chap. 15 focuses on the promise of the land, whereas chap. 17 concentrates on the posterity element of the covenant.

Doxologies of Judgment in Amos

A Hebrew Verb Parsing Chart

Religious Values and Nation Building: Some Lessons for Africa from the Book of Daniel with an Addendum on the Weightier Matters of Religion

“Knowledge Shall Increase:” an Interpretation of Daniel 12:4

There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly in... more There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly interpretations. Besides scholarly discussions on text and semantics, the verse has been understood by many to predict the increase in scientific knowledge. This article investigates the contextual meaning of the verse through exegetical analysis. Considering genre, context, and language in Dan 12, the article suggests that ’knowledge’ in v. 4 is prophetic knowledge rather than scientific knowledge. It is this knowledge which shall increase at the time of the end when the sealed portions of the prophecy get unsealed.

ISAIAH'S TRINITARIAN CONCEPTION

2 For example, Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism, completely rev. and updated (New York: HarperColl... more 2 For example, Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism, completely rev. and updated (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 280, has claimed that "because the Old Testament is pre-Christian, it does not provide any Trinitarian understanding of God," so that "it would be theologically unjustifiable to suggest some 'foreshadowing' of the Trinity in the Old Testament."

Sexual Identity: A Reflection

When Jesus Confesses Your Name

From Conquest to Coexistence: Ideology and Antiquarian Intent in the Historiography of Israel’s Settlement in Canaan. Culture and History of the Ancient Near East 45

Bulletin for Biblical research, 2014

with many of the same assumptions in compositional theory that have main tained currency in bibli... more with many of the same assumptions in compositional theory that have main tained currency in biblical studies for decades. Perhaps this work will provide a model/framework for additional investigations regarding the biblical text's reception history but from different compositional assumptions. At times, it appears as though Levinson uses this method to support his commitments to source analysis, which then colors the way he reads the Second Temple docu ments. His method may, however, offer other fruitful paths of inquiry for those scholars outside the guild of the documentarians who are also intrigued by this intersection of philology and hermeneutics.

Genesis 1:1-2:3 in the light of text linguistics and text-oriented-literary studies

The Story Of The Israelite Conquest Of Canaan

“Knowledge Shall Increase:” an Interpretation of Daniel 12:4

There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly in... more There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly interpretations. Besides scholarly discussions on text and semantics, the verse has been understood by many to predict the increase in scientific knowledge. This article investigates the contextual meaning of the verse through exegetical analysis. Considering genre, context, and language in Dan 12, the article suggests that ’knowledge’ in v. 4 is prophetic knowledge rather than scientific knowledge. It is this knowledge which shall increase at the time of the end when the sealed portions of the prophecy get unsealed.

Spirit and Flesh: An Interpretation of 1 Corinthians 5:5

Journal of Cultural and Religious Studies, Dec 28, 2013

Corinthians 5:5 presents both exegetical and theo 1 logical difficulties that relate to the spiri... more Corinthians 5:5 presents both exegetical and theo 1 logical difficulties that relate to the spirit-body dichotomy. After establishing the historical-literary context and analyzing the relevant lexical items of the text, the study submits that Paul's verdict in 1 Corinthians 5:5 is figurative. The Apostle instructs the church to figuratively hand over the incestuous man to Satan (i.e., expel him from fellowship), so that in light of the accompanying disgrace and grief the man would come back to his senses, turn away from his sin, and be accepted back into fellowship. The contrast between "flesh" and "spirit" indicates that either of these terms refers to the person as a whole. It appears that generally Paul uses the "body-soul-spirit" terminology to refer to the totality of the person, but uses "body/flesh-spirit" terminology either as an abbreviation of "body-soul-spirit" or as another form of expressing the old creature/new creature dialectic of Christians.

A New Glimpse of Day One: Intertextuality, History of Interpretation, and Genesis 1:1–5. BZNW 172

Bulletin for Biblical research, 2011

Genesis 1: 1-2:3

The Sheaf Offering and Resurrection Sunday

Asia-Africa journal of mission and ministry, Aug 31, 2017

Sabbath in the Book of Isaiah

The Sabbath is an important theological concept in the book of Isaiah. The significance attached ... more The Sabbath is an important theological concept in the book of Isaiah. The significance attached to the Sabbath does not only find expression in the prediction of its observance in the renewed conditions following the captivity, but also in the fact that continual possession of the promised land would depend upon proper Sabbathkeeping. The final verses connect Sabbath-keeping with eschatology by implying that Sabbath will be observed in the "new heavens and new earth." Through contextual analysis, however, it is suggested that the eschatology in this text is best understood in a postexilic sense (i.e., an extended period following the return from captivity) rather than in an apocalyptic sense. Further, the creation of "new heavens and new earth" is to be understood as a highly poetic expression anchoring the redemption and restoration of Judah from the Babylonian captivity. Sabbath-keeping sums up righteousness.

Torah and the Book of Numbers. FAT 2/62

Bulletin for Biblical Research

Andrews Bible Commentary (Old Testament)

https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/books/1179/thumbnail.jp

The Bible, Cultural Identity, and Missions

As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, societies tend to become more and more diverse cultu... more As the world becomes increasingly urbanised, societies tend to become more and more diverse culturally, politically, religiously and economically and pluralism becomes the order of the day. The urbanisation trend is experienced on every continent and region of the world, with varying degrees of intensity. Urbanisation has a way of touching all social institutions and the church does not escape this onslaught in any way. Today, the church is becoming an increasingly urban institution and requires new approaches to sustain its impact. Cultural identity and diversity are some of the underlying challenges that the church has to deal with in an urbanising environment, and Christian mission needs to reinvent itself to be able to tackle this ever growing task. This paper identifies aspects of urban social change that are both causes and products of the diversified cultural environment in our cities and how an appropriate response can make all the difference in Christian mission.

The Covenant of Abraham: Relationship Between Genesis 15 and 17

The relationship between Gen 15 and 17 has long been debated, leading to conflicting viewpoints. ... more The relationship between Gen 15 and 17 has long been debated, leading to conflicting viewpoints. Scholars from the diachronic perspective consider these passages to be two variants accounts from different sources. Those from the synchronic perspective garner a range of possible relationships. This article has suggested a five-element structure as a systematizing grid of the contents of these chapters. Based on structure and content, it is argued that Gen 15 and 17 constitute a single covenant, and that each chapter focuses on one side of the covenant promise. In other words, chap. 15 focuses on the promise of the land, whereas chap. 17 concentrates on the posterity element of the covenant.

Doxologies of Judgment in Amos

A Hebrew Verb Parsing Chart

Religious Values and Nation Building: Some Lessons for Africa from the Book of Daniel with an Addendum on the Weightier Matters of Religion

“Knowledge Shall Increase:” an Interpretation of Daniel 12:4

There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly in... more There are both textual and semantic difficulties in Dan 12:4, resulting in different scholarly interpretations. Besides scholarly discussions on text and semantics, the verse has been understood by many to predict the increase in scientific knowledge. This article investigates the contextual meaning of the verse through exegetical analysis. Considering genre, context, and language in Dan 12, the article suggests that ’knowledge’ in v. 4 is prophetic knowledge rather than scientific knowledge. It is this knowledge which shall increase at the time of the end when the sealed portions of the prophecy get unsealed.

ISAIAH'S TRINITARIAN CONCEPTION

2 For example, Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism, completely rev. and updated (New York: HarperColl... more 2 For example, Richard P. McBrien, Catholicism, completely rev. and updated (New York: HarperCollins, 1994), 280, has claimed that "because the Old Testament is pre-Christian, it does not provide any Trinitarian understanding of God," so that "it would be theologically unjustifiable to suggest some 'foreshadowing' of the Trinity in the Old Testament."