A fascinating book to have reviewed Peter. I finally did download a copy. There may be merit in parts of Dr. Holland’s understanding of the significance of the passover for Pauline theology, but I don’t find the argument of chapter 10 (linking the firstborn of the passover with ideas of sacrificial merit from the OT passages that he cites) to be at all convincing. In fact I feel that this is quite a diversion from some of his other major themes.

It is precisely because Jesus went to the cross himself with his eyes wide open that he is considered to have become our redeemer. The NT consistently refers to Jesus sacrificing himself. Furthermore, re John 3:16, while the passage may be steeped in a passover context, to imply that “God gave” is equivalent to “God sacrificed” is definitely in my book an excellent example of eisegesis.