Richard M. Blaylock, Ph.D.

Richard M. Blaylock received his M.Div. (2014) and his Ph.D. (2021) at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He formerly served as assistant professor of biblical studies at Western Seminary, and he has pastored in both American and Filipino settings. He also serves as the director of the Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology.

Dr. Blaylock is passionate about helping Christians understand all that God intends to reveal in the Scriptures. As such, most of his scholarship and teaching has been focused on biblical theology, hermeneutics, and biblical exegesis. He has also written a two-volume work on the subject of divine reprobating activity. In addition, he has published and presented on topics related to Pauline theology, New Testament prophecy, and the book of Malachi. He and his family love animals, especially their American Akita named Cloud. They also enjoy playing board games, video games, and just spending time together.

Publications

Vessels of Wrath: A Biblical-Theological Study of Divine Reprobating Activity. Vol. 1: The Testimony of the Old Testament. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2023.

Vessels of Wrath: A Biblical-Theological Study of Divine Reprobating Activity. Vol. 2: The Testimony of the New Testament. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2023.

“Can We Read Like the Prophets and the Apostles? A Nuanced Answer to an Important Question.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no. 3 (2024): 421–46.

“Romans.” In Guided Annotating Greek New Testament. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023.

 “Encountering Bultmann as a Biblical Theologian.” Horizons in Biblical Theology, 44, no. 2 (2022): 195–227.

 “The Doctrine of Reprobation.” The Gospel Coalition’s Concise Theology Essays.Fall 2020.

 “The Gift of Prophecy.” The Gospel Coalition’s Concise Theology Essays. Spring 2020.

 “Towards a Definition of New Testament Prophecy.” Themelios, 44.1 (2019): 41–60.

 “My Messenger, the LORD, and the Messenger of the Covenant: Malachi 3:1 Revisited.” The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 20.3 (2016): 69–95.

 “Reprobation and the Second London Confession.” Founders Journal, no. 106 (2016): 23–32.

Presentations

“Making Sense[s] of Biblical Theology: A Proposal regarding the Meaning and Nature of a Contested Term,” ETS Northwest Regional Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon (February 2026)

“Priests among the Nations: Malachi 1:11 as the Solution to the Problem of the Priesthood,” ETS Northwest Regional Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon (February 2026)

“‘Through the Law I Died to the Law’: The Ironically Positive Role of the Law in Galatians 2:19,” ETS Northwest Regional Annual Meeting, Portland, Oregon (February 2025)

“Paul’s Revealing Use of the Hardening Motif in Romans 9:17–18,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Diego, California (November, 2024)

“Beyond ‘Thanks!’ and ‘Good Job!’: A Response to Dr. Gladd’s Reflections on Editing the Dictionary of the New Testament,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Diego, California (November, 2024)

Participant in the Panel Discussion at the Hermeneutics Session, “Reflections on Editing the Dictionary of the New Testament Use of the Old Testament,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Diego, California (November, 2024)

“Can We Read like Apostles and Prophets? A Nuanced Answer to an Important Question,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, San Antonio, Texas (November, 2023)

“Paul’s Revealing Use of the Hardening Motif in Romans 9:17–18,” Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Anderson, South Carolina (March, 2020; cancelled due to COVID 19)

“Towards a Definition of Prophecy in the New Testament,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Providence, Rhode Island (November, 2017)

“Towards a Definition of Prophetic Activity in the New Testament,” Southeast Regional Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Louisville, Kentucky (March, 2017).

“My Messenger, the LORD, and the Messenger of the Covenant: Malachi 3:1 Revisited,” Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, Atlanta, Georgia (November, 2014).

Reviews 

Review of Romans: A Commentary by Beverly Roberts Gaventa in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. Forthcoming.

“The Semantics of Biblical Language by James Barr.” Essentials in Biblical Theology Series. The Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology. January 2026. The Semantics of Biblical Language – Essentials in BT Series — Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology

Review of Paul and the Resurrection of Israel: Jews, Former Gentiles, Israelites by Jason A. Staples for Reading Religion. Accessed December 19, 2025. Paul and the Resurrection of Israel – Reading Religion

“History and the Gospel by C.H. Dodd.” Essentials in Biblical Theology Series. The Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology. November 2025. https://www.cebt.online/essentials-in-biblical-theology/history-and-the-gospel-by-c-h-dodd

“Two Testaments, One Bible by David L. Baker.” Essentials in Biblical Theology Series. The Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology. November 2025. https://www.cebt.online/essentials-in-biblical-theology/two-testaments-one-bible-by-david-l-baker

Interpreting the Bible by J. C. K. von Hofmann.” Essentials in Biblical Theology Series. The Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology. September 2025. Interpreting the Bible – Essentials in BT Series — Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology

“Christ and Time by Oscar Cullmann.” Essentials in Biblical Theology Series.The Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology. August 2025. Christ and Time – Essentials in BT Series — Center for Evangelical Biblical Theology .

Review of The Lord by Wisdom Founded the Earth: Creation and Covenant in Old Testament Theology by Katharine J. Dell for Reading Religion. Accessed February 2, 2025. The Lord by Wisdom Founded the Earth – Reading Religion

Review of Demystifying Evil: A Biblical and Personal Exploration by Ingrid Faro in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no. 3 (2024):602–3.

Review of Union with the Resurrected Christ: Eschatological New Creation and New Testament Biblical Theology by G. K. Beale in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 67, no. 2 (2024): 383–85.

Review of Cursing with God: The Imprecatory Psalms and the Ethics of Christian Prayer by Trevor Laurence for Reading Religion. Accessed June 6, 2024.Cursing with God – Reading Religion

Review of God’s Will and Testament: Inheritance in the Gospel of Matthew and Jewish Tradition by Daniel Daley for Reading Religion. Accessed Apr 18, 2024. God’s Will and Testament – Reading Religion

Review of King of Kings: God and the Foreign Emperor in the Hebrew Bible by Justin L. Pannkuk for Reading Religion. Accessed April 5, 2023. King of Kings – Reading Religion

Review of The Path of Faith: A Biblical Theology of Covenant and Law by Brandon D. Crowe in The Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 65, no. 1 (2022): 129–30.

Review of Reprobation and God’s Sovereignty: Recovering a Biblical Doctrine by Peter Sammons in Themelios, 47, no. 1 (2022): 199–201.

Review of The Gospel of the Son of God: An Introduction to Matthew by David R. Bauer for Reading Religion. Accessed March 3, 2022. The Gospel of the Son of God – Reading Religion

Review of A Kingdom for a Stage: Political and Theological Reflection in the Hebrew Bible by Mark Hamilton for Reading Religion (2021). Accessed Mar 5, 2021. A Kingdom for a Stage – Reading Religion

Review of Both Judge and Justifier: Biblical Legal Language and the Act of Justifying in Paul by James B. Prothro for Reading Religion (2020). Accessed Dec 14, 2020. Both Judge and Justifier – Reading Religion

Review of God’s Relational Presence: The Cohesive Center of Biblical Theology by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays in The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology, 24, no. 3 (2020): 151–53. Review of Finding Favour in the Sight of God: A Theology of Wisdom Literature by Richard P. Belcher, Jr. for Reading Religion (2019). Accessed Dec 14, 2020. Finding Favour in the Sight of God – Reading Religion

Review of Biblical Theology: The God of the Christian Scriptures by John Goldingay in Credo Magazine, 8, no. 1 (2018). Accessed Dec 14, 2020. Biblical theology without unity – Credo Magazine