IOSCS Conference: The Story Behind the Opportunity!

Little did I know, when I decided to leave medical practice to fully immerse myself into the study of God’s Word, that the Lord would open some pretty exciting doors to grow both as a future minister and as a (someday) scholar. Today, a year before graduation, a unique opportunity has come.

A cafeteria conversation with Dr. Will Ross turned into a challenge/invitation to send an academic paper proposal for the International Organization of Septuagint and Cognate Studies at the IOSOT 24th Congress in Zürich this August 2022.

Odds were (probably) against the acceptance of this paper, but God had other plans.

1) Usually, scholars with a Ph.D. or a similar degree (or Ph.D. students) present papers in these instances of biblical scholarship. I am not a Ph.D. or ThM student (yet!); I haven’t even finished my MDiv! But the Lord seemed fitting that this work was accepted.

2) The deadline was about a week prior I had that cafeteria conversation, so by the time I started working on my proposal, it was already overdue by a week.

3) I had never had a class on the Septuagint. However, the topic is fascinating and extremely helpful for biblical studies. So I had to do some preliminary research even before writing the proposal. 

[4) My first draft was so miserably (though respectfully) destroyed by Dr. Ross (and rightly so) that I was confronted with the fact that I most likely am not at a research level that would allow me to present a paper. But he was kind enough to guide me through my second, third, and fourth draft in a week before I sent the final proposal draft to the IOSCS organizers.]

So, as I said, the odds were against it, but God’s hand was for it. 

What Am I to Do Now?

Now that the paper proposal has been accepted and that, by faith, I’ve purchased lodging and registration, I’ve begun the fund-raising process to get to Zürich in the first place. At the same time, my aim is to continue working on the research to be ready in time. This involves lots of reading (which I love), and hence, lots of learning! The Septuagint field is an underdeveloped area in Biblical Studies (in comparison to other areas), but genuinely significant for understanding the Old Testament, the New; Biblical Linguistics, Inter-testamental Period, and more! You may also want to check out this resource.

So, this is my plan. While I work through this research, I’d like to publish some more popular-like blog posts both in English and Spanish. Hence, supporting this work will translate not only into a contribution to biblical scholarship but to the church. And, since this is meant to be in two languages, it will impact many countries.

Consider joining me in this project by much needed prayer, gifting, and spreading the word.