Danny Chua

How often does the average Christian picture their relationship with the Living God as one with unhindered, full access? How much does Christ as the church’s Great High Priest feature in our churches’ discipleship and teaching on Christology? In our darkest hours of temptation, do we wonder if God has finally given up on us, or do we see a heavenly Brother taking us to the God’s gracious throne?

The idea of Christ as our Great High Priest seems arguably abstract and perhaps reserved for the overly-enthusiastic theological thinker. Yet, the book of Hebrews unashamedly shines a brilliant spotlight on Christ’s High Priesthood and High Priestly Ministry.

In this essay, I explore how Hebrews uncovers the immense riches of Christ’s High Priesthood and High Priestly Ministry. I will first deal with the preliminary issue of how Christ enters the role of high priest. Next, I explore how the Son’s identity as Yahweh’s Messianic King is intricately woven with His High Priesthood. I then survey the substantive aspects of Christ’s Melchizedekian Priesthood and how it supersedes the Levitical priesthood. Finally, I zoom in on the assuring picture of Christ as our heavenly Brother and sympathetic High Priest. Along the way, we will reflect on and hopefully rejoice in the implications Christ’s High Priesthood has on our faith and lives.

Following the death of Saul and also preceding the establishing of David as king over all Israel, 2 Samuel 3-4 stands as a narrative bridge for the transition from the Saulide to the Davidic kingship. Against this backdrop of monarchical shift, these chapters bear witness to the reliable truth that Yahweh will surely establish His true anointed king, and conversely cautions against a kingship built on man's wickedness and evil schemes. By considering the structure of 2 Samuel 3-4, its context, its function within the books of 1 and 2 Samuel, its meaning for its original audience, key details and themes, this essay aims to highlight the main theme of the passage, namely that Yahweh Himself will give strength to His king and exalt Him in justice. The purpose of the passage is for readers to behold and follow Yahweh's true anointed king who trusts in His might rather than man's wicked schemes. The essay also concludes with a brief outline of a talk aiming to communicate 2 Samuel 3-4 faithfully to a local church congregation.

Is it deplorable that the Judiciary “passes judgment” on the Executive and seeks to push the existing limits on judicial power? Does it not “condemn itself” ironically, for “the very same things” it alleges of the Executive – intrusion of functional independence?

This essay seeks to examine if the current limits on judicial power are both reasonable and desirable according to Singapore’s conception of its constitutional principles. Part II of this essay will consider Singapore’s constitutional framework that instructs the limits on the Judiciary’s power to conduct judicial review. Part III seeks to elucidate the real reasons behind external restraints to judicial review. Part IV will explore the courts’ internal restraints on their judicial power to conduct judicial review.

This essay argues that Christians can and must strive to be wise users of dating apps in a way that holds out the Bible’s view of love and marriage. Section II examines dating apps as a cultural text and explores the world they paint.  Section III will evaluate dating apps through Scriptural lenses, and further argue that it is not so much the choice of dating platform as it is the Christian’s mindset that ultimately counts if godly union is the goal. Lastly, Section IV concludes with pointers on how Christians can practically navigate dating apps in a God-honouring manner with several self-diagnostic questions.

How can the Christian in the pew read the Genesis 1 creation account and comprehend the 6 days of creation?  This essay explores how an engagement with Genesis 1 on its own terms suggests that a figurative interpretation of the creation account is favored over a literal view of six 24-hour days, and that such a reading is theologically enriching for readers.

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were recorded by one author and unified on a single scroll in the Hebrew Bible, which suggests that the two books should be read in tandem, at least with one another if not in light of all Scripture. This essay argues that the biblical theological approach to reading the books of Ezra and Nehemiah is absolutely crucial in comprehending their unique contribution to God’s big plans n redemptive history. In doing so, this essay seeks to show that such an approach is much more than an enriching methodology or supplemental hermeneutical option. In this regard, the essay considers how the disappointment of the Second Temple in Ezra vis-à-vis all other mentions of God’s Temple in Scripture distinguishes its unique role in God’s salvation plan. Further, I will also examine how the deflating conclusion of Judah’s covenant-breaking in Nehemiah suggests that the end of Israel’s physical exile at the close of Old Testament history changed little about their spiritual exile from Yahweh.

The Magistrate’s Appeal case of Poh Boon Kiat v PP  signaled a promising step forward for Singapore’s crackdown on trafficking in persons . CJ Menon’s High Court  pronouncement that prostitution-related offences  under s 140 and s 146 of the Women’s Charter  now attract a benchmark custodial sentence (rather than a mere fine) for first-time offenders was a fitting foreshadow of what would unfold 15 days later, just across the road from the Supreme Court. On 5 October 2015, in harmony with the still resonating judicial warning against organized PROs, the first reading of the Prevention of Human Trafficking Bill – now the Prevention of Human Trafficking Act 2014  – took place in Parliament. This commentary seeks to appraise CJ Menon’s decision through the lens of the ‘Law Enforcement Framework’ , which is one facet of the international response towards TIP.  This is done by appreciating the close nexus between PROs and TIP , which, despite being a traditionally  “problematic and inflammatory”  issue, to illuminate implications of Poh from a TIP perspective.

In the beginning, it was good. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights  emerged as a celebrated and resounding trumpet-call condemnation of the Nazi Regime’s deadly discrimination.  The arduous drafting process of this landmark HR instrument was however rocked  with a delicate question that we too must answer: what is the role of religion in advancing the principle and project of universal human rights?

While some argue a religious HR foundation is old-fashioned or even idolatrous , the reality is that a plethora of HR instruments, including Asian documents, rest on (at least on paper) some religious foundation, or recognize the vital role of religion in promoting HR (through juridification).  Notwithstanding this, it is regrettable that religion has arguably acted like a “devil citing Scripture for its purposes”, inflicting in some Asian states deep wounds of insufferable HR violations. Despite this, should religion be jettisoned completely from efforts of advancing the principle and project of universal HR in Asia?

While this paper admits the oppression of religion against HR in Asia, it ultimately argues that religion plays an integral role in positively advancing the principle and project of universal HR in Asia.

What does it truly mean to uphold human rights  or safeguard and promote human welfare? As Michael Ignatieff once asked, “if human beings are special, why do we treat each other so badly?”  This question presupposes there is indeed ‘something special’ about human beings. Yet, from a religious perspective of HR, this is hardly unheard of. For example, drawing from the quote above (“There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus"), Christians believe in a radical version of HR that achieves complete oneness both in inherent nature and of intrinsic worth as the foundation of human dignity: the Judeo-Christian doctrine of imago dei.  In a similar vein, the 1993 Kuala Lumpur Declaration on HR  contains in its Preamble  an assertive (rather than merely argumentative) and “a theocratic basis for understanding what it means to be human.”  Yet, does the KLDHR fulfill the expectations of ‘universality, indivisibility, and inalienability’  – standards it proudly professes to meet – that flow from this basis?

This paper endeavors to show that ultimately, the KLDHR is normatively sound and practically effective as a HR instrument against the standards of The Criteria. Although it may not comprehensively fulfill all these expectations, this is primarily due to the Asian particularities underlining the declaration.  Before analyzing the KLDHR proper, I will first establish in Part II that although The Criteria have been so widely invoked they has arguably devolved into mawkish platitudes, they are nevertheless valuable as yardsticks for measuring HR. Part III critically analyzes the failure of the KLDHR to operatively confer on the status of HR the ‘inalienability’ it advocates in its Preamble. Next, in Part IV, I will endeavor to highlight the KLDHR’s commendable balance of ‘universality’ as an ideal with the reality of cultural and contextual diversity. Part V will highlight that the KLDHR also upholds ‘indivisibility’ as a standard for HR both in principle and in practice. In closing, observations will be made on the concerns of Asian States and particularities of Asian societies as guidelines in appreciating the KLDHR.

In recent times, the gradual march of Globalization has facilitated a historically high traffic of female foreign domestic workers  migration within Asia.  However, the “native-born” hardly “love the foreigners” as they do themselves”; FDWs are treated as their status suggest – alien-ated with vastly inferior, circumscribed rights”.  What is the reason for this failure to safeguard FDWs’ human rights  and welfare? As we will see, the ‘public/private divide’  inherent in an international HR regime contributes to the discrimination of FDWs’ in Asia. Ultimately, in seeking a practical solution, we must answer the question of whether a HR law based approach is effective, if not adequate, in securing the rights and welfare of FDWs.

This paper aspires to show that ultimately, notwithstanding its limitations, a HR law based approach is expedient – at least in tandem with complementary protection mechanisms – to secure the welfare and HR of FDWs in Asia. Part II delves briefly into a critical examination of the PPD vis-à-vis women’s rights  (and hence) FDWs welfare. In Part III, the merits of a HR law based approach are highlighted. However, this approach also has its shortcomings, which will be discussed in Part IV. Part V offers concluding observations and suggests an amalgamation of various heterogeneous protection mechanisms, including HR law, is necessary to adequately and holistically secure the HR and welfare of FDWs in Asia.