As early Christianity began to grow and spread in Europe, in Rome, (interestingly enough) much of it was coined in Egypt where a lot of the origins of the New Testament are centered.
This is a plea for Christians to realize the significance of Isaiah 53 for their understanding of who Jesus was and what he did. I believe that he was motivated by love to take on the role of the Suffering Servant in Isaiah 53.
Why “What’s Fair Is Fair” is a Dead-end Destination
We live in a world of what I sometimes describe as disproportionate parity, where the ancient version of justice (lex talionis) that’s still widely practiced today provides justification for an excessive retaliatory response.
All atonement theories get it wrong by substituting beliefs about Jesus for the way (his virtues, values, and practices) of Jesus that he taught us by word and deed.
The selling of the Bible so recklessly attempts to stain and overshadow the Gospel. It seeks to imagine and promote an unholy alliance that is antithetical to my faith.
Jesus was not crucified for telling people to love God and our neighbors. He was killed for challenging the authorities of that time. He challenged the Jewish authorities, and he challenged the Roman authorities.
The central focus of Jesus’ message was to announce the imminent coming of the kingdom of God. This is what he was sent to do. (Luke 4: 43-44) This kingdom would be on earth for the people of Israel. (Matthew 10: 5-8) Although Jesus gives few details on how this kingdom would operate.
For context to the comments to follow, it is suggested one read Matthew 13. Verses 1-8 are deemed to likely be attributable to the historical Jesus; while verses 18-23 are an interpretation and application by Matthew’s early church community.
A Study of His Biblical Masterpiece as an Act of Rebellion
It is widely known among biblical scholars that The Book of Job is an outlier among other biblical books in that it provides overt criticism of established Ancient Hebrew beliefs and doctrines.
A five-part fictional story
A five-part fictional story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham and his congregation, Grace United Church of Christ.
A five-part fictional story
A five-part fictional story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham and his congregation, Grace United Church of Christ.
A five-part fictional story
A five-part fictional story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham and his congregation, Grace United Church of Christ.
I. Be completely humble and gentle, be patient forgiving one another in love
I pray, and look to scripture, and consider our role as people on an ever-changing planet as residents in and stewards of creation.
Jesus’ “Revolutionary” Teachings
In the context of the Christian faith tradition — is the “good news” that one might assert to be at the heart of the gospel message just too idealistic for what we might be able to instead empirically see happening all around us on a daily basis?
The church of the future must change to help its members develop further along their own spiritual journeys. Seminarians should spend less time studying the Bible, Church history, and Christian theology. Instead, the focus of their training should stress positive child-rearing strategies, meditation in its many forms, and psychological therapy.
Patriarchy probably started about 12,000 years ago. If you google the word, there’s a good chance that you will be more confused than before you started.
A five-part fictional story
A five-part fictional story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham and his congregation, Grace United Church of Christ.
If one searches the origin and history of Valentine’s Day, one finds clouds and legends mixed with a bit of history.
A five-part fictional story
A five-part fictional story set in the early 1990s about Reverend Paul Graham and his congregation, Grace United Church of Christ.
Lent is not about giving up chocolate. It’s about uncovering the blindness in our perception and being open to what others have to share with us.
There’s no such thing as a nobody. That’s the message of Mary. Until her immaculate conception, until she howled out the Magnificat, she had become accustomed to being treated as a nobody.
At the heart of the Christian tradition, we say there is “faith (πίστις, ‘pistis’ Gr. - trust), hope (ἐλπίς, Gr. elpis = meaning expectation, in a positive sense), and love ( ἀγάπη Gr. ‘agapé’ ‘love’ or φιλανθρωπία Gr. ‘caritas’ = charity).
In the wake of the historical shifts surrounding Roe vs. Wade, the question of what the Bible communicates about abortion has become a prominent question that is often directed toward scholars and Biblical professors.
There is no question that the voices of marginalized people are found in the Bible if you look carefully. The New Testament also presents a picture of a beautiful man who talked about a God of love and forgiveness and who urged his followers to create communities that practiced nonviolence, inclusion, and the pursuit of social and economic justice.
The second in the series that looks at the life of Jesus.
Some of the most important aspects of Jesus teachings were repressed from the beginning. The Hebrews started the repression. The Roman Catholic Church expanded it. And by and large the Protestants followed.
Getting the Story Straight
This is the first in a series that looks at the life of Jesus and contrasts the story that has come down through the ages with what probably really happened.
One of the things I’ve gathered from reading scholarship about the historical Jesus is very little about him can be said with certainty. Historians generally agree he existed and was crucified, but, beyond that, almost everything is debated.
Too much of politics caters to our craving miracles; faith is often about finding some magical safe place. But mystical experiences are