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From Corrupt Society to Sacred Community: Isaiah 59 in Acts 2
I love discovering deeper layers of meaning in books and movies than stand out on the surface. I thrill when, having read or watched something on one level, I discover…
The Deity of Jesus in Mark 4 & Acts 1
A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. It is not uncommon when teens grow into young adults to mistake their college level introduction to philosophy, theology, science, or even…
A Baptism in Baptism: Version 2
John the Baptist is an important figure in all four gospels. Mark begins with John’s baptisms, Luke with the events of his birth, and John weaves him into the prologue…
Jesus and The Failed Gentile Mission: The Prodigal Son in Reflection, Part 2
When Jesus called Peter to become a fisher of men, I seriously doubt he had any thought of the role he would someday play in fulfilling Israel’s sacred mission to…
I’ll Take Allegories and Analogies for 200: The Prodigal Son in Reflection
Jesus’ manifesto in Luke 4:18-19 says: THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO…
Why This Parable?
When trying to understand one of Jesus’ parables, there are four vital questions to answer about it. Let’s go over them. Question #1: What is the nature of the details…
God on god Violence
When going to Bible college, my professors were wont to say that God’s ten plagues against Egypt were attacks against the gods of Egypt. Did not Yahweh say to Moses…
The Ordeal of the Burning Bush
The story of the burning bush is rather famous among Sunday School aficionados. In fact, in a completely made up nation-wide survey of 5-10 year olds who attended church at…
What Did God Say to Cain?
The story of Cain and Abel is usually heralded as a classic tale of sibling rivalry, hate, and murder. It is a tale of persecution, the godless hating the righteous.…
The Abrahamic Covenant is a Covenant
Oaths are self-curses made before God or gods to establish the trustworthiness of promises or testimony. Oaths were religious tools for securing good faith between potential enemies so that they…
A Tale of Two Pools: Reading John 5 in Light of John 9
Believe it or not, John 5 should be read in light of John 9. If you take John 5 out of the gospel and read it by itself, you will…
Well, I Didn’t See That Coming: Behind the Scenes Footage from John 4
Pst… Psst… Pssst… Hey! You! Come over here, I want to tell you something you won’t believe about John 4. It blew my mind. Doing Old Testament Studies, sometimes you…
The Taxman Cometh: Version 2
If a Bible reader had to nominate some group in Scripture for “Most Hated,” I doubt many would name anyone other than the tax collectors. In fact, tax collectors are…
The Taxman Cometh: Version 1
If a Bible reader had to single out some group in the Bible who seemed particularly despised, I doubt many would name anyone other than the tax collectors. In fact,…
Matthew’s Contest of Kings: The Bout Version
This Christmas, I refuse to stoke my own superior minded ego by telling you all the things we Christians get wrong about the visit of the Magi… how they don’t…
Happy New Creation
Happy New Years!!! Whoopdeedoo! The calendar went back to January 1st, alert the media, break out the fireworks, dance in the streets… with coats and mittens. Why do we make…
Matthew’s Christmas Bells
One of my favorite things to study in the Bible is the New Testament’s use of the Old Testament. I say USE because the New Testament writers do many things…
Let God Idolize You? Thoughts on the Meaning of Man as Image of God
Genesis 1:27 single handedly lays down one of the most important and diverse theological concepts in all of Scripture. It says, “So God created man in his own image, in…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
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HAGALAH
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NT's Use of the OT
Jesus, The Prophet of Prophets
In our last two posts on the incident at Nain, we discussed the importance of geographical study as something deeper than map investigations, and the importance of typology for an…
Contempt for the Fearful: A Response to “The Greatest False Idol of Modern Christianity”
I’m the last person who should criticize another person for writing an aggressive article that seeks to make a single point in exclusion to a myriad of other points that…