Monday: Read John 1:1-18 The Gospel of John begins with a clear allusion to the book of Genesis: “In the beginning” (1). One of John’s goals is to identify the Word (Jesus) with the Creator. Thus, “all things came into being through Him” (3). We know that John is talking about Jesus in 1:1-3 because he makes it clear in 1:14 that, “the Word became flesh.” John explicitly affirms the Word’s identity with the Father: “the Word was with God,... Read more
In my last few posts (click here for the first post in this series), I have been sort of deconstructing the conservative, evangelical approach to biblical interpretation. I noted that one of the problems with our approach (though in reality, this applies to almost every approach) to biblical interpretation is that we do not like to admit that we are wrong. In addition, and perhaps more significantly, we are seldom willing to change our lifestyles—either our beliefs or our actions—in accord... Read more
Monday: Read Luke 21:1-38 Luke 21 (see parallels in Matt 24-25 and Mark 13) presents Jesus’ pronouncement of judgment on the temple and Jerusalem.[2] The passage begins with a contrast between the “rich” and the “poor widow” (1-2) at the temple. This sets the scene for the entire chapter. We already know how Luke feels about “the rich” (1). Every occurrence of the word “rich” in Luke is negative (Cf 6:24; 12:16; 14:12; 16:1, 19, 21, 22; 18:23, 25; 19:2).... Read more
I recently read a pastor’s blog post in which the author condemned as heretics those who choose to attend church from home rather than in person. In my disgust with the post, I shared the blog with someone whose simple reply says it all: “he is tone-deaf.” To this pastor, I would like to know: what exactly were you hoping to accomplish? If your goal was to make a point about the Bible and the church, I suppose you did... Read more
Monday: Read Luke 17:11-37 Luke 17:11 begins a new section in Luke that runs through 19:27. This section serves as a sort of summary closing the journey to Jerusalem narrative with an invitation to respond. The passage begins with Jesus cleansing ten lepers. Luke mentions that the cleansing took place “between Samaria and Galilee” (17:11) without identifying if it was Jews or Samaritans that we made well. One of the ten, however, who was a Samaritan, returns to “give glory... Read more
My opening presentation in my course on biblical interpretation always includes examples of interpretations which we would all agree (or I hope we would all agree), were/are wrong—seriously, tragically, horrifically, wrong. Why do I do this? For a number of reasons: including the old cliché, “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” NB: this post continues to look at the Bible and evangelicalism. Though I personally maintain a very high regard for the Bible, my... Read more
Week #5 Luke 13:1-17:10 Monday: Read Luke 13:1-35 We have reached the heart of the Gospel of Luke. At the end of this section, the disciples cry out, “Lord, ‘increase our faith’” (17:5). Luke continues to center his focus on the disciples. The issue remains what is required for entrance into the kingdom. He continues to call the nation to repent (5). Jesus’ healing of a woman on the Sabbath (10-17) highlights the contrast between Jesus and the religious leaders.... Read more
Jesus said, “you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:32). The goal for every Christian should be to know and determine what the truth is. After all, we believe that all truth leads us to Jesus, who is Himself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). If we are called to live like Him and to become like Him, then knowing the truth is an important part of the journey. NB: This... Read more
Week #4 Luke 9:51-12:59 Monday: Read Luke 9:51-10:24 Luke 9:51-19:44 is often deemed the “travel narrative.” The title is not so much concerned with the journey, but the destination: Jerusalem (9:51, 53, 56; 13:22; 17:11; 18:31; 19:28): “it came about when the days for him to be taken up[2] came about, and He himself resolutely set His face to go to Jerusalem” (51).[3] As we venture on, we learn Jesus must travel to Jerusalem “for it cannot be that a... Read more
When I was a child, my mom began attending a ministry for single adults. I got to know many of the people because they often had events in which single parents could bring their children. I would say that it was an evangelical group, but I really doubt that we knew what an evangelical was back then. Certainly, many of the people later adopted the beliefs of what became known as evangelicalism and the religious right. During these events, I... Read more
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In