Monday: Read 1 John 1:1-4 The letters from James through Jude (which include 1-3 John) are commonly referred to as the Catholic letters—meaning universal—because they are not addressed to one person or an individual community.[1] This is very much the case for 1 John. First John is even difficult to label as a “letter” because it lacks the traditional opening and closing that we see in other NT letters. It is also uncertain as to which of the three letters... Read more
I would like to make the claim that the Jesus that is presented this weekend in some (I am grieved to think that perhaps I should say “many”) of our churches does not seem to correspond with the Jesus that Paul preached. In fact, the Jesus preached in these churches seems to have more in common with what Paul’s opponents in Corinth wanted him to preach. In my last post, I addressed the modern church phenomena surrounding our Easter (oh,... Read more
A Christian worldview[1] indeed begins, as it is often stated, with Creation and it ends with New Creation. In the middle is the “failure” of humanity (see my post on why I think it was a “failure” more than a fall) and the redemption or restoration that was brought about by Christ. This traditional understanding of a Christian worldview is quite helpful. The problem, as I will flush out in the next handful or more posts, is multifaceted. In my... Read more
Monday: Read 2 Peter 1:1-15 We are not certain as to when this letter was written. It seems likely that 2 Peter was written somewhat later, perhaps near the end of Peter’s life (65 AD)[2] since there must have been enough time for people to begin scoffing at the delay in Christ’s return (2 Pet 3:3-9). The letter was certainly written to Gentile Christians. If 1st Peter focused on the reward for the righteous, then 2nd Peter centers on the... Read more
New Creation: sounds good. No more death, suffering, or hunger (for much of the world this is really good news), and free water from which we never thirst again (this too is really good news for much of the world). And, check this out, Rev 22:4 says, “They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” Yes!!! Remember how Moses wasn’t allowed to see God’s face because “no man can see Me and live”? (Exod 33:20).... Read more
Monday: Read 1 Peter 3:1-7[2] Today’s reading is a prime example in which understanding the cultural context (in this case, the Greco-Roman context) is critical to a proper understanding of the text. In the Greco-Roman world, a family’s religion was mediated through the father/husband. The conflict for many women in the early church was created when they came to faith in Christ and their husbands did not. The end result is that these women were following a god different from... Read more
In my last post, I suggested that the although the notion of deconstructing our faith is becoming more popular, and although I sympathize with many of those who are advancing such ideas, I am not sure that it is the proper term or a healthy endeavor.[1] Instead, I would contend that we should focus on reconstructing—which incorporates and expands on deconstruction. Unfortunately, many are skeptical of the whole deconstruction movement. Which raises the question: “why do we need to reconstruct?”... Read more
Monday: Read 1 Pet 1:1-12 The letter of 1st Peter is one of the hidden gems of the Bible. The letter is addressed to Christians throughout Northern Asia Minor: “Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia” (1:1). In this letter, Peter describes his readers as an exilic people and strangers. And though one might think that Peter is addressing Jewish Christians, the letter indicates that they have come from a pagan background (1:14, 18; 2:10, 25; 4:3-4) and thus they are... Read more
My wife and I finally sat down to watch The Chosen. The Chosen is a multi-season series based on the life of Jesus. One of the things I like about the show is that it humanizes the stories. I don’t know about you but when I read the story of Jesus healing the paralytic (Mark 2:1-12) I fail to consider the emotions that would have been present. Instead, when I read, the story ends abruptly with, “And he got up... Read more
Monday: Read James 3:1-12 James opened with a reminder that we should be “quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger” (1:19). Then, in 1:26, he asserted, “If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless.” In 2:1-12, James reiterates the royal law of love and added, “So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of... Read more
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