Today the Church celebrates the life of St. Mark. He’s known as John Mark and tradition tells us that he was the author of the Gospel after his name. He was the companion of both Paul and Peter. We also learn from tradition that he founded the Church in Alexandria Egypt. His mother was named Mary and it is thought that their home was the place of the “upper room” where the Last Supper took place and where the disciples... Read more

Michael Williams How to Read the Bible Through  Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focuses Reading of Scripture Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012. Available at Amazon.com. This is a charming little book that gives an overview of every book of the Bible and how it relates to Jesus. Williams says: “Reading the Bible through the Jesus lens is reading it the way it was intended. It keeps our reading, understanding, teaching, and preaching properly focused on God’s grand redemptive program that... Read more

Our friend Jim Hamilton has a useful post on the importance of biblical languages for the ministry of preaching and teaching in his post “What helps me most when I prepare to preach“. I was in at least one of those Hebrew classes at DTS with Jim that he speaks about. I find languages very difficult, heck I still struggle with English, but I think the amount of time one invests in using them reaps tremendous benefit. While there are... Read more

O God, who by the glorious resurrection of your Son Jesus Messiah destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light: Grant that I, who have been raised with him, may abide in his presence and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory; through Jesus Messiah my Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be dominion and praise for ever and ever. Amen. Read more

Maybe you’ve heard about The Voice, no, not the silly TV singing show with blind auditions, but the new Bible translation from Thomas Nelson (see the website Hear the Voice).  Obviously the English-speaking world needs another English translation of the Bible about as much as I need a colonoscopy from a man called “hook.”  We’ve had a spate of recent translations with TNIV–>NIV10, CEB, and Wright’s NTFE translation, with much controversy too, esp. by ESV-philes. See my prior comments on... Read more

Did the early followers of Jesus in their claim of divine status for Jesus go beyond early Jewish assumptions about the end-time redeemer? Did their beliefs move from Jewish to Christian? That’s the question Daniel Boyarin tackles in the first chapter of his new book The Jewish Gospels. In this chapter, Boyarin discusses the question of the title “Son of Man”. Not surprisingly I suppose, his view goes against the grain of most contemporary scholarship. Boyarin argues that Son of... Read more

In my next response to James Crossley’s allegations of “homophobia,” I thought I would narrate two stories, two experiences with gay men and women, which have shaped my perceptions and pastoral approach to homosexuality. (more…) Read more

I came across this quote from C.H. Spurgeon’s autobiography this week: To despise no opportunity for usefulness is a leading rule for those who are wise to win souls. Spurgeon wrote this statement in the context of describing the practices of the prominent pastor Mr Knill who took time to pray with and speak into his life as a child. Mr. Knill is credited to have prophesied that Spurgeon would be a great preacher. I came across Spurgeon’s statement this... Read more

I consider Dr. James Crossley a friend and colleague. Together we co-authored I think a rather exciting book How Did Christianity Begin? which addresses critical questions about the emergence of Christianity from two very different perspectives. I have often enjoyed a drink with James, he is always brutally honest, quick with a joke, and occasionally writes some good stuff too. I was all the more disappointed then to read Crossley’s most recent blog post at Sheffield Biblical Studies on  Homophobia with... Read more

My dynamic duo of Ph.D students, Graham and Eleanora Scott, have an article in the on-line journal Crucible on “Heart-Language Worship in Multilingual Contexts“. The blurb reads: This paper explores the theological importance of language, and in particular of encouraging heart-language worship. A growing number of churches worldwide exist in multilingual contexts, and these churches have to navigate complex linguistic realities and attitudes towards the various languages surrounding them. Many church services around the globe are conducted in the national... Read more