The Model is Broken—Nothing Apocalyptic About Apocalypse

Last updated on: December 5, 2020 at 5:04 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Our model for describing Revelation and Mark 13 is fundamentally flawed. Around this time of year, Catholics get exposed to the apocalyptic and eschatology. For instance, this Sunday, many Catholics will hear about the apocalyptic preacher, John the Baptist. They will be told how John prepared the way for the Messiah, someone expected to arrive in the Last Days for everyone, not only for Israelites. Last Sunday’s Gospel was Mark 13, the so-called “Synoptic Apocalypse,” an expression we debunked in my last post. Eschatology means the study of... Read more

Mark 13—Neither Apocalyptic Nor Eschatological

Last updated on: November 29, 2020 at 10:19 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

This Sunday’s Gospel, taken from Mark 13, is about being ready, but not for the end of the world. This Sunday’s readings (Mark 13:33-37) turn to the so-called Synoptic Apocalypse and “eschatological discourse” (Mark 13:1-37). This is something we spoke about extensively last year, but given the predilection so many have for the “End Times,” it bears another look. Is there anything “apocalyptic” or “eschatological” in the Gospels? Or in the Scriptures? Had you asked me that question ten years ago,... Read more

How Goes your Thanksgiving?

Last updated on: November 27, 2020 at 8:34 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Thanksgiving came in a messy but beautiful way for your fellow dying inmate. How goes your Thanksgiving Day? Mine started off with a change of plans (something I loathe). To plan can be beneficial. But plans and planning can become an idolatrous obstacle to God’s many marvels. You see, good friends (and they are lovely) were supposed to pick me up as planned, and they tried, but cars do break down, even on Thanksgiving Day. So do hotel bathrooms, which... Read more

Understanding Jesus & Ourselves

Last updated on: November 24, 2020 at 2:10 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

There are tremendous benefits of understanding Jesus and the New Testament communities in ways honest and respectful to his time and culture. As we explored earlier this year, for Catholics and other Christians, more important than belief in the Real Presence is understanding who Jesus is. What good is believing Jesus to be truly, really, and substantially present at Eucharist if I don’t know who Jesus is? Who is really present? As with our New Testament ancestors in the faith, culture affects... Read more

Master in Parable Cannot Be God

Last updated on: November 19, 2020 at 2:14 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

If the Master in the Parable of the Talents represents God, who needs the Devil? This is a follow-up to my recent post on Sunday’s Gospel of the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Apparently, it was disturbing to several readers. Good. Now change can happen. Watch the video here: Offended by the Master Apparently, I offended a fellow blogger, who decided to “call me out” on the Patheos Facebook page, claiming that I “completely misunderstood and misrepresented” the parable. He next proceeded... Read more

“Church”—Is It Really a New Testament Word?

Last updated on: November 17, 2020 at 7:08 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Move church or any other word through space and time, and you necessarily change its meaning. The wise Dr. Richard Rohrbaugh, Context Group scholar and compassionate Christian, taught me something crucial for language and religion. Rohrbaugh says, “Whenever you move the language, you necessarily change the meaning. Whether it’s words or sentences, language only means what it means where and when you use it.” We’ve talked about this often at Messy Inspirations—it helps explains the name of this blog. This messy... Read more

Talents—Another Parable Misunderstood by American Christians

Last updated on: November 15, 2020 at 4:13 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Reading the Parable of the Talents respectfully takes work, Americans! American Christians inescapably botch the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), this Sunday’s Gospel. As commentators like John Pilch and Richard Rohrbaugh are quick to point out, this is not a story about the Kingdom of God. It does not begin with the usual Matthean opening line, “the kingdom of God is like…”, and for a good reason. Considering the ruthless master in the story, would you want God to... Read more

Perspective—Was Jesus a Shameful Son?

Last updated on: November 13, 2020 at 10:59 pm By Fellow Dying Inmate

Was Jesus a shameful or honorable son? Perspective goes a long way in how we understand things. Our 21st-century Western perspective couldn’t be more different from our first century Mediterranean ancestors in the faith. We just began a brand new weekly Scripture study over at the Bible Alive YouTube channel that explores this perspective issue. Before reading the rest of the blog post, you might want to watch the presentation here— Alien Perspective & Group-Identity According to Context Group scholars... Read more

JPII: Disaster for the Church

Last updated on: November 11, 2020 at 12:07 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

The devastating report released by the Vatican forces Catholics to face the truth about JPII called “saint” and “great.” Never doubt it. Pope JPII was a disaster for the Church. Iron-willed. Demanding absolute authority and dominion. Convinced he was always correct. Impatient with anyone who would dare differ with him. That’s JPII, folks. Are these the qualities of someone who should be canonized? Now add to this his greatest failure and betrayal of Christ—the sex-abuse crisis of the clergy. And... Read more

Ethical Consistency & Homosexuality

Last updated on: November 7, 2020 at 12:19 am By Fellow Dying Inmate

Homophobia forces many Christians to disproportionately apply ethical gravity to two obscure Greek terms while neglecting other biblical vices. Can you imagine traveling back to the first century Mediterranean world in a time machine and discussing homosexuality with Paul (or Jesus)? Let’s say you did that. Imagine yourself talking with Paul (or Jesus!) about 21st-century studies on the biological, psychological, and psychosomatic dimensions of sexuality and homosexuality. Say that, in your conversation, you informed Paul about “X” and “Y” chromosomes... Read more