Those of you who have experience in various Christian traditions may have observed that there are different ways of numbering the “Ten Commandments.” This is not a mere academic issue of interpretation. It can be shown that the different schemes can lead to some significant ways of understanding and living out the faith. In my […]
Scripture Redeems Itself
14 Sep by
One of the most provocative and helpful books I have found on the nature of the Bible and how Christians may receive it and read it is Kenton L. Sparks’ book, Sacred Word, Broken Word. I will have some future posts that reflect on his proposals, but today I want to share one wonderful passage […]
Overcoming God’s Reluctance?
11 Sep by
Last Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 7:24-37, has to contain one of the most puzzling set of stories we have about Jesus. The first tale in particular, the account of Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician woman in the region of Tyre, is a doozy. Jesus left that place and went into the region of Tyre. He didn’t want […]
The Alpha and Omega Principle
31 Aug by
Reading Romans (4) The Alpha and Omega Principle Welcome one another, therefore, as the Messiah has welcomed you, to God’s glory. Let me tell you why: the Messiah became a servant of the circumcised people in order to demonstrate the truthfulness of God — that is, to confirm the promises to the patriarchs, and to […]
The Gospel and the God Who Is Righteous
24 Aug by
Reading Romans (3) The Gospel & the God Who Is Righteous I’m not ashamed of the good news; it’s God’s power, bringing salvation to everyone who believes — to the Jew first, and also, equally, to the Greek. This is because God’s covenant justice is unveiled in it, from faithfulness to faithfulness. As it says […]
All Spirituality Is Local
17 Aug by
Reading Romans (2) All Spirituality Is Local “I’m longing to see you! I want to share with you some spiritual blessing to give you strength; that is, I want to encourage you, and be encouraged by you, in the faith you and I share.” – Romans 1:11-12, Kingdom NT * * * For years, I […]
The Epistles Begin with the Gospel
16 Aug by
Reading Romans (1) The Epistles Begin with the Gospel Paul, a slave of King Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for God’s good news, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the sacred writings — the good news about his son, who was descended from David’s seed in terms of flesh, and […]
God Visits and Saves His People (Luke – 2)
8 Jun by
First Things First Restoring the Gospel to Primacy in the Church Part Five: — God Visits and Saves His People (Luke-2) • • • We continue our overview of Luke’s Gospel. The Structure of Luke Luke is the longest book in the NT. However, the overall structure of the book is simple and clear. It […]
God Visits and Saves His People (Luke – 1)
8 Jun by
First Things First Restoring the Gospel to Primacy in the Church Part Five: — God Visits and Saves His People (Luke-1) • • • Jesus-shaped Christianity will grow out of the soil of a Story-shaped Gospel. The more we immerse ourselves in the Story and get to know the Gospels, the greater the impact the […]
God’s Strange Armour
25 May by
Fridays in Ephesus (6) God’s Strange Armour During Eastertide on Fridays, we are reflecting on insights from Timothy Gombis’s recent book, The Drama of Ephesians: Participating in the Triumph of God. • • • For a long time, one of the passages Sunday School teachers have used to keep young boys interested is Ephesians 6:10-18: […]
