Wednesday/December/2013 10:56

“I don’t read the Bible like a flat line.”
Read More...Tags: Rob Bell, Bible, Bible Interpretation
Monday/December/2013 14:16

In the passage before us, the apostle Paul talks about his own ministry.
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Suffering, Body of Christ, Paul, Ministry, servanthood, οἰκονομία, διάκονος, God’s Word
Monday/December/2013 07:29

Guest blog by Ken Schenck, Dean of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University and Professor of New Testament and Christian Ministry. “What would a hermeneutic look like today that tried to recapture the "inerrancy" of the pre-modern era?”
Read More...Tags: Ken Schenck, Hermenuetics, Bible, Interpretation, Inerrancy
Friday/November/2013 15:44

Thanks to the
Reformedish Derek Rishmawy for this quote from N. T. Wright’s new (and huge) book on the teachings of the apostle Paul,
Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Read More...Tags: N. T. Wright, Paul, Authorship issues, New Testament
Thursday/June/2013 19:08

This is an interesting face-off. Here we have the representative of official state-sanctioned religion confronting a rough, working class prophet.
Read More...Tags: Amos, Prophet, Prayer, visions, Amaziah, Call
Wednesday/June/2013 09:35

Here we see the prophet at prayer. Most often, in the book of Amos, we hear the prophet's voice denouncing the nations and predicting their coming doom. Here we see him at prayer for the nation — pleading for them to be spared.
Read More...Tags: Amos, Abraham, Judgement, visions, locusts, Intercession, Prayer
Friday/May/2013 11:33

Some helpful remarks from John P. Meier’s book
A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus (Volume 3: Companions and Competitors). Read More...Tags: Jesus, Women in Ministry
Friday/April/2013 11:49

"I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church."
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Suffering, Body of Christ, Ministry
Wednesday/April/2013 14:44

This is a continuation of Jesus’ claim to be the Good Shepherd. This incident comments on the material that appears in the first part of this chapter.
Read More...Tags: Gospel of John, Hanukkah, Judas Maccabeus, Good Shepherd, Eternal security
Monday/April/2013 17:07

Randy Maddox on John Wesley’s principles for interpreting Scripture.
Read More...Tags: Interpretation, methodism, John Wesley, Interpretation
Thursday/March/2013 15:47

The prophet calls the surrounding nations to witness against YHWH's Chosen People.
Read More...Tags: Amos, Chosen People, Th. C. Vriezen, Church Scandals
Tuesday/February/2013 11:40

The opening verses of chapter 3 identify the people against whom Amos is prophesying:
"the whole family that [God] brought up out of the land of Egypt." Now, in verses 3-8, Amos talks about his own role as a prophet.
Read More...Tags: Amos, Prophecy
Thursday/February/2013 08:19

I really like the way Luke tells the story of Jesus’ temptation.
Read More...Tags: Gospel of Luke, Temptation, Devil, Antichrist, Kingdom of God
Friday/February/2013 16:12

It is amazing how self-critical the Hebrew Scriptures are. They do not glorify the nation or it's heroes. The nation's critics were remembered — they were remembered as prophets who told them, in advance, of the danger that lay ahead for them.
Read More...Tags: Amos
Thursday/January/2013 11:16

Reflections and a Prayer on Psalm 115:8, 9: There is a profound thought here: we become like the God we trust.
Read More...Tags: Psalm 115, God, trust, Idolatry, Psalms
Tuesday/January/2013 14:43

A Guest blog by T. C. Moore. “But … God … twelve years ago, broke into my life like a home invasion, rescued me, and revealed himself to me. God showed himself to be my true home, my true family. God offered me unconditional love and a new mission to demonstrate that love to the world.”
Read More...Tags: fatherhood of God, family
Wednesday/December/2012 18:03

Nice little sermon outline from yesterday’s post, huh? Yes, but it’s missing something. At the time, I was very consciously leaving out point #5: The Means of Reconciliation.
Read More...Tags: Cross, Colossians, Reconciliation, Salvation
Tuesday/December/2012 14:45

The apostle Paul has been emphasizing the greatness of Christ. The verses just before this speak of Christ as the Head of the Church. Paul now personalizes the message: reminding his readers of the way Christ has changed their lives: reconciling them to God.
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Reconciliation, Salvation
Wednesday/November/2012 11:05

By virtue of his resurrection, Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Christ , Church, Christology
Tuesday/November/2012 09:40

Christ does not belong to us alone. Christ is the Savior of all. Christ is not only found within. Christ is found all around.
Read More...Tags: Colossians
Wednesday/November/2012 10:46

In his rebuttal to the Colossian
"worship of angels", the apostle Paul directs his readers’ attention to Jesus Christ. Christ is the focus of our faith.
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Christology
Tuesday/October/2012 11:44

The apostle’s prayer is followed by a statement about the Gospel’s effect on his readers’ lives.
Read More...Tags: Colossians, Kingdom of God, Salvation
Monday/September/2012 13:57

The New Testament writers would not have been able to be able to envision the New Testament as we currently have it, but they were convinced they were delivering authoritative teaching.
Read More...Tags: N. T. Wright, Canon, Authority of the Bible
Wednesday/September/2012 09:10

“
My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away….” Read More...Tags: Song of Solomon, Sermons, Sexuality
Friday/June/2012 15:32

A few comments on Isaiah 6:1-3: this text comes up fairly often in the Lectionary.
Read More...Tags: Old Testament, Isaiah, Seraphim
Tuesday/March/2012 18:03

Plowing through all the nonsense that has been written about the figure of Melchizedek in the book of Hebrews.
Read More...Tags: New Testament, Hebrews, Melchizedek
Monday/December/2011 12:12
Monday/November/2011 09:41
Some reflections on Isaiah 64:1,2.
Read More...Tags: Isaiah, Lectionary, Advent