Three Major Presuppositions of the Jesus Seminar
The three major presuppositions of the Jesus Seminar: 1. Scientific Naturalism (i.e., anything outside the realm of natural explanation can never be backed by historical evidence). 2. The primacy of the apocryphal gospels. 3. The necessity of a politically correct Jesus. Read More »
The Difficult Parable of the Dishonest Manager
A recent chat with friends regarding peaceful, non-violent resistance of cultural norms led to one of the most difficult parables taught by Jesus. Luke 16:1-9 has stumped and mystified interpreters for years, if not centuries. Some argue that the real meaning of this parable is lost to us forever; others point to Jesus’ overarching penchant for non-violent subversion as the key that unlocks the real meaning and intention of this parable. Given the social, political, and religious setting in which Jesus was situated, I tend to side with those who cite subversion. Read More »
Matthew’s Subversion of Our Ordinary Norms
The Gospel of Matthew has been called the most Jewish of all the Gospels. Jesus of Nazareth was Jewish, mind you. I think that simple truth alone has been subtly buried by the crushing tide of our popular, Western expressions of Christianity. Jesus was Jewish, as were his disciples. The Gospel of Matthew reflects this Jewishness more so than any other canonical Gospel. This is very important. The Jewishness of Mathew is very, very important.
You see, in Matthew, the author is writing specifically to Jewish people who are well trained in Jewish Law or Torah. That’s why the Gospel begins immediately with a long and tough to read genealogy. Yeah, we may as well admit it, we all skip that part of Matthew, right! Right. It is, however, a very important feature of this Gospel. The author of Matthew includes it because he is writing to a Jewish audience and he wants to show his audience that the redemptive work God began with Israel is completed in Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah. So, in this long and tedious genealogy, Matthew not only links Jesus’ heritage with King David, but also with Abraham. Jesus of Nazareth is Son of David, Son of Abraham, Son of God. That’s pretty important info., not only for Matthew’s Jewish audience, but for all of us Gentiles too. Read More »
Living Out Matthew 4:23-5:16
C. Wess Daniels of Gathering in Light tagged me for a meme built upon favorite passages of Scripture. I have a lot of favorite passages and stories, but I think the following represents the one portion I find myself going back to time and time again. I personally believe Jesus meant what he said, and said what he meant. Yet, we are so comfortable with life lived apart from the practical ramifications of his teaching. I personally go back to the following portion of scripture because I - me - have to check myself daily against the master’s teaching, lest I comfortably wander away from my own cross. Jesus never said his way was easy … Read More »
The Narrative Wonder of the Christian Storybook
God intends to be known. We all desire to know God intimately, deeply, and personally. Our instinctive longing for authentic intimacy with God is often hijacked by a subtle and deceptive misappropriation powered by a variety of seductive, carnal, and detrimental vices and temptations of a corporeal nature. It’s quite hard to figure out what to do with this “God-shaped hole” living deep within each one of us. We are offered a myriad of substitutions, fillers, and replacements, but the real thing is the only thing that will ever do. We all need God. So, where do we look for God? Where can we hear from God? The answer to this question is ridiculously simple, in spite of the seemingly endless stream of audible ideological voices and philosophical sales pitches persistently vying for our immediate attention and allegiance. Read More »
House Church, Lectio Divina, and Markan Sandwiches
Our weekly house church gathering is built around the practice of Lectio Divina. Yes, house churches can take many, many shapes, forms, and identities; many methodologies can be tracked in these intimate and sacred gatherings. House churches are as diverse as the communities from which they spring. This is a good thing! Our gathering centers upon group Lectio Divina, or the spiritual reading/praying of scripture. This particular spiritual practice is an ancient one. It is a spiritual practice dedicated to silence, prayer, scripture, and the individual engagement of God, in a group setting. It offers participants a time wherein they chatter less about God, and instead actually listen for God in extended periods of reading, re-reading, and silence. It is an awesome group experience. Read More »
Roaming Immediate and Future Soteriology in Luke
There is no shortage of big and small talk regarding “apocalyptic themes,” “end times scenarios,” and the “anti-Christ” in North American Christian circles. It is an interesting phenomenon, to say the least. Perhaps Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins have something to do with it? Maybe it is all of those late night Cable TV “prophets?” I really can’t cite one reason for the subject matter’s popularity in the United States. There are probably many reasons. I do know that there is plenty of contextual material to seriously consider before jumping willy-nilly into apocalyptic conclusions and preaching them as if they were the gospel itself (e.g., Jewish and Christian Sacred Texts, Culture, etc.). One example of this sort of material consideration follows: Read More »
Lord, Forgive Us Our Crudely Literalistic Terms
This is the sixth and final installment of a series of posts collectively titled: “The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell: A Literary Critique of Scriptural Language concerning Hell, The Human Soul and a Defense of Metaphorical Conditionalism.” The following is a chronological, hyper-linked table of contents, of sorts: 1. The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell. 2. Mechanics of Metaphor: Hell is a Shabby Hotel of Vicious Circles. 3. Jesus of Nazareth’s Dialogue Regarding Hell. 4. Mixed Up Metaphors: Confusing Tenor and Vehicle. 5. Plato Won’t Surf Metaphorical Conditionalism.
Christianity is a faith which asks individuals to make a decision regarding life in this present. This decision consequently affects the next life. The Scriptures are clear – the alternative to life is death. Death is final; death is permanent. This is a message of cataclysmic importance for the humanity. It is a message that should not be lost to traditional and/or interpretive preferences, or, even worse, an illiterate handling of the Scriptures which are founded upon basic literary mechanics. A messenger is proportionately equal to his or her preparation; poorly prepared students of Scripture only advance poor interpretations of the Scriptures. The only fruit to be plucked from such a sickly tree is miscommunication, misunderstanding, and misleading. In other words, a messenger of this sort, sadly misses the target. Hell is a reality with which contemporary believers and non-believers must wrestle. The consequences – for both sides – are divinely ordained and tremendous, as the following excerpt illustrates: Read More »
Plato Won’t Surf Metaphorical Conditionalism
This is the fifth installment of a series of posts collectively titled: “The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell: A Literary Critique of Scriptural Language concerning Hell, The Human Soul and a Defense of Metaphorical Conditionalism.” The following is a chronological, hyper-linked table of contents, of sorts: 1. The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell. 2. Mechanics of Metaphor: Hell is a Shabby Hotel of Vicious Circles. 3. Jesus of Nazareth’s Dialogue Regarding Hell. 4. Mixed Up Metaphors: Confusing Tenor and Vehicle.
The Hell that does Exist. The Hell that does not exist. Learn to Differentiate! It’s Good for You!
The crux of the issue(s) concerning the existence or non existence of a realm called Hell are thoroughly eschatological. While many Christians find the idea/concept of eternal judgment difficult, they will easily admit and embrace the idea of eternal reward with exuberant hope and faith. However, one cannot exist without the other – especially if the Bible is used to build theology. Read More »
Mixed Up Metaphors: Confusing Tenor and Vehicle
This is the fourth installment of a series of posts collectively titled: “The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell: A Literary Critique of Scriptural Language concerning Hell, The Human Soul and a Defense of Metaphorical Conditionalism.” The first post was titled: The Literal Tenor of the Metaphorical Hell. The Second post was titled: Mechanics of Metaphor: Hell is a Shabby Hotel of Vicious Circles. The third installment was titled:Jesus of Nazareth’s Dialogue Regarding Hell
A literalist approach to the language of Scripture has been embraced not only by conservative aficionados, but also mainstream authors, poets, fictional entertainers, and dramatics. The result of this multi-faceted marketing, unfortunately, has been terrible misunderstanding and misrepresentation of metaphor as presented in Scripture. This misrepresentation is consequently accompanied by a syncretistic assimilation of misinterpretation into Christian faith and practice. The message of Jesus of Nazareth regarding a potential future state of separation between humanity and Deity, as a result, has been either demoted to cartoonish absurdity, or allied to petrifying fear and unhealthy conversion. The mishandling of metaphor (vehicle and tenor) has created a religious situation wherein it is very difficult to differentiate between fact and fiction. Read More »