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Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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evangelists
Matthew

Dating Matthew, (Part 1)

When might the Gospel according to Matthew have been written? Of course, any answer can only be speculation, but that does not mean we are reduced to groundless opinion. In this series of articles I point the way to an approach different from the general consensus among scholars today which…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 22, 2016
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Hermeneutics

Synopticity, (Part 2)

In my first essay on “synopticity” I offered a rather rough definition of the phenomenon and important, though not exhaustive examples. In this essay, I want to introduce broader aspects of the phenomenon of “synopticity.” The first example that I have in mind is conventional stories, stories of different historical…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 17, 2016
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Ascension

Brexit and the Binding of Satan, Part 4

Since the judgment of Babel was followed by the initiation of the circumcision, the impending end of the circumcision in AD70 explains the significance of the first century miracle of foreign tongues. Except for a few Aramaic “teasers” in the book of Daniel, the Word of God was monolingual and…

by Mike BullNovember 15, 2016
four-evangelists
Hermeneutics

Synopticity, (Part 1)

To the best of my knowledge “synopticity” is not a word used in theology or Biblical studies, but it seems an appropriate word to describe the kind of phenomena associated with the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three Gospels tell essentially the same story with significant — sometimes…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 10, 2016
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Humor

Learning to Laugh

Humor is a funny thing. It is altogether familiar yet also mysterious. What makes us laugh? Why do we find things funny? There are academic fields of study dedicated to discovering what makes things humorous. These academicians even have a journal entitled International Journal of Humor Research . No joke.…

by Bill SmithNovember 8, 2016
chaucer
Literature

Flawed Means of Grace: Liturgy in The Pardoner's Tale

Out of all the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales , the Pardoner has been called the “one lost soul.” The pious Parson, who closes out the collection of tales with a sermon on the seven deadly sins and how a sinner can absolve himself of them, connects the…

by Christian LeithartNovember 3, 2016

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Some Notes on 1 Kings 20

1) Ben-Hadad comes to Ahab with a ?thus saith Ben-Hadad,?Eand Ahab responds more readily to his claim than he has to the claims of any ?thus saith Yahweh.?EAfter consulting with the elders, however, he is told not to ?hear?E(Heb. shema ) the demands of Ben-Hadad. This gives us some slight…

March 2, 2005

Translation, 1 Kings 20

Now Son-of-Hadad, king of ?Aram gathered all his strength Now thirty and two kings with him, and horse and chariotry And he ascended and tied up around Shomron and fought against her. And he send angel-messengers to ?Achav king of Yisrael at the city. And he said to him, ?Thus…

March 2, 2005

Sermon Outline, March 6

INTRODUCTION The final three chapters of 1 Kings tell a series of stories about Ahab. We see Ahab sinning in relationship to the Gentiles (1 Kings 20), in relation to a fellow Israelite (1 Kings 21), and finally in relation to the prophet of Yahweh (1 Kings 22). Ahab?s three…

March 2, 2005

Elijah in Romans

1 KINGS 19 AND ROMANS 11 I want to examine, in an exploratory fashion, a Pauline passages that has links to 1 Kings 19. 1 Kings 19 is quoted in Romans 11:2-4, where Paul writes, ?God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew. Or do you not know what…

February 27, 2005

Eucharistic Meditation, February 27

?Elisha returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate.?E The redemption of Israel is not going to take place in any ordinary fashion. It will not…

February 27, 2005

Exhortation, February 27

In our service, passing the peace has a threefold significance. From one perspective, it is a response to the sermon. The sermon announces the reconciliation of all things in Christ Jesus, and passing the peace symbolizes the reconciliation we have with one another now that the dividing wall has been…

February 27, 2005

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