Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The Building of the Temple Solomon began work on the Temple in the second month of his fourth year. This was the year 2993, a sabbath year. He finished in the eighth month of his eleventh year, the year 3000, also a sabbath. (1 Ki. 6:1, 38). This is said…
The Bible expresses its chronology not only in sequences of years, but also in sequences of sabbath years and jubilees. This enables us to make a cross-check of our chronology, and when we find apparent problems, to refine it. If our chronology is right, we should find some significant correlations…
Adele Berlin, Poetics and Interpretation of Biblical Narrative Sheffield, England: Almond Press, 1983. This volume is the ninth in the "Bible and Literature Series" under the general editorship of David M. Gunn. According to its author, who teaches Hebrew at the University of Maryland, the book is an effort to…
V. Propp’s classic work Morphology of the Folktale (University of Texas, 1968) argues that one of the basic structures of folk literature is "lack, lack liquidated." A king sets out to look for a wife, and the tale ends with a wedding. Often, the hero sets out on some business…
Luke’s gospel begins and ends in the temple. It opens with Gabriel’s annunciation to the priest Zacharias (whose name, appropriately, means "Yahweh remembers") of the coming of a forerunner. Zacharias is performing priestly service at the time. The book ends with the joyful worship of a new priesthood in the…
Last time we arrived at the year A.M. 3960 as the date for the inauguration of the New Creation through the death, resurrection, ascension, and session of Christ, and the sending of the Holy Spirit. We also saw that this is most likely the year of Paul’s conversion. Fourteen years…
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A wonderful quotation from Luther’s late commentary on Genesis. He notes that law exists already in Eden, but he also makes it clear that this does not make the Edenic situation a “covenant of works”: “And so when Adam had been created in such a way that he was, so…
Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion includes the following: “Love is a distinguishing of the two, who nevertheless are absolutely not distinguished for each other. The consciousness or feeling of the identity of the two - to be outside of myself and in the other ?Ethis is love. I…
Some thoughts inspired by Dollimore’s book: It would seem that desire is inherently tragic. First, because desire arises from lack. We only desire what we do not yet have. But when our desires our satisfied, our lack is filled. When ALL our desires are satisfied, then all lack is filled,…
As I suspected, Dollimore gives Christianity’s cultural influence short shrift. He has a lot of insightful things to say about the ancients, but then he sees almost total continuity through early Christianity ?Ethe same links of desire and death, the same kind of anguish in the face of mutability. Maybe…
J. Neyrey points out the links between the temptation of Jesus early in Luke and the passion narratives later in Luke. Luke’s account of the temptation ends with Satan leaving until a more opportune moment, and it is commonly noted that Satan reappears in the passion narrative, entering Judas (Lk…
There appears to be a chiastic structure at work in Luke 3:1-7:35. Not everything fits, but there is enough to be suggestive: A. Ministry of John, 3:1-17 B. Jesus preaching and teaching in Nazareth, 4:16-30 (1. Quotes Is 61 2. Refers to Elijah’s aid to a widow and her son…
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