Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Summary In what follows, I will consider the “year-stamps” employed in Scripture, i.e., statements of the form, “Such-and-such an event took place in the Xth year of Y.” In the process, I will suggest some ways in which the Biblical narrative might relate to events in the extra-Biblical world, though…
In the first essay on the parable of the Prodigal Son, I suggested that the problems commentators and others encounter in interpreting Jesus three-part parable are not accidental. These are not just problems in our ignorance of cultural background. They are intentional features of the stories —stories designed to poke…
The story of the Prodigal Son is perhaps the most well-known story in the Bible. As others have observed, it may also be one of the most misunderstood. In two short essays, I will point out features of this story that are commonly neglected, aspects of Jesus’ parable that might…
The parable of Lazarus and the nameless rich man is not an independent story. It is part of a long context that begins in Luke 15:1, where Jesus is eating with tax collectors and sinners and the scribes and Pharisees grumble. In response to their hardheartedness, Jesus tells a three-part…
The Bible is written so that even when a reader cannot pick up on what might be deeper or more detailed aspects of a text, there is virtually always a message to be heard. In the ancient world, where the “reader” of Scripture would likely be a church official facing…
The distinction between garden (or vineyard) and field begins in Genesis 2. This relates to the ordering of the formless world. Plants of the field are contrasted with the garden planted by God in Genesis 2:5&8. Later on, under the Old Covenant the Israelites will be required to keep their…
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Jim Rogers of Texas A&M responds to Charles Krauthammer’s argument that the Congressional response to the AIG bonuses are unconstitutional (posted here last weekend): “I agree that Congress’s action w.r.t. the AIG bonuses is bad policy. I’m always baffled by the need to read unconstitutionality into bad policies. Stupid laws…
Why are women the first witnesses to the resurrection. Psalm 68:11-12 might provide a clue: “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host. Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!” Women announce the…
The folks at Logos Bible Software have included a number of my books in their software. You can get more information here: http://www.logos.com/products/prepub/details/4582 I’m told that now is a good time to order, since “pre-order prices often rise as we get closer to production” and “the earlier they order, the…
These notes depend a great deal on NT Wright’s Tyndale Commentary on Colossians. INTRODUCTION On the cross, Jesus bore our sins so that we are delivered from sin and eternal death. But the effect of the cross is broader than this. According to Paul, it has cosmic effects. Nothing is…
Isaiah 11:9: They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. This well-known passage is part of Isaiah’s great prophecy about the Spirit-filled Branch from the stem of Jesse, the…
Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from…
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