Jesus At 2am - A Humorous, Intelligent Look At The Bible, Church History & The Life Of Faith

The Reformation gave birth not to a solitary Protestantism, but to a wide variety of Protestantisms.  (The Reformers came to quick agreement that the Bible – and not the traditions or authorities of the Catholic Church – was the ultimate arbiter of truth.  What they could not agree upon was what the Bible intended to […]

When Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses outside the door of the campus church in Wittenberg, he had no intention of dividing the Catholic Church.  But within a decade of that event, such acts of protest had gained irreversible momentum, and  “Protestantism” was officially born. Throughout the 16th century new church governments were formed, new […]

One of the greatest challenges to understanding the message of Jesus is knowing how to categorize him as a speaker.  When those first audiences gathered, who did they think they were going to hear?   A teacher?  A philosopher?  A political leader?  Or something else? In this fifth installment in the Next Steps into the Gospels course […]

Few elements of the biblical story cause contemporary readers more difficulty than talk of demons and devils.  To our (post-?)modern sensibilities, they seem, at best, misdiagnoses of psychiatric conditions, and, at worst, conjure images of the church at its most misguided (witch trial, anyone?).  And yet, Jesus’ confrontation with demonic powers is a fundamental dimension […]

Much of Jesus’ ministry – and the Gospel descriptions thereof – revolve around his “miracles” (the Gk. word is best translated “works of power”).  But what was their purpose?  Did they simply serve to impress his audience, to demonstrate his might or authority?  Or are they part and parcel of the declaration that “the kingdom […]

To read the Gospels is to be drawn in to a world of great complexity.  Immediately we encounter passionate political conflicts, religious sects vying for power, palace intrigues, and the mounting threat of violence in the streets. It is into this world – the world of Israel in exile, grasping for a means of deliverance […]

There is a tremendous difference between reading the Bible and understanding the Bible. Many of us - myself chief among them - spend years reading the Bible feeling some combination of frustration, boredom, and complete confusion.