A SORT OF SPIRITUAL DIAMOND

(the Gospel of John) Despite being raised as a Presbyterian, attending Sunday School both as a child and adult, and being regularly involved for many years in the church, until the past few years, I had only rarely read the Bible. I had quickly read through the entire Bible more than 30 years ago, but […]

WHAT ARE CHRISTIANS TO MAKE OF JUDAISM?

For more than a few years, I have been interested in aspects of Judaism as they impact our Christian faith, since we will always be indebted to the Jews for not only the birth, life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also for gifting us their necessary monotheism to make His mission and purpose at […]

ONCE GOD SENDS US ELSEWHERE

(Musing about miracles) In several previous essays, I examined the subjects of God’s invisibility as well as the surprising effect of miracles on both Jesus’ disciples in particular and the Jews generally. Of the many descriptions of miracles in this 1st Century context, too few highlight well enough this startling sense of bewilderment that was […]

BETTER LATE THAN EVEN LATER (In Praise of Jesus’ Disciples)

(Simon) Peter (Cephas) Philip Nathanael Andrew Matthew Jude (Thaddeus) James Thomas James John Judas Iscariot Simon (Zealot) Who were the twelve disciples that Jesus chose to begin and fulfill His mission throughout Galilee and eventually Jerusalem? What were these men like and how did they attempt to understand Him, particularly His seemingly divine nature? Why […]