The Right Clothes
In Matthew 22, Jesus told an alarming parable about a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. Those initially invited (Israel) refused to attend and even murdered the…
Partying With the Patriarchs
Matthew 22 contains one of Jesus' most alarming parables. The story begins innocently enough, with a king throwing an extravagant wedding banquet for his son. But the people invited to…
Party Poopers
In Matthew 22, Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a monarch who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. In our last blog, we examined the nature of this…
Blessing and Obedience
Throughout the story of Abram/Abraham, God's promises are closely tied to Abraham's obedience & faithfulness. The account begins with Abram's obedience to the divine command: "Go from your country, your…
Faithful Abraham
Romans 3 & Galatians 2 are two main passages where the Apostle Paul discusses "justification by faith." Martin Luther famously made this doctrine central to his theology. But as this…
Gaining Righteousness
Evangelical pastors routinely use Galatians to teach their congregations that salvation hinges purely upon "faith" (passive belief or trust) in Jesus. Through faith, we receive Jesus' righteousness & are justified…
Welcoming the Nations
Galatians is arguably the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. (Revelation makes a strong claim as well!) This letter contains Paul's most confrontational rhetoric. But why was Paul so…
Seated Beside Royalty
The gospel of Matthew records how Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the final time, knowing that a horrible fate awaited him. At just this moment, the mother of John…
The Choice
Bible scholars have long recognized that Genesis 1 & 2 offer two complementary creation narratives. Genesis 1:1-2:3 contains a comprehensive account of how God formed the entire cosmos by bringing…
The Fall
I recently heard a Christmas sermon which purported to offer a broad overview of the Biblical story leading up to Jesus. Unfortunately, this sermon was flawed in ways which are…