Paul and the writer of Hebrews both frame Christian discipleship in terms of worship. Hebrews may address some sort of crisis whereby the community will be separated from the temple.  How will they be able to maintain their relationship to God without participating in regular sacrifices? Hebrews assures them that holistic lives of doing good […]

It’s been a silly season for sports enthusiasts, especially here in the States.  The NBA playoffs have been unusually compelling, as have been those of the NHL.  The first third of the baseball season has been typically unpredictable and exciting, and we’re well into the tennis and golf seasons of major championships. It’s easy for […]

I’ve been busy the last four weeks teaching summer intensive courses on NT Biblical Theology and the Letter of Ephesians. I’m struck again by the priority the NT places on the unity of God’s people. In fact, this is one of the unique features of the church.  God’s people are “holy”—unlike the world—and their holiness […]

The final clause in Gal. 5:17 is notoriously difficult.  Paul exhorts his readers in vv. 16-17: And I say walk by the Spirit and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh.  For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are in opposition to one another […]

The U.S. Open lived up to its character in every way.  This championship is supposed to be contested over the year’s toughest layout, producing a champion who is tested in every way over four rounds of golf. Olympic is one of the toughest of the Open courses, known as the “Graveyard of Champions.”  The game’s […]

I’ve got a wonderful father and I get to be the dad of these three:

I’ve heard Jesus’ statement in Mark 14:7 cited to brush off the importance of ministry to the poor. This is entirely inappropriate, since Jesus is not uttering an economic truism—that on any measure of a society there will always be the poorest 20%.  Nor is he saying, “look, I do realize there will never be a […]

Bruce Longenecker has a fascinating new book out on the narrative dimensions of Luke’s Gospel.  It’s called Hearing the Silence: Jesus on the Edge and God in the Gap–Luke 4 in Narrative Perspective. He addresses the problem of the “under-narrated” episode in Luke 4:16-30.  Just after Jesus gives his Nazareth Manifesto in the synagogue, Luke […]

Richard Myerscough turned my posts on divine election into an e-book via Readlist, downloadable for free in various e-reading formats. Check it out. Thanks, Richard!

My semantic sensibilities are seriously attuned to misuses of metaphors, especially when speakers mistakenly mix them. This can be a problem for me since my knowledge of current events comes mainly through ESPN’s range of programming.  I tune in at various points throughout the day to catch up on what really matters in the world.  […]