The Bible in Context
The apostle Paul was extremely bright. Some even think he was a genius. For two thousand years people have been reading his letters and working hard to understand them. In the past five centuries, German, English, and American scholars have expended a great deal of effort digging into Paul’s writings. Thanks to N. T. Wright … Read more
The four Gospels end with an explosion of life. The angel announces, “He has risen!” Mary Magdalene says, “I have seen the Lord.” And the disciples declare, “We have seen the Lord!” Life bursts forth from the tomb. After Good Friday and Holy Saturday comes Easter Sunday. According to Luke, after Jesus died, he appeared for 40 … Read more
You are probably aware of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, but have you heard of Holy Saturday? According to Mark’s Gospel, Jesus died Friday afternoon at 3 p.m. Since the Sabbath is Friday at sunset to Saturday at sunset, the day of rest would have begun shortly after Jesus breathed his last. For Jews, all … Read more
Jesus experienced an incredible amount of agony before he died. Here’s a list of what he endured, primarily from Mark’s Gospel. He was betrayed by one of his disciples with a kiss. He was “deeply distressed” and “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” while praying. He told his disciples to “keep watch” but … Read more
The birth of a son was a major source of hope in biblical times. Daily life was hard so the goal was often mere survival. Since males were the breadwinners, they provided a better hope for the future than females. Who else would take care of parents in old age? There were no social security … Read more