Merry Christmas! Today we celebrate the advent, the incarnation, of the Lord Jesus Christ, he who was spoken of by the prophets, was crucified, died, and resurrected. As we celebrate His birth today, let us reflect on what the scriptures have to say about his coming:
Tag Archives: Messiah
Why “This” New Testament?
I am often asked some variation of “Where did we get the New Testament?” or “Why are these specific books included in the New Testament?” In conjunction with yesterday’s post on the Origins of the New Testament, today’s post seeks to address why the New Testament includes the writings which it contains. Most of usContinue reading “Why “This” New Testament?”
Book Review: God’s Problem (Ehrman)
In the book God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Questions—Why We Suffer (New York: Harper One, 2008), Bart D. Ehrman examines the various explanations for suffering presented in the text of the Christian Bible. Ehrman, a New Testament textual critic and James A. Gray Distinguished Professor of Religious Studies atContinue reading “Book Review: God’s Problem (Ehrman)”
Messianic Expectations of Second Temple Judaism
Since the earliest days of the Jesus Movement, Christianity has proclaimed Jesus of Nazareth as the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. What exactly did this proclamation mean to those who heard it in the context of the Roman Empire and Second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem? Much recent scholarship has attempted to assess the theologicalContinue reading “Messianic Expectations of Second Temple Judaism”
Book Review: The Drama of Scripture, 2E (Bartholomew and Goheen)
Very few books are must reads, especially for busy, sleep-deprived, tired-of-reading-books-for-class college students (or their even more taxed cousins, the grad student). Rarely does something come along that clearly and concisely explains complex issues with clarity and precision. Ten years ago, one such book came along: The Drama of Scripture, captivating readers and shedding muchContinue reading “Book Review: The Drama of Scripture, 2E (Bartholomew and Goheen)”
Comparing the Historical Jesus: Crucifixion
This is part of our ongoing series comparing the perspectives of J. D. Crossan and N. T. Wright on the Historical Jesus. This post considers Crossan and Wright’s perspectives on the crucifixion and death of Jesus of Nazareth. Crossan understands the reason for the crucifixion of the historical Jesus to rest with his preaching ofContinue reading “Comparing the Historical Jesus: Crucifixion”
Pursuing Veritas 