The Greek word translated “gospel/glad tidings/good news” in the New Testament is euangelion. “Eu” in that word means “good.” That meaning continues in English words like euthanasia (good death) and eulogy (good word spoken at funerals and memorial services for someone who has died). “Angelion” means “message.” (The Greek word… Continue reading
Many Christians in North America would define the gospel in this way: Humans were lost in sin. We were all headed for everlasting hell. God sent His (and the God of this version of the gospel is always a He) Son to take our deserved punishment. Since Jesus was innocent… Continue reading
With Jesus’ reference to dogs and swine, I think we can assume that he realized there are those who are not ready or perhaps even able to change. He knew it was useless to share his good news with those who were incapable of understanding and embracing his radical alternative. On one occasion he told his disciples that if they encountered opposition and rejection as they went out into the hamlets and villages to spread the gospel, they should simply shake the dust off their sandals and move on to the next village. Continue reading
(9 minutes) After quoting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr regarding his call for Blacks to forgive those white supremacists who had caused them so much suffering, I ended the previous article by suggesting that there was so much more to be said about the blindness and ignorance of those who… Continue reading
MLK recognized that “some men are segregationists merely for reasons of political expediency and economic gain.” However, he also realized that many good people were convinced that segregation was good for their families, their nation, and their faith. But all such people are spiritually blind and ignorant. “Millions of Negroes have been crucified by conscientious blindness. With Jesus on the cross, we must look lovingly at our oppressors and say, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know now what they do.’” Continue reading
(10 minutes) Luke’s Gospel tells us that as Jesus was being crucified, he prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they do.” (Luke 23:34) What many people do not know is that these words are not found in some of the most ancient Greek copies of the… Continue reading
Those who focus only on Jesus’ life and teachings while ignoring his death never come to appreciate the cost of his faithfulness to the way and will of God. Jesus was more than just a good teacher and miraculous healer. He was a revolutionary prophet whose witness threatened the foundations of the status quo of his world. His death reveals the cost of such devotion. Continue reading
In Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann offers this definition of totalism: By “totalism” I mean a system of signs and symbols that make a claim of validity that is all-encompassing, that will allow no challenge or competition, and that will… Continue reading
In Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann offers this definition of totalism: By “totalism” I mean a system of signs and symbols that make a claim of validity that is all-encompassing, that will allow no challenge or competition, and that will… Continue reading
In Tenacious Solidarity: Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy, biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann offers this definition of totalism: By “totalism” I mean a system of signs and symbols that make a claim of validity that is all-encompassing, that will allow no challenge or competition, and that will… Continue reading
