The Death of Jesus: The Way of the Cross

Luke 9:23-25—Then Jesus said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who would want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save… Continue reading

The Death of Jesus: Christus Victor

In the previous article on atonement I told you that the Eastern Orthodox Church never interpreted the death of Jesus in Penal Substitutionary terms. I also wrote that for the first thousand years of the church, the Penal Substitutionary interpretation we are so familiar with today was not the message… Continue reading

The Death of Jesus: Penal Substitutionary Atonement

Since the very beginning of Christianity, the death of Jesus has been central to the Christian faith. No interpretation of that faith can avoid the significance of that event. Jesus’ death, however, for many centuries was never looked at or thought of in isolation. What came before and after his… Continue reading

The Yoke That Fits

At seminary I was introduced to the writings of the German martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The first of his books I read was The Cost of Discipleship in which he exposed the dangers of what he called “cheap grace.” This term referred to the pseudo-gospel peddled by those who promise salvation… Continue reading

Genesis 4:17-26 “The First Things” (The Boast of Lamech) Part 12

The Cain saga continues. The fugitive Cain now lives east of Eden and settles in the land of Nod. He marries a woman and she bears him a son he names Enoch. Cain then builds a city and names it after his son. Once again, we see that we are… Continue reading

II Timothy 2:15 “The Luxury and Dangers of Opinions”

My Christian ethics professor was one of the most colorful teachers at the seminary. He was close to retirement when I was in his class. He grew up in North Carolina where he worked in textile mills from childhood through young adulthood when he “discovered that connected to my hands… Continue reading

Matthew 5: 14-16 “The Light of the World”

Whenever I hear this passage, I think of that song I was taught as a child and with which many of you are familiar: “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine.” But there is a major problem with that song-especially if it has this passage in… Continue reading

II Corinthians 6:1-2 “The Ripe Moment: A New Year’s Sermon”

Often in Scripture we detect a sense that a propitious time is upon us: a time to decide, to re-evaluate, to change, to turn around, to see differently, and to assess our lives, priorities, and commitments. Phrases such as “Now is the time of salvation/fulfillment is at hand/the moment is… Continue reading

Luke 1:26-38 “Giving Birth to God”

I’ll be honest. If I had been Mary, I would have run the other way. Mary should have known her Bible. Whenever an angel appears, look out! Things are going to change drastically. Take Abraham and Sarah. Sarah was past the age of bearing children. She had already gone through… Continue reading