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Category Archives: Bible
Hidden things are happening
This is sort of random. I just enjoyed the thought that came to me about Luke 13:18-21. How do these retellings of the mustard seed and leaven parables fit with vss. 1-21? Luke Timothy Johnson’s commentary helped me see the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
1 Comment
Biblical Glimpses Into Mystical Horizons
I’m giving a Skype lecture Wednesday night to a small group in Texas about mysticism and the Bible. So, naturally, my mind is on the subject this week and I’m putting down some rather random notes. Glimpses into mystical horizons … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Mysticism
13 Comments
Ways a Bad Translation Can Goof You Up
I was teaching yesterday at congregation. I do an interactive hour of teaching every week after the shacharit (morning prayer) service. The subject was Luke 8. I was talking about how you can see over Luke’s shoulders to an issue … Continue reading
Posted in Bible
8 Comments
Debunking Three Common Bible Myths
These myths are so prevalent, they just keep getting repeated. Myth #1: Abba means “daddy,” and is a term of childhood endearment. Myth #2: The high priest on Yom Kippur went into the Holy of Holies with a rope tied … Continue reading
Posted in Bible
14 Comments
“Knowledge” Transcending Knowledge
I’m giving a Skype seminar next Wednesday to a small group in Texas. With the cost of airline travel and gasoline, it only makes sense for a small group to find an alternative. I’m interested to see how it all … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Discipleship, Faith, Mysticism
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Why is Passover so Christian-ly Popular?
I’m not sure when the practice started, the practice of churches inviting in Jewish-Christian speakers to talk about Passover and the Last Supper of Jesus. I’m guessing that it sort of started with Jews for Jesus in the 70’s. I … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Christian, Holidays, messianic, Messianic Jewish, Messianic Judaism, Passover, The Cross
2 Comments
The Lead Codices Aren’t … They Just Aren’t
They are not long lost texts that will redefine the meaning of Jesus’ death. They are not a find to rival the Dead Sea Scrolls. There is a chance they may turn out to be something quite significant — but … Continue reading
Posted in Archaeology, Bible, History
6 Comments
Not the God of Death, Part 2
As I said in Part 1: there are two things God won’t have near his sanctuary. One of them is sin. The other is death. The meaning of “purification” in Leviticus is an interesting study. The classic scholar on the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Death, Sacrifices and Purity
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Not the God of Death, Part 1
There are two things God won’t have near his sanctuary. One of them is sin. The other is death. Ironically, the priestly and sanctuary laws of Leviticus have been slandered in church history as burdens given to an obstinate people … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Death, Sacrifices and Purity
1 Comment
Liturgy, Some Scattered Thoughts
My experience last Sunday at an Episcopal church near Memphis has me thinking about liturgy. I did not grow up in either a Christian or a Jewish context. In my faith journey, I came to a Southern Baptist church as … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Worship
2 Comments
Luke’s Temptation Narrative
At the Yeshua in Context blog I have some commentary today on Luke’s Temptation account. Why does Luke emphasize the filling of the Spirit? How is Luke’s understanding of the Spirit more subtle than the usual way people think about … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
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Poor in Spirit
How important is it to interpret a biblical text well? Obsession with details of theology, which is at least close to the same thing as obsession with a good interpretation of a sacred text, has been compared to speculating about … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, ethics, Faith, Gospel, Life to Come, Messianic Jewish, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
1 Comment
PODCAST: Birth Issues – Yeshua in Context
The birth stories of Yeshua have issues. It’s not easy to understand why there are such big differences between them. It’s not easy to answer how the evangelists could have obtained the information in their accounts. And the virginal conception … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Faith, Messianic Jewish, Yeshua In Context
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The Psychology of Sacrifice
This might not seem like an interesting topic, but I assure you, it is not a purely academic matter. The reasons people offered burnt offerings to God in the Hebrew Bible are an interesting window into our reasons for repenting, … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Sacrifices and Purity
2 Comments
Creation, Tabernacle, Dwelling
My thoughts on this aren’t as fully formed as I would like. I’m sure there is more to this topic and it will need further exploration later. But we finished Exodus this past Shabbat and the theology of Tabernacle-as-mirror-to-Creation says … Continue reading
Cool Feedback from a “Gospel Test” Taker
I’ve had a lot of interaction with people who took my “Gospel Proficiency Test” at the Yeshua in Context blog. See it here. About 500 people have read the test so far and I could guess that about half actually … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Yeshua In Context
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Missing Mysticism in the Bible
I have been surprised recently by several requests to speak on the subject of mystical faith. An episcopal church in Tennessee mentioned that when I come in March for an all day seminar, they hope I’ll address the mystical way … Continue reading
Passover, Last Supper, Crucifixion: 2011 Notes, Part 2
In Part 1, we talked about the discrepancy between Mark and John regarding the day on which Yeshua was crucified and whether the Last Supper was a Passover Seder or not. I will explain this again briefly below a different … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Passover, The Cross, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
18 Comments
Two Articles of Note on Yeshua in Context
Close reading is a lost art. Maybe it has something to do with the skimming we routinely practice reading way to many articles on the internet. “John 14:31, Why Close Reading Helps.” As part of my research into the Passover … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Passover, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
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Passover, Last Supper, Crucifixion: 2011 Notes, Part 1
I know this post will disturb some good people and for good reason. I have the unenviable task of introducing a topic that calls into question many people’s view of the Bible, and specifically the gospels, as a unified, non-contradictory … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Holidays, Passover, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
22 Comments
More time to listen than read?
I have a guest post on Yeshua in Context today by Brian Richie, a friend in California. This is a response by a busy working man to my podcast and essay from last week, “The Joy of Reading.” Brian explains … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Education, Yeshua In Context
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Discipleship and the Fig Tree
I wrote my morning commentary on the gospel portion for today (Mark 11:12-14 and 20-25). I felt as though my close reading of Mark, after several years of studying the history surrounding the life of Yeshua, helped me understand the … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Discipleship, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
3 Comments
Classic Repost: Ephesians 1 in Context
I include here an excerpt from an October 2009 post which in itself is a repost of an October 2008 post about Ephesians 1. I first learned that Ephesians 1 could be read this way from a lecture series by … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Paul
6 Comments
PODCAST: Yeshua in Context – Demon Fail
What gospel gives the highest view of Yeshua’s exalted identity? John, of course. But after John, one of the synoptics stands high above the rest. That would be Mark. This story happens after the confession of Peter, and the rebuke … Continue reading
Why We Should Bring Back Yeshua as Prophet
Here is the punchline of an article I just wrote at the Yeshua in Context blog: If we take Yeshua as Messiah-for-the-future-only, as does so much modern religion, we miss the prophetic movement of Yeshua. It is about literal things, … Continue reading
Posted in Bible, Yeshua, Yeshua In Context
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Messianic Jewish Musings 
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