bible
-
What the Early Church Was Actually Celebrating — and Why It Matters For most modern Christians, Epiphany barely registers. If it is noticed at all, it is usually treated as a brief coda to Christmas—associated with the Magi, a star, or the quiet dismantling of decorations. It feels optional, symbolic, and disconnected from discipleship. That…
-
Matthew 7 — The Weight of Response Matthew 7 does not introduce new material. It gathers everything that has already been said—and presses for a verdict. If Matthew 5 revealed the righteousness of the Kingdom. and Matthew 6 exposed the allegiance that sustains it, Matthew 7 confronts the hearer with a single question: What will…
-
There are two ways people read the Bible today. One begins with the text. The other ends with the text. Only one of them deserves to be taken seriously. The Prima Facie Reading (At First Glance) A prima facie reading asks a simple question: “What does this appear to say on the surface?” That’s not wrong. It’s…
-
(Matthew 3:13–4:17) Jesus does not begin His ministry with a sermon. He begins it by stepping into Israel’s story at the point where Israel failed—and carrying it to completion. Baptism: Not Repentance, but Identification John’s hesitation is the first signal that Jesus’ baptism is not ordinary. “I have need to be baptized by You…” John’s…
-
John is often treated like the opening act of Christianity—roughly dressed, yelling about repentance, getting the crowd warmed up for Jesus. That framing is wrong. John the Baptist is not operating ahead of Israel’s story. He is standing inside it, at the breaking point. He is a last-of-the-prophets figure, speaking from within: • covenantal Israel • prophetic…
-
John the Baptist does not enter the Gospel narrative without identity or divine explanation—Luke provides both. His priestly lineage, his miraculous birth, and his prophetic vocation are clearly established. What is striking, however, is that when John’s public ministry begins, he appears without a narrated rise to prominence. He does not build a following on the…
-
1 Corinthians 15:3–5 is routinely treated as a standalone assurance formula—detached from its context and pressed into service as a proof-text for later atonement theories. That approach does violence to both Paul’s argument and the letter as a whole. So let’s put the passage back where Paul actually put it. The Text (briefly) “…that Christ…
-
The Question Everyone Asks—and Rarely Understands Few questions are asked more confidently in modern Christianity than “What is the gospel?” And few answers reveal more confusion. Most people asking the question are not actually asking what the gospel is. They are asking for a citation. Usually Romans 8 or 1 Corinthians 15. Almost always looking for a…
-
Why So Many Modern Debates Never Get Off the Ground I listened to a live social-media panel this morning debating OSAS, baptism, and a few other familiar online flashpoints. Normally I scroll past those conversations without a second thought, but I recognized one of the panelists and decided to listen in. What struck me wasn’t…
-
Why the Bridge Between Theologian and Layperson Is Often Untraveled Theologians and scholars tend to argue theology. Laypeople tend to argue identity. And that difference explains why so many conversations about faith collapse into frustration, defensiveness, or quiet resentment. Because when identity feels threatened, facts don’t land — they bounce. The problem in these situations is…
Restoring Apostolic Faith 