Thy Kingdom Come

The greatest theme of the teaching of Jesus was not love.  Nor was it forgiveness.  Not heaven.  Not salvation.  The central theme of Jesus’ teaching (and whatever comes in second isn’t even close) is the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God (or the kingdom of heaven in Matthew’s gospel) occurs at least 81 times […]

The Value of the Apocrypha: 1 Maccabees and Jesus

Historical context matters. I can think of many instances when learning the “rest of the story” is of immense help in understanding the current context. A social gathering gets suddenly awkward when Yuri enters the room; Boris, next to you, leans over to whisper, “He and Sasha used to date.”*  A particular church’s dynamics seem […]