Ecclesiology
Immigration laws harming the Latino church.
Will Willimon is a Bishop in the United Methodist Church. He has noticed a negative impact on Spanish language Methodist churches in Alabama ever since the law HB56 was implemented. He wrote a post to his people informing them of this sad news. This is the opening paragraph: “The fastest growing ethnic group in United Methodism [...]
Like the People or Part of the Community?
Last week on Public Radio Remix, someone was speaking of her conversion into Judaism. She mentioned that entering into Judaism isn’t becoming like the people in the synagogue. Instead, Judaism is about becoming like the community because one likes the community. This has a few implications: The community must be likable. The community must be [...]
Is genuine unity achievable?
Earlier today Daniel James Levy posted on the divisions in the church of Corinth (see “The Issue of Division at the Church in Corinth”). For many of us evangelicals the fractions of that local church seem all too familiar. While Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans have placed a high priority on visible unity the rest [...]
Christian discipleship and affiliation with a political party.
OK, so today’s question is this: Do you see your affiliation with a particular political party as having something to do with your discipleship? In other words, are you a Republican because you think abortion is the most serious matter facing Christians or a Democrat because social services for the poor is the greatest concern for [...]
Global Christianity according to The Pew Forum.
The Pew Forum released their 2011 report on Global Christianity yesterday. It can be accessed here. Christianity’s stagnation in Europe is no surprise. Its growth in places like China, sub-Sahara Africa, and Latin America is interesting. Overall Christianity remains the world’s largest religion with about a third of the global population claiming affiliation. The most [...]
What Reformation Sunday and Pentecost Sunday (can) have in common if we’re not careful.
When I was in Pentecostal circles the most significant holiday on the calendar may have been Pentecost(al) Sunday, which rivaled Christmas and eclipsed Easter in hype. Sometimes the emphasis was on the democratizing work of the Holy Spirit in Jerusalem a couple thousand years ago, but more often than that it was on the birth [...]
Scholars, Pastors and Idolatry…
I mentioned, albeit briefly, in my review of BW3’s new book, “Is there a Doctor in the House?” my concern about seminary students who begin their studies planning to be pastors and end up wanting to be scholars. It seems to me after the first year of pastoral formation the glamour and glitter begins to [...]
A question concerning Peter & Jesus’ declarations in Matthew 16:13-21
This week’s Lectionary Gospel text is Matthew 16:13-21. In it we find Peter’s Messianic declaration, “You are the Christ (Messiah), Son of the living God” in the Greek, “σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστὸς ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ζῶντος” to which Jesus responds, “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build [...]
Craig Evans on Jesus’ pedagogy.
Tomorrow we will have another post from Dr. Craig A. Evans available on this blog (read last week’s “The future of historical Jesus studies”). Today I thought I’d share a small excerpt from a paper that he presented at New Orleans Baptist Seminary in February titled “Can We Trust the NT?” In context, Evans is [...]
Let’s put a human face on “the other”.
I am encouraged. In fact, I choose to be. Let me tell you why. Yesterday I mentioned the Facebook post written by Pastor Mark Driscoll that caused public outrage because his words could very easily have led to pain for those who do not fit into the macho-masculinity paradigm espoused by many in our society. [...]
Anthony Bradley rebukes us all (and rightly so). Yet it lacks resolve.
The other day Mark Driscoll became the center of attention once again when he posted the following on his Facebook wall: “So what story do you have about the most effeminate anatomically male worship leader you’ve ever personally witnessed?” Almost immediately there was response after response by a variety of bloggers (I’ve already mentioned some of [...]
Wednesdays with Wright: Reading Jesus, Paul, and the People of God: Jeremy S. Begbie
Nicholas Perrin and Richard B. Hays (eds) (2011). Jesus, Paul, and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N.T. Wright. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic. This is the seventh part of a ten post series on Nicholas Perrin’s and Richard B. Hays’, eds., Jesus, Paul, and the People of God: A Theological Dialogue with N.T. [...]
A Few Reasons Why I Am a Catholic
To balance out my post on why I am not a Oneness Pentecostal (here), I will give some reasons as to why I am Catholic. First some background. I was born into the Catholic church, baptized as an infant only a few months old. I was never catechized in my youth, and sporadically practiced my [...]
Saturdays in Second Temple Judaism: Ways to be expelled from the Qumran community
According to Geza Vermes there was a difference between “entering the Covenant and entering the Community” at Qumran (The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English: Revised Edition, 34). If I understand him correctly, once one has gone through the long process of being accepted into the community they are then allowed to participate in Council [...]
Intentionality in discipleship
When I was back home in San Francisco last weekend I caught the end of an event hosted by Lighthouse called Disciple! There were thirty or so people from around the country huddled together discussing what it means to live as disciples of Christ. San Francisco is a great place to have this discussion for [...]
Walk On: A Guide to Exiting from Oneness Pentecostalism (Pt. 5)
[If you haven’t read the previous posts in this series you can find them here: Pt. 1 here; Pt. 2 here; Pt. 3 here; Pt. 4 here.] The other day someone commented on one of the posts in this series saying that my arguments against Oneness Pentecostalism were not very good. He said that I was creating a “straw [...]
A Few Reasons I am No Longer a Oneness Pentecostal
Shortly after my conversion to Christ in 2002 in the charismatic movement of the Catholic church, I became affiliated with the United Pentecostal Church International (UPCI), a Oneness Pentecostal group that broke away from the Assemblies of God over the New Issue of baptism, which ultimately led to the denial of the doctrine of the [...]
Who is Daniel James Levy?
“They” (whoever “they” are) call me a Levi, a priest. Well, technically I’m only 50% Jewish by birth, and of that 50%, only 25% Levitical. Since the Jews became angry with me upon doing research into my ancestral line, I decided to quit the priestly Rabbinic deal. To the serious part now: Again, I want [...]
Half the Church by Carolyn Custis James
Koinonia mentioned Carolyn Custis James’ new book Half the Church: Recapturing God’s Global Vision for Women two days ago here. They feel that this is a very important book with an equally important message. I want to thank Zondervan for sending me a review copy, giving me the opportunity to hear its message. I will be [...]
The Arch of Constantine in the shadow of the Roman Colosseum
One of the amazing things about being in Rome last week was seeing the by-gone glory of the Roman Empire right next to the memorials of Christendom, both past and present. While I was in the Roman Colosseum there was a point when I could peer over at the Arch of Constantine. In the Colosseum [...]
Sunday Reflection: Lent Week 2
Wow, what a peculiar week! When it comes to exegesis and sermon preparation I have a certain pattern or rhythm which I follow. If I do not, then all heck breaks loose. For a number of reasons that could not be avoided my usual day for exegesis was interrupted. Instead of following my usual pattern [...]
Sunday Quote: Eugene Peterson defines “church”
This Sunday many of us gathered together with other people making something we call “the church”. It is fitting on such a day that we ponder what we mean by this word. Let me share Eugene Peterson’s answer for your reflection (from The Pastor, 110): “The short answer that I had come to embrace through [...]
Pope Benedict XVI: Jesus of Nazareth – A review
Ben Witherington has read and reviewed Joseph Ratzinger’s (AKA Pope Benedict XVI) latest scholarly work Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week. It is quite an honour for BW3 as he was the only protestant to be included on an Ash Wednesday tele-conference with the Pope about the book. As Ben says, “Somebody out there must trust me as [...]
Secret disciples? (John 19.38-40)
When I lived in San Francisco I knew of two men who had come to recognize Jesus as Lord and Messiah, but who felt that it would be best if they remained in their mosque as secret disciples in hopes of someday bringing their fellow Muslims to know Jesus. In most Christians circles one of [...]
Avoid ageism
Since my wife and I moved to Portland, OR, in late 2009 we have seen some really creative, energetic churches fueled by the vision of younger evangelicals (twenty-somethings and early thirty-somethings). These churches resonate with an age group that usually does not find itself attracted to Christianity. Some of them are quite large and the [...]
Book Review: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene H. Peterson
Eugene H. Peterson. (2000) A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, 2nd. ed. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books. It was the title of Peterson’s book that caught my eye. “A long obedience in the same direction” is a line taken from Nietzsche, ironically. According to Peterson, it was the eighteen publisher that finally accepted his [...]
We are family
For those who are worshiping with others this morning, and for those who are not because you are experimenting with a “private religion”, let me share this thought from Eugene Peterson (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction , 175): “Whether we like it or not, the moment we confess Jesus Christ as our Lord [...]
Am I Being Touchy?
I have noticed something recently that has made me a little concerned. This concern stems from the idea that we need to change the Church to meet some over idealized concept of the New Testament Church. I have encountered more than one group recently who seems to think that they have special understanding of what [...]
Sunday Quote: The Church—Grounded in the Last Adam and Living by the Spirit
The last Adam is forming a new solidarity, enlarging himself as a person. Once confined to Palestine, Jesus has become head of a new international body of Spirit-baptized disciples sharing his rise life. How great are the riches of the glory of this mystery—”Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col 1:27). The Risen One [...]
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