Tribes in Deborah?
I am reading The Oxford History of the Biblical World.
A few interesting points. There are parallel stories. One of the most surprising is that from the Song of Deborah you count 10 tribes, not 12. Of which 2 are not considered tribes generally.
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What do we learn of Paul’s Journeys from his letters?
I recently went through Tom Wright's book Paul: A Biography. It made me think about what we would learn about Paul's background and comings and goings if we did not have the book of Acts. The results were quite surprising to me. It turns out we learn a lot. I am going...
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The early Christians and circumcision?
How did the early Christians come to believe that gentiles did not need to be circumcised? For us today it seems obvious but in those times they believed that the Law was given by God and it was a clear requirement of the law. We still believe that. Circumcision,...
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Notes from Son of God no Amazon Prime
I learned a few interesting nuggets of information watching Son of God from Amazon Prime.
The references from Ignatious were interesting. I looked them up in the book, Early Christian Writings.
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By the Hand of Mormon
The founder was called Joseph Smith. Born 1805 and dies 1844. The Book of Mormon was published in 1830. He did not have an educated background. He lived in an era when folk spirituality was a big part of Christianity and prophecy and visions were very popular.
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How do I share the gospel?
I have read quite a bit of theology recently and it has benefited me in a lot of ways, but I feel a but confused in other ways. One of the key issues I am a little confused about is 'what is the gospel?' and 'How do I share it?' Previously I would have said something...
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Notes from the Conclusion to Echoes of Scripture in the Letters of Paul
Paul quotes most from Isaiah, The Psalms, Deuteronomy and Genesis. Isaiah is an obvious choice with its large focus on eschatological hope, and also the inclusion of the gentiles. The Psalms would be a good choice as the songbook of the Jews and the early Christians. Deuteronomy’s emphasis on blessings and curses fits neatly into early Christian belief.
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Overview of Romans
The gospel reveals the covenant justice of God.
God has come to put the world to rights.
The good news is about God’s Son, and power is released when Jesus, the Crucified One, Israel’s Messiah, raised from the dead is proclaimed Lord of the World.
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Mark in 1 Go
Yesterday I listened to (on my Bible Audio app) the Gospel of Mark in pretty much one sitting. Here are some notes on what struck me. There is the intensity of it. The intro about the Good News then the quotation mixing Malachi and Isaiah. Then soon we have the time...
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Summary – How God became King
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Finding God in the Psalms
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Which came first the Didache or the Gospels?
The Didache definitely has common material with the gospel of Matthew. The Didache presents this as the teaching of the apostles; Matthew presents this as the teaching of Jesus. Is this a significant difference? Surely the followers of Jesus would follow Jesus, and...
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Matthew’s interweaving of Old Testament Texts
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Seutonius on Jesus
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read moreBrief Summary of Apocrypha
Tobit Carried away captive to Nineveh. Had a political post with Shalmanesar. Tobit mentions his own righteousness, his givings to the poor, and particularly his burying of Jewish corpses left out. This annoyed the king. He says that those who give to the poor are...
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Brief Notes on 1 and 2 Maccabees
1 Maccabees Alexander the Great son of Philip of Macedonia wins against Darius of the Medes and Persians. Kills many kings. When he dies he splits his empire up among 4 generals who grew up with him. A bit further on Antiochus Epiphanes defeats Egypt. Then wants all...
read moreThe Early Christians
Thoughts from a short book I read published by Day One. The conditions were good for the start of Christianity. The Greeks had spread their culture, and consequently language, far and wide throughout the Mediterranean. This meant only one language was really needed to...
read moreSummary: On Rock or Sand? John Sentamu
1. Introduction "Stability and hope are linked to purpose and productivity" There are vast swathes of the country, particularly outside of London, that are in serious economic difficulty with few jobs and low output. And in London growth is found at an individual...
read moreSummary of Fabricating Jesus – how modern scholars distort the gospels
In progressWatch Full Movie Online Streaming Online and Download Chapter 1 A lot of books appeared recently from Scholars coming out of a traditional fundamentalist background. The fundamentalist background is very rigid and ignores serious questions of issues such as...
read moreJesus and the Temple
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read moreSummary of The Challenge of Jesus by N T Wright
The Challenge of Jesus: a Summary Below is a reasonably thorough summary of N T Wright's wonderful book: The Challenge of Jesus. I hope you find it helpful. Chapter 1 - The Challenge of Studying Jesus There have been three main views on the historical Jesus. We can...
read moreNotes – Early Medieval Ages 7
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read moreNotes – Early Medieval Ages 6
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read moreNotes – Early Medieval Notes 2
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read moreNotes – Early Middle Ages 1
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read moreCan the New Testament be blamed for the way Jews have been treated in Western Europe over the centuries?
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John’s portrayal of Jesus
1. Introduction In this essay I will consider whether the Gospel of John is historical. First I will consider what certain scholars, who doubt its historicity, have said. I will then propose an argument advocating historicity. Then I will propose a reason for the...
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