Latest posts
- 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. - 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… Continue reading What do we learn of Paul’s Journeys from his letters? - 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… Continue reading The early Christians and circumcision? - 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. - 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. - 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… Continue reading How do I share the gospel? - 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. - 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. - 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… Continue reading Mark in 1 Go - Summary – How God became King
The main message of this book is to do with the gospels – what are they there for? The answer in short is that Jesus… Continue reading Summary – How God became King - Finding God in the Psalms
This is a collection of unpolished thoughts on this book which I have been reading over the last month. What I have taken away which… Continue reading Finding God in the Psalms - 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… Continue reading Which came first the Didache or the Gospels? - Matthew’s interweaving of Old Testament TextsMatthew often quotes from more than two places. Here he has the main body from Isaiah 9, but hints from Isaiah 42, such as using… Continue reading Matthew’s interweaving of Old Testament Texts
- Seutonius on Jesus
In Claudius 25 Suetonius refers to the expulsion of Jews by Claudius and states (in Edwards’ translation): “Since the Jews constantly made disturbances at the… Continue reading Seutonius on Jesus - Brief Summary of ApocryphaTobit 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… Continue reading Brief Summary of Apocrypha
- 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… Continue reading Brief Notes on 1 and 2 Maccabees - The Early ChristiansThoughts from a short book I read published by Day One. The conditions were good for the start of Christianity. The Greeks had spread their… Continue reading The Early Christians
- Summary: On Rock or Sand? John Sentamu1. Introduction “Stability and hope are linked to purpose and productivity” There are vast swathes of the country, particularly outside of London, that are in… Continue reading Summary: On Rock or Sand? John Sentamu
- Summary of Fabricating Jesus – how modern scholars distort the gospelsIn 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.… Continue reading Summary of Fabricating Jesus – how modern scholars distort the gospels
- Jesus and the TempleIn the Challenge of Jesus, N T Wright raises the questions of what did Jesus think of the current temple, and what did he want… Continue reading Jesus and the Temple
- Summary of The Challenge of Jesus by N T WrightThe 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… Continue reading Summary of The Challenge of Jesus by N T Wright