The New Testament in 90 Days

So we are drawing to the close of Paul's 2nd Letter to the Corinthians (though some people think it is actually portions of two different letters( and Paul is ratcheting up his rhetoric in the face of the competition:  the super-apostles.  Whether the problem is that those super-apostles are there, on the ground, or that the super-apostles just seem so, well, super:  strong, without flaw, awe-inspiring charismatic, inspiring -- or perhaps, all of the above, I don't know.  But Paul's  reputation among the Corinthians suffers b            y comparison.  He doesn't speak as well as they do  He doesn't cut as fine a swath as they do.  He does not have the mega-churches or large crowds that they do. So, what does Paul really have to brag about? Plenty, as it turns out. He can bring about the hardships and persecution that he has endured (and he does).  He can bring about how much he loves them (and he does). ...

Now Paul starts giving advice with regard to eating meat sacrificed to idols, one of the many controversies of the Corinthian church.  Again, there is a difference between theory and practice.  In theory, there are free to eat meat sacrificed to idols, because they realize that the idol is not real, and the meat is "just meat"; there is nothing especially holy or unholy about it. BUT, Paul writes, if there are people for whom eating meat causes them to doubt, who wonder if they are sinning when they eat it, or whose consciences are bothering them, then we should be willing to abstain so that we don't shake their faith.  Again, what is important is how our actions affect our neighbor. (I wonder what modern day dilemmas we could apply Paul's logic to:  what actions should we be careful about, for the sake of our neighbors?  It is worth thinking about.) Now Paul addresses the issue of compensation for apostles.  He seems to be arguing that he has a right...

I don't know about you, but I find some parts of Matthew 23 difficult to read.  This chapter is a long diatribe against the scribes and the Pharisees.  In some translations, the words, "Woe unto you" are repeated again and again.  The charge?  Hypocrisy. Certainly, given the controversies and arguments with the religious leaders, I can understand Jesus/ anger.  On the other hand, I know a Pharisee named Nicodemus who came to Jesus by night... granted, his story is in Another Gospel.  But does Jesus mean him?  I also read these words considering many of the things that have come after between Christians and Jews:  persecution, pogroms, Inquisitions, the Holocaust.  I want to remind readers that Jesus is Jewish and that Matthew is the most Jewish of the gospels.  There are more quotations from the Old Testament in Matthew than in any other gospel. Chapter 24 is sometimes called the "little apocalypse". They are Jesus' teachings regardi...

Today's reading begins with the murder of John the Baptist.  It is a grisly story, in many ways, and when Jesus hears about it, he retreats to a lonely place.  But he can't really get away, can he?   That's one thing I notice when I read these three chapters.  Jesus tries to get away but the crowds follow him.  He feeds 5,000 (with the help of the disciples), and later he feeds 4,000, and his disciples, who see both miracles, don't really understand what they mean (hint:  it's not just about the bread and fish.)   I also notice that Peter is beginning to emerge as one of the "main disciples".  He gets two important scenes -- in chapter 14, when the disciples are stuck in a boat during at storm, Peter steps out on the water to go to Jesus, even in the middle of the storm.  Now, to be honest, he is not entirely successful in his attempt to walk on water, but at least he tries.   i will confess to you that this is one of the Bibl...

In the beginning of this section of Scripture, we find out that John the Baptist is in prison.  He's in prison and he's asking about Jesus.  He sends his disciples to Jesus with the question, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?"  Jesus responds by asking John's disciples to return with a report of what they have heard and seen. And what have they heard and seen?  "Those who were blind are able to see.  Those who were crippled are walking.  People with skin diseases are cleansed.    Those who are deaf now hear.  Those who are dead are raised up.  The poor have good news proclaimed to them." Jesus preaches good news to the poor, but he doesn't mince words either.  In this passage there are words of comfort:  "Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest."  I gravitate to passages like these, thirsty for comfort.  But I can't help noticing ...

On Day 2, Jesus goes up a mountain and begins to teach people.  This is the famous "Sermon on the Mount, of which we have heard snippets.  ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" comes to mind.)  But today we get to read the whole thing, in one sitting.  How does this sermon strike you?  (Be honest.) It is no coincidence that Jesus go up the mountain to teach, for Matthew wants us to draw parallels between Jesus and Moses, his ancestor.  Moses went up the mountain and received the Ten Commandments.  From his mountain, Jesus also gives teachings, which seem to me to be upping the ante on the commandments Moses gave.  "You have heard that it was written",  "but I say to you...." The Sermon begins, however, with some incredible statements about who is really blessed in this world.   My translation calls them "Happy."  "Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs.  Happy are people wh...

Here we are at the beginning of the New Testament:  Matthew's Gospel.  And here we are at the beginning of Matthew's gospel.  Matthew begins with Jesus' ancestry, his family tree.  I've often joked about how boring these lists of names can be.  If you want people to keep reading your story, why would you start with a list of names?  Why begin with "A Record of the ancestors of Jesus Christ", instead of something like this:  "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times," or "Call me Ishmael."  Even "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God" has more of a ring to it.  But Matthew must have thought that it was most intriguing, because he put it first.  He must have thought it would draw people in. There's actually a lot to be curious about in this family tree.  There are stories underneath every single name, but perhaps the people to whom Matthew wrote knew more of these stories than we do.  For me, the women...

Have you ever wanted to really dig into the Bible?  I know I have.  The first time I got serious about Bible reading, I was in high school.  I really wanted to know more about the book I had read bits about in Sunday School, so I started in Genesis and just started plowing through it.  I believe that by the time I got to Leviticus, I was mighty discouraged.  I may have given up in the middle of Numbers. My plan failed for many reasons.  One was that perhaps it's not a good idea to start in Genesis.  (Although Genesis does have some very good stories in it.)  Another was that I was reading by myself, and didn't have anyone to talk with when I got to parts I didn't understand. Some of us are going to read the New Testament together beginning in June.  There will be a 90-day guide, which you can download here , where you can check off what you have read, and catch up if you get behind.  There will be a number of us who are reading...