It is one thing to be declared “family,” and quite another to live out the relationships implied – particularly when new siblings come from communities deeply divided with one another. And yet this is the first work of the church. Those who have been called to bear witness to love’s triumph, to carry on Jesus’s...
Tag: introduction to the bible
Understanding the Bible 34: Saved by Works, Faith, or Adoption?
“Saved by works or saved by faith?”: It is one of the oldest debates in Christianity (albeit not the most helpful). By now, I hope it is becoming clearer that the idea of “being saved” refers to far more than simply one’s fate after death and relies neither on obedience to a divine law nor...
Understanding the Bible 33: Paul – How a Zealous Pharisee Became Jesus’s Apostle to the Gentiles
Before we can understand Paul’s letters, we must first understand the man: the Pharisee, the zealot, the convert, the missionary and indeed the church’s greatest theologian. In this episode, we examine Paul’s early life, his fervent commitment to Judaism and the extraordinary humility he demonstrates in his willingness to be wrong. Saul of Tarsus...