A Skeptic Who Became a Pillar How did James, who did not believe during Jesus’s ministry, become one of the most important figures in earliest Christianity? James, whose Hebrew name is Ya’akov (Jacob), appears in the Gospels among Jesus’ brothers. Mark 6:3 lists him alongside Joses, Judas, and Simon. Yet the Gospel of John tells…
From time to time, we encounter claims that seem almost too neat to withstand closer scrutiny. One such claim that has gained considerable traction is the assertion that ancient Jewish law recognized six, or, in some versions, even up to eight, genders, or, more specifically, biological sexes, and that this recognition has persisted for two…
We have covered significant ground so far. Our journey began with Romans 13, often considered one of the most controversial and misused passages in the Bible. We examined how a straightforward, literal reading of this text does not hold up under closer scrutiny. We also explored the historical context of the Roman church that first…
Previously, we examined Walter Wink’s argument in detail. He presents a compelling case, suggesting that sayings long used to silence the oppressed can, in fact, be understood as strategies for bold and imaginative resistance. Examples such as refusing the backhanded slap, the debtor’s act of disrobing, and carrying a burden beyond what was required are…
In our previous discussion, I made a claim that I now intend to support: the middle path we identified in Romans 13, between passive compliance and violent rebellion, is not a recent interpretation imposed on an ancient text. Rather, I would suggest that this approach reflects what Jesus himself taught. In the twentieth century, Walter…
In the last two articles, found here and here, we cleared a great deal of ground. We saw that a literal reading of Romans 13 makes God the sponsor of tyrants and the enemy of heroes, and that it runs counter to the whole weight of a Bible that honors faithful resistance. We saw that…
In our previous discussion, we examined how a literal and unconditional reading of Romans 13 presents significant problems. Such a reading would make God appear to support every tyrant and oppose every hero, which stands in stark contrast to the broader biblical narrative that honors figures like the midwives, Daniel, and even Jesus, who challenged…
There is a story most people believe about the Reformation and the Bible, and it goes like this. The Church had one settled, complete Bible for fifteen centuries. Then Martin Luther came along, disliked what he read, and took a pair of scissors to Scripture, cutting out books that didn’t suit his theology. The Council…
Of all the topics in this series, this may be the most challenging to address, but it’s also one of the most important. In recent years, a particular argument has gained traction, one that interprets the Annunciation in deeply troubling terms. According to this perspective, God caused a teenage girl to become pregnant without her…
A common narrative suggests that Matthew invented the virgin birth in order to claim that Jesus fulfilled an Old Testament prophecy. According to this view, the story was constructed to enhance Jesus’s stature, and if we remove Matthew’s literary contributions, the tradition itself vanishes. This explanation is appealing for its simplicity and skepticism, offering a…