Matthew begins his Gospel by tracing Jesus’ ancestry to Abraham (Mt 1:1-17). Mark has no infancy narrative and begins with the ministry of John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus aged about 30 (Mk 1:1-11). John’s Gospel takes us back to before the creation of the universe where we learn that Jesus created all …
The structure of Luke’s Gospel
Ancient Jerusalem as painted by James Tissot, ca. 1890. The writers of the four canonical Gospels arranged their texts with purpose in mind. It has been said that, for Luke, “theology does not so much order narrative as arise from it.”[1] If this is true, the structure of Luke’s story of the life of Jesus is …
Did Luke write Hebrews?
The New Testament letter to the Hebrews bears no author’s name. The arguments and themes of the document suggest that the author was a gifted theologian of the stature of contemporaries such as the apostles Paul and John. The first generation of readers, some of whom may have personally known the author, did not add …
The politics of punishment
By Rod Benson Rod outlines the real reason for the Southern Baptist Convention’s recent decision to sever ties with the Baptist World Alliance. One of the chief architects of the Southern Baptist Convention's "Conservative Resurgence," retired Texas appellate judge Paul Pressler. The Baptist World Alliance (BWA) is a fellowship of 211 Baptist unions and conventions …
Origins of the New Testament
Christianity has been described as “a religion of the book.” Other faiths also share this quality, but Christianity is a bookish religion in two important ways. First, it draws heavily on the Hebrew Scriptures for its history, theology and spirituality. Second, the New Testament books, along with those of the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible), …
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