A friend asked recently whether there is biblical evidence for the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory. This is the idea that between heaven and hell there is a third place some people find themselves after death. Purgatory is said to be a place for purification. The soul suffers there, but not endlessly. Her sufferings burn…
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Here’s another of my talks from St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican Church back in February. In this one I was starting off a series on John’s Gospel by giving a quick overview of the book and its message.
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Every term, not long before final papers are due, my students in the NT survey course are thrown a curve ball. We come to the letter to the Ephesians and the so-called Pastoral Letters (1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus). Most of my students discover for the first time how many scholars doubt these letters…
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For many Christian students, the first exposure to academic biblical studies comes as a shock. Our faith was formed and nurtured with a simple view of the Bible. It seemed clear and we could trust it. We want to dig deeper, so we enroll in a course at seminary or university. But instead of just…
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The Problem of the Law One of the greatest tensions in the New Testament surrounds the Old Testament law, also called torah. On the one hand we read Matthew’s Gospel and hear Jesus make the solemn declaration: “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of…
Read MoreThis was a sermon delivered at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican church in Pickering, Ontario, Sunday March 13th.
Read MoreI’ve been thinking lately about the debates in Christian circles (especially in the US) about “socialism.” By “socialism” I mean the basic idea that some justice can be preserved in a community if our government redistributes wealth — takes money or property from the wealthy and gives it to the poor. This socialist model has been…
Read MoreHere’s my sermon preached at St. Paul’s-on-the-Hill Anglican Church on Sunday, Feb. 14th. Yes, I drew the short straw and preached on Valentines Day! Enjoy.
Read MoreOne student recently suggested that there might be a progression in the Gospels from earlier books that are more this-worldly in focus to later books that are more “mystical.” I don’t think I’d agree that the later Gospels become more mystical, if by that you mean more “other-worldly.” On the one hand, I think all…
Read MoreIn my course on New Testament Theology and History I pointed out that Mark’s Gospel depicts Jesus’ death primarily as a Passover offering, not as a sin offering. One student asked me to elaborate on this and I thought I would share my thoughts here as well. If you go back to the book of…
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