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Series: New Testament Eschatology

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From time to time, I hear a lot about the early church’s understanding of the “end of the world” or their belief that the “Second Coming of Jesus” would take place within their generation. And it’s usually not in a very good light. “They were obviously mistaken,” is often the remark I hear most. I know it’s hard to imagine but what if we’re mistaken? What if we’ve misunderstood what they meant? I’m hoping that this series on some of the major statements from the New Testament about the “end of the world” will show that they weren’t mistaken in their understanding of the “signs of the times.” Before we begin, however, let’s look at some terms that will have to be used. As most of you know, I try to refrain from using big “church” words. My reason for this is because those words are like suitcases where ideas and thoughts and understandings are packed into them. To explain the words would mean a long time spent unpacking the suitcases and explaining their contents. While such a pil...
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There is No Sin

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A friend is reading Meggan Watterson’s Book, Mary Magdalene Revealed . In it, Watterson brings the Gospel of Mary to the forefront and expounds on its themes and teachings. It’s a wonderful read that I highly recommend. With that said, my friend has trouble with a statement Jesus made. I thought I would take the time and show that this isn’t a new or different theme from that found in the New Testament. Peter said to him, “Since you have explained everything to us, tell us one other thing. What is the sin of the world?”   The Saviour said, “There is no sin, but it is you who make sin when you do the things that are like the nature of adultery, which is called ‘sin.’ That is why the Good came into your midst, coming to the good which belongs to every nature, in order to restore it to its roots” (ANNT 1 , Gospel of Mary , 3.1-6).   Thus begins The Gospel of Mary Magdalene . This really throws off a lot of people. And I admit it’s a tough thing to get one’s head around, especiall...
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Sowing Seed

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For some time now, my daughter and I have been meeting weekly for Bible study. We live in different cities and use Google Meet for our time together. I’m so thankful for the technology which allows us to have these moments. We’ve been studying the New Testament chapter by chapter. We finished Matthew a few weeks ago and started Mark. What we do is read through the chapter the week before our study time and note anything that “shines” for us (good ol’ Lectio Divina and Spiritual Directions classes). My notes are more in depth as I refer to the cultures and customs of the time, compare different translations, and point out Greek words, their meanings, and how sometimes they don’t line up with the New Living Translation we’re using. By doing this, we get a better view of the scene in a passage and how theological views influence translations of words. Recently we finished Mark 4 . One of the themes that crops up again and again is “seed” (pun intended). In a very familiar story, Jesus ta...
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Hebrews 10 and Ultimate Redemption: Table of Contents

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  Table of Contents Part 1 — Eschatological Framework Part 2 — Status of Old Covenant Age in the New Testament Part 3 — Jesus’ Location as High Priest and its Importance Part 4 — New Testament Warnings Part 5 — Hebrews 10 and Conclusion
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