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Imagine you are a Hebrew living in the 2nd century BCE in Israel. You are currently under occupation by a foreign nation. The remnants of the former Greek empire had invaded the land of your forefathers a century earlier. Judaism was eventually outlawed, and an alter was erected in your temple to the Greek godRead more

I hope you have enjoyed the series on the atonement so far. In this final post, I want to answer some of the most difficult questions about the atonement that have come up in my journey over the last twenty years. Some of them came up while listening to sermons at church, some while doingRead more

Over the last four articles, I have tried to present a pathway through the Scriptures and church history for understanding the atonement. This pathway has helped me better sort out what I personally believe, and I offer it in hopes that it might also help you in your earnest attempt to understand the meaning ofRead more

We’re half-way through the FaithRethink Series focusing on the atonement of Jesus. Some of you have been holding out for Cruciform: How the death of Jesus on a Roman cross changes everything where I will share the atonement theology I subscribe to. For now, I want to pick up from where we left off. InRead more

At this point, I’d like to offer two things to help us reengage with the Scriptures and Jesus’ teaching so that as we do, we might recognize where Middle Platonism and Early Christian Gnosticism has made inroads into our own faith, including our views on the atonement, and then allow this new learning to helpRead more

What if I was to tell you that many of the most popular atonement theories developed over the last two-thousand years of church history (especially those following the third century AD/CE), have been deeply influenced by a storyline that is foreign to the pages of the Bible? We might say that the real Story ofRead more

For the last two-thousand years, one of the central tenants of the Christian faith has been the assertion that Jesus Christ died on a cross for sin. What Christians have not always agreed on are the details of how this works out spiritually, practically and theologically. In particular, they have argued and debated over detailsRead more

It’s back!!! Nearly a year ago, I introduced a new series titled FaithRethink. In it, I invited us to recognize that faith in Jesus and following Jesus involves and invites an ever expanding and deepening journey that involves ongoing changes. Sometimes those changes involve acknowledging our preconceived assumptions and ways we think about and viewRead more

Pandemic fatigue It’s been just over two years since the novel coronavirus entered our world and nation. Many of us had hoped and assumed that 2021 would be the final year of the pandemic, but we find ourselves still facing the daunting reality that we may still have to endure it. With pandemic fatigue settingRead more

Happy New Year everyone! If you’re looking for something to read and have not read some of this year’s blog titles I’ve published, they are listed in chronological order below. The links  are embedded in the titles so just click on a title to read the article. ​   1. Happy New Year! A lookRead more