It appears that the original context for Jesus’ “Comfort for the Heavy-Laden” saying has been lost; however, passages in the apocrypha indicate that Jesus was speaking of Torah study and the rigors of first-century discipleship.
The Approval of Abraham: Traditions of God’s Acceptance of Abraham in Early Jewish and Christian Sources
When, in ancient times, people read the account of the life of Abraham, it was common for them to ask, “When did Abraham finally make the grade? At which point in his life was Abraham approved and accepted by God?”
Reflections at 65
On July the 20th I celebrated my 65th birthday. Does that mean I’m “old”? Only someone who has reached my age knows how young I feel! It seems to me as if only a year has passed since I arrived in Israel at the age of 24.
Studying the Gospels Synoptically
A synopsis allows us to see the differences in each Gospel—which is often valuable in understanding the texts and determining the better readings.
Landmark New Work by Professor David Flusser Explores Jesus’ Jewishness
In March 1995, Professor David Flusser shared with me his intent to re-publish the 1968 English translation of his biography of Jesus. Serious problems had occurred in the English translation of the book, which in German had sold almost 100,000 copies.
Divorce and Remarriage in Historical Perspective
This study is dedicated to those who have suffered the agony of divorce. Tragically their pain has been compounded by well-meaning Christians who have distorted both the letter and the spirit of Jesus’ teaching concerning divorce and remarriage. For them, may this article bring a measure of healing.
Matthew 5:19: The Importance of “Light” Commandments
In the modern Hebrew translation that was published by the Israeli Bible Society in 1976, and revised in 1991 and 1995, Matthew 5:19 was rendered “…ha-mitsvot ha-ketanot…katon yikare’…gadol yikare’…” (the small commandments…small [smaller, smallest] he will be called…big [bigger, biggest] he will be called). It is highly probable, however, that in this context Jesus was speaking about mitsvot kalot (light commandments) and not about mitsvot ketanot (little or small commandments).
Call No Man “Father”
The word abba (אַבָּא), which literally means “the father” in Aramaic, but also can mean “our father” or “my father,” was brought into Hebrew and used in the endearing sense of “daddy.”
Another Look at the “Cleansing of the Temple” Story
Based on archaeological excavations near the southern wall of the temple, the research of Shmuel Safrai, and a nuance of the Hebrew verb that is one of the equivalents for Greek ekballein (drive out, banish; throw out; throw away, reject; cast out of a place, expel; remove, get rid of; put out), it may be necessary to reinterpret the gospel accounts of Jesus’ “cleansing” of the temple, even suggesting a different location for Jesus’ action.
A History of the Intersection of JP, JS, & Brian Becker
Fifteen years ago, I met David and Josa Bivin at a seminar in Tulsa, OK, made possible by HaKesher. As an introduction, I would like to share with you the cord that weaves my life with David’s family.
The Apostles and Prophets as the Foundation of the Church (Eph. 2:20)
This essay discusses a rhetorical device that has played an important role within postliberal writings: the idea that any appeal to the canons of logical necessity and/or conceptual consistency is in itself a defection to “another” foundation, that is, to a foundation set up in opposition to the role of Jesus Christ as the “church’s one foundation.”
The BiblePlaces Newsletter
I want to bring to your attention an exciting and colorful newsletter. If you are a teacher or student of the Bible, you will want to subscribe to it. It’s free!
Abraham’s Temptation, Forerunner of Jesus’ Temptation
When tempted, both Jesus and Abraham vanquished their tempter with words of Torah, just as Israel’s teachers exhorted their students to do.
Tutorial 1: Significance of Idioms
Are there cases where Jesus was using an idiom in his language and the meaning has been lost in ours?
Yad Hashmona: Don’t Miss It on Your Next Trip to Israel!
JP’s editor-in-chief, David Bivin and his wife Josa recently moved to a new home at Yad Hasmona. In this post Josa Bivin gives a virtual tour of the unique community where she and David now live.
Jesus’ Final Journey to Jerusalem
Trace the route of Jesus’ final pilgrimage to Jerusalem with Todd Bolen.
Tutorial 2: Customs
Some common Christian practices have no foundation in Jesus’ actions or teaching.
Blessed Be the “Name”!
We may have misunderstood, or partially misunderstood, many biblical expressions that contain the idiom, “the name of.”