Probably no other aspect of Jesus’ teaching has been so greatly misunderstood as the Kingdom of Heaven. Certainly, few themes are more essential for understanding Jesus.
Mary and Martha: The Rest of the Story
In Robert L. Lindsey’s theory of gospel transmission, the Hebrew version of Jesus’ biography and its Greek translation have both been lost. Although none of the synoptic Gospels preserves the original text in its entirety, together they do preserve all, or nearly all, of the stories in the original work.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 12: menorah (Part 1)
Menorah is one of the many Hebrew words that have entered the English language.
The Lord’s Prayer 1: Introduction
Too often, the importance of the Jewish background of the prayer and of the language that Jesus used has been overlooked or minimized.
The Lord’s Prayer 3: “Hallowed Be Thy Name”
How can the name of God be “hallowed”? Actually, the sense of the word might better be expressed in English by “sanctify.” The whole phrase could be translated, “May your name be sanctified.”
At the Feet of a Sage
Jewish sages and their disciples were dependent upon the hospitality of the communities they visited.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 11: Hallelujah (Part 3)
Last of the three-part series on the Hebrew word “Hallelujah.”
Discovering Longer Gospel Stories
Research by Robert L. Lindsey has helped clarify the process by which gospel texts were preserved and transmitted. Luke desired, he said in his prologue, to present to Theophilus an “orderly” account. Such ordering is to be noted in Matthew and Mark, as well. These attempts at ordering help us understand why so many of the synoptic gospel stories appear in a different chronological order from gospel to gospel.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 10: Hallelujah (Part 2)
The Hebrew word ha·le·lu·YAH is used as the next object lesson in Hebrew Nuggets.
The Lord’s Prayer 2: “Our Father Who Art in Heaven”
The description of God as “father” is not coincidental. The father figure was of great significance in the Hebrew family.
The Traveling Teacher
Jewish teachers of first-century Israel lacked the sophisticated methods of mass communication we have today. Consequently, the sages of Jesus’ day spent much of their time traveling throughout the country, much like the biblical prophets, to communicate their teachings and interpretations of Scripture.
Was Jesus a Rabbi?
It was only after 70 A.D. that רַבִּי (rabi) became a formal title for a teacher, and thus cannot correctly be applied to Jesus.
The “How Much More” Rabbinic Principle of Interpretation in the Teaching of Jesus
The use of simple-to-complex reasoning (kal vahomer in Hebrew) is as frequent in the teaching of Jesus as in the teaching of the sages.
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 9: Hallelujah (Part 1)
The Hebrew word ha·le·lu·YAH is used as the next object The Hebrew word ha·le·lu·YAH is used as the next object lesson in Hebrew Nuggets
Hebrew Nuggets, Lesson 8: Abba (Part 4)
Abba is an Aramaic word meaning “the father.” This word was borrowed by Hebrew speakers and used in the sense of “Daddy.” In lesson eight, the word Abba is used to teach another Hebrew letter.
Jesus and the Oral Torah: Did Jesus Wear Phylacteries?
The Gospels attest to the fact that Jesus had tassels on the four corners of his outer robe (Matt. 9:20; 14:36; Mark 6:56; Luke 8:44). Although there is no explicit evidence in the Gospels, we have reason to suggest that he also may have worn phylacteries.
Salted with Fire
Among the difficult sayings of Jesus, Mark 9:49 is one of the most enigmatic. Almost all previous explanations of this verse have dealt with the Greek text, but like many of the difficult sayings of Jesus, this one simply cannot be explained from the Greek alone.