Who were the false prophets mentioned in the Gospels?
Character Profile: Who Was ‘Bar-Abba’?
Why did the Jewish crowd in Jerusalem prefer to release an armed robber charged with murder over Jesus?
The So-called ‘Privilegium Paschale’ in Light of Jewish Sources
Did the custom of releasing a prisoner at Passover attested in the Gospels originate in Roman or Jewish legal tradition?
Review and Reflections Upon: The Aryan Jesus by Susannah Heschel
Heschel’s detailed examination of German Christian nationalism during the Nazi era can help us to think critically about Christian nationalisms of every flavor in the world today.
Love That Costs: Jesus, the Good Samaritan, and the Enemy Next Door
The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a deeply unsettling mirror, revealing that love of one’s neighbor is tested not with strangers at the far edges of the world, but close to home—at our own doorstep, among those with whom we share past conflict, mistrust, disappointment, and hurt.
The Good Tidings of John the Baptist: An Eschatological Priestly Messiah Coming on the Clouds of the Spirit
I wish to highlight how John the Baptist’s priestly orientation also led to tension between Jesus and John the Baptist.
Like Every Sparrow Falling: The Symbolism of Sparrows in a Saying of Jesus
The multivalent image of the sparrow in ancient Jewish thought made it a useful vehicle for conveying messages about human and divine relationships.
Did Jesus Raise Jairus’ Daughter from the Dead?
Should readers give more weight to the bystanders’ impressions or to the words Jesus said?
Character Profile: Prostitutes in the Gospels
Was first-century Jerusalem really crawling with prostitutes, as Jesus’ saying about tax collectors and harlots entering the Kingdom of God seems to suggest?
Coordinating Ritual and Moral Purity in the New Testament
Taking another look at how John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul related to issues of ritual and moral purity.