The Wandering Heretic

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Michael Spencer has had an interesting blog series on Heaven. Michael does not disbelieve in heaven but he does note the paradox of our modern definition of the Gospel being about “going to heaven when you die” and the absence of this emphasis in the Scriptures themselves. He titles this series “Too Much Heaven” and [...]

The decision of James at the Jerusalem council has been the subject of some controversy; not the decision itself but the rational behind the decision. Unless someone is willing to admit that the four restrictions of Gentile behavior were arbitrary, James had to have some underlying understanding of the Scriptures that prompted that focus. This [...]

The decision of James at the Jerusalem Council almost demands a search for the underlying logic. On its own, the four stipulations given to the Gentiles appear almost random. They were to avoid “things” sacrificed to idols, blood, food that was strangled, and “sexual perversion.” As I noted previously, this is hardly a comprehensive ethic. [...]

Since I am exploring how the Assembly (commonly translated as “church”) is a Gentile attachment to Israel within Gentile Lands, I figured now would be a good time to wish everyone a Happy Passover. Passover is not yet, you say? This is Easter season; Passover is not until April 19th of this year you say? [...]

In my last post, I discussed Tim Hegg’s proposed underlying logic behind James decision at the Jerusalem Council. Hegg’s rather extensive and valuable contribution to this topic is contained in his essay, Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council. In that document, Hegg proposes that the four restrictions given on Gentile behavior all had to do [...]

The decision of James at the Jerusalem Council in Acts 15:19-21 and codified in a letter to the Gentile churches in Acts 15:28-29 almost begs for an underlying rational. On its own, it does not serve as a comprehensive ethic, for it restricts Gentiles only from 1) things offered to images, 2) blood, 3) things [...]

In my last post, I noted the quandary that was created by God’s desire to “bring in the Gentiles.” The Apostles were taken aback by just how committed God was to that goal. In essence, they suddenly had a large group of Gentiles who were attaching themselves to Israel through the Jewish Messiah, Jesus. Through [...]

N.T. Wright has often said that an ordination question he asks seminarians concerns just what three chapters of the Bible they would keep if they were about to be stranded on a desert island. Then he notes, they already have Matthew 28, John 3, and Romans 8. I used to be at a loss for [...]

I have concluded that the Body of Christ in the New Testament has superseded the role of Israel in the Old. To prove this point, I separated the role of the Land of Israel from the Religion of Judaism. This distinction, though true, is not entirely applicable. After all, the religion of the Land of [...]