in the front seat

Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. "  (John 8:12) Light is a powerful symbol and practical necessity.  Without it, we wouldn’t have night time events.  In chapter 8, Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem during the feast of Tabernacles.  Large lamp stands were placed in the Temple Court to illuminate the way for pilgrims.  Light takes on a symbolic and theological image in this context as well.  We understand light as a reference to the darkness of sin, “ In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it .” (1:4-5)  Looking further into chapter 9, we see that light is more appropriately juxtaposed with blindness.  Those who are confident in their own “light” (idea that they possess the wisdom to turn from darkness” are blind.  Jesus is the light...

I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.  (RSV-CE Jn. 6:35) This is the first of seven self-identifying statements by Jesus in the Gospel of John.  In each of these statements Jesus reveals something about Himself.  As “the Bread of Life”, Jesus is a gift from the Father and spiritual nourishment .  In John 6:27, God’s Word, the Law, the Torah is described in terms food.  “ Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of man will give to you; for on him has God the Father set his seal." ’  We can see similar references in Old Testament passages.  “How sweet are thy words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps. 119:103)  Wisdom is portrayed as a woman setting a great feast.  “ Wisdom has built her house, she has set up her seven pillars.  She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed...

The Gospel of John is quite different from those written by Mark, Matthew, and Luke commonly referred to as the Synoptic Gospels because their biographical portrayal of Jesus focuses more on His humanity.  John’s Jesus is much more majestic, His divinity, nor is His destiny is never in doubt.  John shows us that Jesus is unique, the only being that is true God and true man, able to fully reveal God to humanity In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is called “Christ”, “Messiah”, “Lord (Sir and Master are implied), “Savior”, “Rabbi (Raboni)”, “Teacher”, “Son of God”, “Son of Man”, “Son of David’, “King of the Jews”, and “King of Israel”. John uses these terms, but introduces six new terms, all of which emphasize Jesus’ divinity and destiny.  John’s Jesus is called “Logos”, “Only-Begotten Son of God”, “One who Comes from Above” (or sent from above), “Lamb of God” (Passover Lamb), “Equal to God”, and “I AM”. It is this last “name of Jesus” that interests me.  John use...

Quite interestingly, Paul’s gospel is one of the most divisive accounts in all of human history. “Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.” – Romans 5:1-2 (NLT) Before we can fully appreciate the new perspective on Paul, we must unpack the old perspective.  To begin, the term themselves are misleading. Paul preached salvation though the Grace of God to those who professed belief in Christ Jesus. From what we can tell, the original twelve apostles preached faith in Christ and a commitment to good works. What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? – James 2:14 (NLT) From a Catholic p...

“So I am eager to come to you in Rome, too, to preach the Good News.   For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” – Romans 1:15-17 (NLT) The Letter to the Romans is one of Paul’s greatest works.  He did not write this to correct the Romans, he had not established the Church. Instead he wrote to introduce himself before he traveled there.  In it, he summarized his Gospel and made his plans clear. “ If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.  As t...

This challenge to Paul’s Gospel is quite the opposite the previous two examinations of the Judaizers and the legalistic approach.  Both of those ideas focus on a strict adherence to a code of law.  They were based on ethnicity, human constructs, and false teaching.  This next and final group is a type of “anything goes” way of life which flows from the false teachings of non-believers and “strange philosophies”. In his letter to the Hebrews, Paul writes “ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God’s grace, not from rules about food, which don’t help those who follow them .” – Hebrews13:8-9 (NLT) Paul speaks about “strange, new” ideas.  With a closer examination of his letter to the Colossians we see the “strange ideas emerge”.  Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from th...

Another challenge Paul encountered in defining the Gospel is the idea of Legalism. This is similar and related to the previous post on the Judaizers who wrongfully held that Christians must become Jewish in order to be favored by God.  Those who followed a path of legalism reduce Christianity to a series of rules.  This system holds that adherence to rules; dos and don’ts, all of which are human constructs, result in salvation. We must first define different types of law to which Paul is addressing.  There was Jewish Moral Law.  Paul required all Christians to follow this because it was revealed by God and is essential to righteous living.  There were Jewish Civil laws, some of which Paul followed.  These pertained to justice and communal living.  Lastly, there were ceremonial laws which he boldly said Christians were no longer bound. “Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in ...

One of the earliest groups to cause Paul trouble and challenge his gospel was a group of traditional-minded Jewish Christians.  We have labeled them Judaizers because this Christian faction preached that gentile converts needed to conform the Law of Moses making themselves Jews. While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”  Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.  The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone’s joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted. When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the...