jesus and the rich young ruler introduction Probably just weeks before Jesus would ride into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, a young Jewish ruler, who was a quite wealthy property-owner, urgently pressed Jesus with a daunting question: “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (cf. Mark [...]
the lawyer, jesus, and the samaritan As Jesus’ ministry began to widen to include gentiles, a Jewish lawyer—arrogant, cynical, and self- righteous—challenged the uncredentialed son of a carpenter from Nazareth with a personal question about a spiritual matter. “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” (cf. Luke 10:25-37). In [...]
an editorial on the 2008 telescoped/truncated/transferred version of the gospel of jesus christ A previous editorial, The 2008 Version of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, highlighted the reality that present-day Gospel presentations discard God’s promise of godliness that is based upon a promised freedom, or deliverance, from the control of indwelling sin in [...]
an editorial on the 2008 version of the gospel of jesus christ Today’s gospel presentations are framed, in positive terms, as the way to get to heaven. Framed negatively, they are how to avoid going to hell. That’s it. Nothing more. Yet the gospel of Jesus Christ recorded in the [...]
the temptations of christ introduction Over the fifteen-hundred years from Moses to Jesus, the Jewish people had lived with members of the Levitical priesthood in their midst—first with the tabernacle in their wilderness wanderings, then followed by Levites living in forty-eight cities strategically located throughout the land (Num. 35:7) and additionally at [...]