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Galatians

Background on Galatians: Paul catches word that some in Galatia had been convinced by “Judaizers” that since Christ was a Jew then they had to live and look like a Jew (and be circumcised). This enraged Paul because it goes right back against the Grace bought in Christ’s crucifixion. Jews could not keep the law, so they atoned for sins at the temple. But in the diaspora period many Jews could not make the trip to the Temple and were not able to atone, so, the Pharisees came about and their purpose was to create the Synagogue which served as locations where the scriptures could be studied in the hopes that Jews would find the strength to keep the laws. One approach was to enforce dietary restrictions and dress codes that made it obvious to Gentiles that these Jews were set apart. In short, the Pharisees created more laws to try and help Jews keep the old laws. Judaizers were more conservative Christian-Jews that likely gave the impression of being superior in some sense over Gentil...
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A Note on John

The Gospel of John has always stood out to me as a text that is out of place with regard to other books of the new testament, particularly when juxtaposed with the synoptic gospels. My observation has been that there are verses that are critical to Christian orthodoxy that are found only in this gospel, and this has made me suspicious of it for a long time. It is the only gospel in which Jesus points to his own divinity and Godship whereas the synoptic gospels (and earlier gospels) have Jesus as the Messiah. There are very important verses such as John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me". No one comes to the Father except through Jesus? That does not quite seem the narrative of the first three gospels, particularly Mark, one would think that this verse being such an important revelation to his disciples would have merited mention in at least one of the other (earlier) Gospels. This particular verse has lead many Christia...
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Accuser

The Way was difficult but by Truth I was successful. I stood upon a hill elevated above my surroundings, weary from the climb. Then my enemy stood before me. Broad in physique wearing a black helmet with black horns like a bull's. He pointed with his sword to another sword at my feet, "Pick up thy weapon" he said. "Is that mine?" I asked. "I know it not." "I will test thee, pick it up." He said. "I cannot prevail against you, I do not know the way of the sword", I said. "Probably not, for though art weak, he whom I named Israel had no such doubts. Thy children will not be many as was his, for in thy cowardice ye shall surely die today." he assured me. "Is your tongue still forked Light Bringer? It was not against you that Jacob prevailed. You have fallen and your power is only in lies. If I lose to the temptation and take the bait of the sword to run you through, in your wickedness you will have already prevai...
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A Historical Recap of Israel

Israel From the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisra'el) meaning "God contended". First, let me say that I am not a biblical scholar, but I wanted very much to understand biblical history so that I could better put the scripture I do study into better context. It is my intent here to share what I've learned. The name 'Israel' was first given to the son of Isaac, Jacob, after he wrestled with an angel of the Lord by the river Jabbok (Genesis 32:22-32) at Peniel/Penuel. Jacob's descendants later become the people of Israel, or the Israelites, or the Tribes of Israel of which there were twelve. Eventually these tribes settled in the Land of Caanan (modern Palestine and Israel) after defeating the Caananites. Prior to this conquest, the Israelites were know as Hebrews, still the descendants of Jacob, or 'Israel', but once they had this 'Promised Land' that they named Israel after their ancestor, they came to be called or call themselves Israe...
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NBBS: Romans 2.1-29

Romans Chapter 2 vs 1-29 We are getting into it now! Here again Paul is seeking to quell the potential division between Greek and Jew in the church in Rome. A warning against judging others. He doesn't immediately call them out on such a division, the point this warning goes beyond their church, but he does later (Verses 9-11) indicate something about God's judgement as it pertains to both Jew and Greek. The wrath and fury of God's judgement will the "anguish and distress for everyone who does evil", notice how this is followed immediately by "the Jew First and also the Greek" in verse 9? It is repeated in verse 10 when "glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good" is God's judgement for the righteous. First the Jew and then also the Greek, we might take this as to mean that the Jew comes before the Greek, but that is not it, otherwise the wrath would go first to the Greek and then the Jew. The Greek did not have the benefit of...
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NBBS: Romans 1.18-32

Romans Chapter 1 vs 18-32 In this block of verses "The Guilt of Humankind" Paul gets to the iniquities of humankind, that people are sinful and wicked, and without God we are lost. The power and presence of God is evident in creation all around humankind but humankind has turned away from such authority relying instead upon their own very flawed authority. Paul goes on to make a few jabs at pagans that revere nature and things in nature, and men such as Caesar but the focus is on what happens when humankind turns its back on God. In this Paul points to the evident example of humans sinning in the very city in which the church that this letter is addressed to resides. Specifically Paul identifies that have exchanged the glory of God for "images" of men and animals. Paul also dealt with such idolatry in Ephesus where some craftsmen made silver idols to a Greek Goddess. Notice how Paul does not illustrate God's wrath as some form of impending violent form of ju...
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NBBS: Romans 1.1-17

Romans 1.1-7 The letter of Paul to the Romans was written before Paul ever reached Rome (54-58AD), when we think he was in Corinth. This was a church that Paul did not start, it was founded by another, most likely Peter years before when he fled persecution in Judea. If we recall from Acts 12 that Herod killed Peter's brother James and arrested Peter. When Peter was in chains between guards an Angel of the Lord came and freed him, afterwards Peter left Jerusalem. The first seven verses of Paul's letter to the Church in Rome sets the tone for the rest of the epistle. To be clear it is the salutation customary to letters of the day, but Paul could have been much more brief. Instead, Paul includes a bit about the Gospel and indicates that not only is the Church in Rome called to be disciples, but that this 'good news' is for everyone. He also brings in the resurrection, reminding the Christians in Rome that death, the power of Caesar, has been defeated and that while Ne...
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