Texts and Versions of the Bible - Michael Brown talks about this important subject

I have heard a very good programme by Michael Brown on the topic of the Texts and Versions of the Bible.

If you want to hear this important topic, I pretty much commend you to have a listen.

Go here to have a listen. 

Judaism described in the New Testament - Interview by Lawrence H. Schiffman

Bernard Starr, of the Huffington Post has done a superb interview to Lawrance H. Schiffman, on how the New Testament describes Jewish practices and beliefs of the Second Temple Judaism period.

Here it's a piece of the interview:

Q. The Sabbath mandate for rest and renewal in Jewish law and tradition invokes many restrictions on activities---particularly work. Acts 1:12 mentions the allowable distance one can walk on the Sabbath before it is considered a violation. Didn't Jews always know and practice that?
A. Yes and No. Yes we know about that law, but some say that these particular Sabbath laws only came into existence after the destruction of the Second Temple. But here we have verification that the laws existed in Jesus' time in the first century--- and that the disciples were scrupulously following Jewish law. In Acts 1:12 they were able to walk to the Mount of Olives (Olivet) on the Sabbath because it was in the allowable distance --"A Sabbath day's Journey away" of 3000 ft (2000 cubits). In fact, archaeological excavations have uncovered stones in some locations for marking the Sabbath limits. . 

It's an interesting read. Go ahead and have a look. You will learn heaps. 

5 Things We Do Today Instead of Preaching the Word - James McDonald

Preaching has fallen on bad times. Everywhere I go, and most stations I listen to, all I hear are "principles", "anecdotes", "personal stories", and plain non-sense.

I would like to offer you a very interesting article by James McDonald, where he identifies what is really being preached from pulpits today. It's sad, extremely sad.

Here it's a piece of the article:

2. Sharing
We hear a pastor say, “There are some things I just want to share with you today…”
Since when is the man of God some Dr. Phil and Oprah combo? You’re supposed to proclaim a message. If you’re not preaching, glory is not coming down. You have to preach the glory down—people have to hear a word from God.

So if you are one of the persons mentioned here, I hope you change, I really do, and start proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

And for the rest of us, let us always look out not to fall into this errors.

You can read the rest of the article here. 

Helmut Koester has passed away

One of the greatest expositor of New Testament and Early Christianity,  Helmut Koester has died.

This is a small obituary:

One of the nation’s foremost scholars of the New Testament and early Christianity, Helmut Koester began teaching at Harvard Divinity School in 1958, and continued to teach at both HDS and the Harvard Extension School through the fall of 2014. He received the Petra T. Shattuck Excellence in Teaching Award in 2005. From 1975 to 1999 he was editor of the journalHarvard Theological Review, and he served for many years as co-editor and chair of the New Testament editorial board of the Hermeneia series, a critical and historical commentary on the Bible published by Fortress Press. His books include the two-volume Introduction to the New Testament (New York: De Gruyter, 1982, second edition, 1995 and 2000), Ancient Christian Gospels: Their History and Development (London: SCM Press and Philadelphia: Trinity Press International, 1990), Paul and His World: Interpreting the New Testament in Its Context(Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007); and From Jesus to the Gospels: Interpreting the New Testament in Its Context (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2007).

His contribution to New Testament studies will be felt for sure, in generations to come.

May the Lord give rest to his servant.

You can see him in action in the following video, from 2008.

The Seven Mountain nonsense may be coming to your church

The people who support this non-sense have no biblical leg to stand on. The verse cited at the bottom is out of context.

One of perpetrators of this has been already sentenced to go to jail for misusing church funds.

Don't follow this teaching.