Understanding atonement Lent 2024 - Part 8, Christus Victor This Lent, I reflect deeply on the profound significance of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, exploring the various theories embraced or historically cherished by Christian churches. This journey reveals a rich tapestry of beliefs and interpretations. It's important to acknowledge that there is more than a …
Continue reading The Significance of Christus Victor in Atonement
Understanding atonement Lent 2024 - Part 3, A ransom paid to Satan This Lent, I reflect deeply on the profound significance of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, exploring the various theories embraced or historically cherished by Christian churches. I realize that this journey reveals a rich tapestry of beliefs and interpretations. It's important to acknowledge …
Continue reading Unpacking Jesus’ Sacrifice: Ransom Theory Insights
Lent 2024 I've written about the temptations of Jesus before, in a post from 12th March 2019. In the former post, I focused on the three times Jesus was led in the passage, the first was the Holy Spirit who led Jesus into the desert. The other two were the devil that led Jesus: Jesus …
Psalms of David What do we know about Psalm 38? It is a quasi-acrostic poem. The 22 verses correspond to one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but the poem itself does not follow the alphabet. This links it to the previous psalm, Psalm 37. which is acrostic.It is a lament. Many Biblical laments …
The prayers of Paul This is a series on the prayers of St Paul found in the letters attributed to him in the order he is believed to have written them. Letters to the same place or person will be treated together with the first letter to that destination. "A thorn in the flesh," has …
Continue reading Prayer, it’s a two way thing — 2 Corinthians 12:7–9
I have seen a lot recently about how toxic social media is. The irony is this: They were all posted on social media. I am sure that the intention of Mark Zuckerberg's intention when starting Facebook was not to facilitate hate, and people have been removed from that network for hate crimes as they have …
Continue reading Jesus loves to take what’s ruined and beautify it
The 4th book of Psalms This is a difficult Psalm to interpret. The problem comes in verses 11 and 12: For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. These words were quoted by Satan to …
The surprise of Jesus — part 4 40 blogs of Lent — day 25 It is always bad when you have been planning something and looking forward to it, only for something to happen that either puts your plans on hold. There is always a feeling of disappointment. My wife and I will have been …
Continue reading No Lord? How can you say that? — Matthew 16:21–23
It has been building up to this. Jesus has been slowly getting stronger in his condemnation of the teachers and Pharisees. When Jesus called them white washed tombs full of dead men's bones they would have understood it to mean that Jesus was saying that they were not only ritually unclean but the source of …
Continue reading Persecutors, snakes and murderers – Matthew in Advent day 8
Matthew's Passion: Blood money and the suicide of Satan 40 Blogs of Lent: 26 Matthew 27:3-10 Poor Judas. He has been duped by the high priest and his cronies, whatever Judas thought would happen after Jesus was handed over is not clear, but it is clear he wasn't expecting Jesus to be executed. Who can …
Continue reading Matthew’s Passion: Blood money and the suicide of Satan
Making an ass of myself 