So forgiveness pre-requires understanding the mistakes of the past? here hear re this opposing this me-first, America-first, white-first, male-first approach>…
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
-
Lesson 1: Introduction to John
Read MORE: Lesson 1: Introduction to JohnAs soon as you start reading John’s Gospel, you know you are into something very different. Mark starts with a carpenter having a religious experience and leaving his business and family; Matthew with foreign scholars worshiping an infant the Jewish…
-
Lesson 2: Who is God? (John 1: 1-5, 10-13)
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Who is God? (John 1: 1-5, 10-13)What is John up to? Seems to me he is tackling perhaps the most difficult problem of Christianity: how to explain what it means to proclaim a human being is God. There is no way you can convey how he…
-
Lesson 3: Jesus is the Word Made Flesh (John 1)
Read MORE: Lesson 3: Jesus is the Word Made Flesh (John 1)What does John mean when he writes, “And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth…From his fullness we have all…
-
Lesson 4: Come and See
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Come and SeeThroughout his book, John proclaims the Gospel is a love story that features the Word, a rational or spiritual principle, becoming human in order to woo his people. What was once an intellectual concept is now a human life. That…
-
Lesson 5: The Bridegroom and the Lamb
Read MORE: Lesson 5: The Bridegroom and the LambIn last week’s comments Bob asks the important question about how we should read the differences in the four gospels. Derek responds with his usual critical insights. You can read what they said and contribute your ideas on the site…
-
Lesson 6: God, the Lover
Read MORE: Lesson 6: God, the LoverIn John 3, Nicodemus, a teacher of Hebrew law, comes under cover of night to have a discussion with Jesus. He leaves baffled by Jesus’ words about being “born again,” failing to perceive the deep spiritual meaning. But that is…
-
Lesson 7: Foreigner, Woman, Adulterer
Read MORE: Lesson 7: Foreigner, Woman, AdultererChapter 4 begins with a tired and thirsty Jesus. John obviously does not think the Incarnate God is a superman. Significantly, his gospel is the one in which Jesus cries, “I thirst!” from the cross. When this Jewish rabbi finds…
-
Lesson 8: I Am the Bread of Life
Read MORE: Lesson 8: I Am the Bread of LifeJohn 6 is built around Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the Bread of Life,” John’s working of the Feeding of the Multitude. His presentation of the Feeding almost parallels the reports of the other three gospels in which the mighty work…
-
Lesson 9: Truth
Read MORE: Lesson 9: TruthJohn 7 and 8 picture Jesus constantly on the run, constantly hiding; as just about every group in his society, beginning with his own family, challenges his authority or even attempts to arrest and kill him. Then in the midst…
-
Lesson 10: Healing
Read MORE: Lesson 10: HealingJohn 9 uses the healing of a blind man to support Jesus’ proclamation, “I am the Light of the World.” Its treatment makes clear we are talking about more than restoring sight to eyes, so we can sense and sort…
Recent Comments
An extremely timely topic. Thanks, Fritz!
yes we need to forgive our leaders yet make sure they do the right thing – which they aren’t.