Category Archives: meta

TMOC 9: Parables and Miracles

Throughout His ministry, Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching in parables. Even when it was easy enough to state things in more common terms, He insisted on using parables and symbolic speech. His disciples were vexed by this … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC 9: Parables and Miracles

TMOC 8: Rolling with the Roles

In Hebrew language and culture, context is everything. Sometimes a person’s actions or words might be inappropriate because it was tantamount to assuming prerogatives from a role they couldn’t claim. A typical Hebrew response would be to correct impertinence by … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC 8: Rolling with the Roles

TMOC 7: All in the Family

We know Jesus possessed a prophetic insight. Some of His decisions arise directly from that, but this does not remove the purely human motives which surely fed into some of those choices. Too often Western Christians paint the scenes of … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC 7: All in the Family

TMOC 6: Messianic Expectations

(I debated including this, so I’d like some feedback as to whether my readers think it matters.) We simply cannot hope to understand some of the events and conversations in the Gospels without realizing just what the Jews had in … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC 6: Messianic Expectations

TMOC 5: Background

(Offered as the proposed fifth chapter to our Open Source book, The Mind of Christ.) In Western minds, there are two concepts typically regarded as mutually exclusive: God’s sovereignty and human free will. At the very least it requires mental … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC 5: Background

TMOC: Common Sense

(This is offered as a proposed fourth chapter of our book.) If you were born in Europe or the US during the past two centuries, your fundamental assumptions about reality are distinctly different from those the Bible. The West is … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC: Common Sense

TMOC: Reign of Justice

(I offer this as a proposal for the third chapter in our book.) God portrays Himself consistently as a shepherd sheik. This is the fundamental image offered throughout the Bible, an Eastern potentate. He reigns absolutely over His domain. Unlike … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC: Reign of Justice

TMOC: The Task

(This is offered as a proposal for the second chapter of our book.) If someone tells you Jesus was perfectly reasonable and consistent in His Hebrew logic, you would probably take that on faith. If we explain something of His … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on TMOC: The Task

TMOC: Why Did He Do That?

We absorb God’s truth via His Spirit’s Presence in our souls. As one might expect, you learn the answers to your own soul’s questions. When it comes time to teach and share that truth, you need to know what questions … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on TMOC: Why Did He Do That?

TMOC: Apologia

Our book’s introduction should probably explain why we bothered put together yet one more publication with such a title. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul explains in part why the Corinthians struggled so with the gospel message. At the end this … Continue reading

Posted in meta | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on TMOC: Apologia