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Our initial approach to this text is from a first person response to what took place on Sabbot at the synagogue in Capernaum, a city on the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Were (...)

“The ABC’s of Theology” In his commentary in the Westminster Bible Companion series, James Limburg titles Psalms 111 and 112, “The ABC’s of Theology” and “The ABC’s of Anthropology,” respectively.1 The reason for this is (...)

This brief passage revolves around two related ideas: “the appointed time has grown short” (verse 29) and “the present form of this world is passing away” (verse 31). This (plus this week’s gospel reading) could (...)

The text for the Baptism of our Lord, January 8, 2012, is Mark 1:4-11. This is a gospel which begins with words that exclude a main verb. In other words, the first verse is not (...)

Titus 3:4-7 is the second theological gem of this letter, along with 2:11-14. Both texts are rich in theological language, leading many interpreters to surmise that they are creedal or liturgical in origin. Indeed, 3:4-7 (...)

For historical backgrounds that may underlie this complex passage, please see the entries by Terence Fretheim (Christmas 2009) and Karoline Lewis (Christmas 2010). For historical backgrounds that may underlie this complex passage, please see the (...)

At the heart of Psalm 89 is the question of faithfulness. More particularly, the question centers on the faithfulness of God. As a royal psalm, the psalm celebrates and explores the relationship between God and (...)

In the conclusion to his excellent book, Seeing the Psalms: A Theology of Metaphor, William Brown explains that “the power of metaphor . . . lies in its ability (and manipulability) to inspire new theological (...)

The Times They Are A-Changin’ These days at the end of November are a season of changing times. The elections are over and newly elected officials prepare to take their positions. The Pentecost season comes (...)

Feasts, festivals, banquets, and wedding suppers abound in the Bible, and with good reason: meal fellowship represents community of the closest kind, especially perhaps in tribal cultures (then and now); and feasts give rise to (...)