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As he opens his letters, Paul commonly names others alongside himself. Among the undisputed letters of Paul, only Romans does not have a co-author or other senders named. 1 Corinthians begins by naming Paul and (...)

The backdrop against which the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus should be understood is John 2:23-25. Nicodemus is one of those who “believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing” (...)

The lectionary selection constitutes the third of four so-called “Suffering Servant” songs that appear in Deutero-Isaiah. The other three songs appear in Isaiah 42:1-4; 49:1-6 and 52:13-53:12. Scholarly debates about the identity of the Servant (...)

Many preachers will immediately recognize this text in terms of its liturgical use. This text serves as the basis for the words of institution in the Eucharistic liturgy of many denominations. To understand Paul’s inclusion (...)

As a Christian young person, I remember hearing that the New Testament letters begin with theology and move to practice (e.g., Romans 1-11, then 12-16). I’ve learned since that there is nothing hard and fast (...)

On the day of Pentecost, a small crowd gathered in a room on the highest floor of a house in Jerusalem to wait for the manifestation of the promise Jesus made before his ascension. The (...)

Paul was the chosen instrument to carry Christ’s name to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15). Yet only twice in Acts is Paul’s missionary preaching aimed at an exclusively Gentile audience: in Paul’s address to the residents (...)

It was my favorite children’s game for a summer evening. There was a whole street-full of players, including some of the “older kids” and then those of us who were in grade school. It was (...)

These last few verses of Isaiah 55 offer an image of new creation with the natural world serving as a metaphor for the life-giving movement and effectiveness of the word of the Lord. This passage (...)

This psalm lection contains a magnificent constellation of biblical terms, portraying them with a striking intimacy that catches modern readers off guard: “righteousness and peace will kiss each other” (verse 10)? This psalm lection contains (...)