“[A Church Divided Over Leaders] I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
1 Corinthians 1:10 (©NIV)
Jesus4u.co.uk provides a large selection of contemporary Christian resources, written from a liberal perspective, including sermons, courses, hymns, liturgy, and much more besides. Find out more...
Added Saturday 5th May 2012
Kevin Carey has written a review of Douglas A. Campbell's epic book The Deliverance of God: an Apocalyptic Rereading of Justification in Paul, in which he calls it "the greatest work on the subject since the work Martin Luther never quite wrote". He goes on to say:
Campbell painstakingly constructs a Justification Theory which he then methodically destroys before passing on to show how that theory has disastrously affected the way in which we both deliberatively and sub-consciously ... read Paul's most difficult letter. His grand rereading depends upon the notion that the letter was not only supposed to be read aloud but to be performed as a dialogue between Paul and a Christianised (but not Christian Jewish) "Teacher" ... who is threatening Roman traditional Christian orthodoxy.
Read the full interview, or Carey's Study Notes that accompany the book.
Added Saturday 7th April 2012
He put his lantern down. He didn't need it any more. It was still dark but he knew every rock and every bush. He had thought of keeping the light because there was a new body in that new tomb but he wasn't going to allow it to worry him. Graveyards were his business. He didn't know what it was all about, the Temple and the Romans were always squabbling and that poor innocent man had somehow got himself mixed up in it. He went towards the place, slowly, almost creeping, saying a garbled prayer as he went. The Pharisees said that we would all be raised up at the end of time but all he could think of was Sheol, the end of everything, the body in its new linen sheets already rotting.
Added Tuesday 3rd April 2012
A series of meditations for Holy Week are now available.
He was overworked, grumpy and alienated. He didn't like Jerusalem and he certainly didn't like being pestered by foreigners.
"Beware Greeks bearing gifts," he muttered to himself. He knew it was a cheap shot but they were a tricky lot. Stay-at-home Jews - even Greek Jews - might not be perfect but the ones who came in for the Festival were never satisfied. And they went through the rituals but their fancy clothes and jaunty steps spoke of a different agenda.
From Tuesday in Holy Week