Category: The Bible as Literature

People love rules for two reasons. First, they want clear guidelines on what they need to do to be in good standing, and therefore, off the hook.  Second, as rule followers, they want a high perch from which to look down and criticize others who, by their measure, do not follow the rules. In Matthew,…

When Jesus said to Peter, “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” it is usually misunderstood as the gift of personal power, as though Peter is himself invested with divine authority. (Matthew 16:19) This is an incorrect reading. The keys entrusted to Peter are the words handed down to the church…

When you see George Floyd under the boot of Caesar, you must hear the words of Scripture: “You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?” (Galatians 3:1) All of you were, “standing at a distance, seeing these things.” (Luke 23:49) Do you not know that, “God…

The word scandal or stumbling block frequently occurs in Matthew—it’s as important for his book as the word “immediately” is in the Gospel of Mark. In light of the prohibition against causing others to stumble in chapter 18, those not following the original Greek text often assume that “to scandalize” is taboo. But throughout the…

In the original Greek text of Matthew, when Jesus warns his disciples “unless you are converted and become like children,” his statement calls to mind the Lord’s desire in Ezekiel, “that the wicked [man] turn from his path and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) In Ezekiel and Matthew, the Lord, who takes “no pleasure in the death…

In Romans 13, St. Paul dismantles the authority of Caesar by reframing Caesar’s value.  Caesar is not important because of his station or the might of Rome. He is useful, however, because his station can be used by God to further the cause of the gospel. In other words, Caesar is God’s pawn.  So when…

God’s teaching is his will, and his will is the content of his teaching. The speaking and the carrying out of this will has the power to correct our steps, imprinting itself on our heart and replacing human thoughts with, you guessed it, God’s will. For several chapters in Matthew, Jesus himself has repeated his…

The title “Son of Man” is a literal translation of the Hebrew phrase ben-adam. In Hebrew, the name Adam means “man.” As such, the biblical expression, son of man, like the modern phrase, human being, applies to anyone and everyone. C.S. Lewis captures this beautifully in the Chronicles of Narnia, where he refers to human…

Meaning controls understanding and shapes behavior. When a parent names a child, wittingly, or unwittingly, they assign a meaning to their child. In this sense, the modern practice of choosing a meaningless name that sounds nice should give one pause.  In the Gospel of Matthew, the Father controls our understanding of the role of Jesus…

In the New Testament, the proclamation of the death of Christ is inextricably bound to the proclamation of his Resurrection. Typical explanations of this link cheapen it by expounding on the psychology of hope, as if the Resurrection is proclaimed as an antidote for the emotional burden of the Cross. On the contrary, the Resurrection…