In the last few issues I have been sharing thoughts about the Letter to the Hebrews which is attributed to Paul. I shared that scholars have suggested that in Judaism there were many different ideas about sacrifice and that Western … Continue reading
Category Archives: A Look at the New Testament
In the last issue of this article, the idea of there being many different purposes for sacrifice were introduced. Sacrifice and sin are no intrinsically connected. In Judaism, the high priest, appointed from the tribe of Levi, was the chief … Continue reading
In this article I have been looking at the Letter to the Hebrews which is attributed to St. Paul. It begins this way: In times past, God spoke in fragmentary and varied ways to our fathers through the prophets; in … Continue reading
We have been considering that which is considered Paul’s Letter to the Hebrews. The author’s (perhaps not Paul) repeated use of the Jewish Bible tells us something about the community. Not only does it suggest that the Old Testament (OT) … Continue reading
The next book chronologically of the New Testament (NT) that needs to be considered is the Letter to Hebrews which is attributed to Paul. The letter is exceptionally rich. Its central and best-known metaphor presents Jesus as the “great high … Continue reading
In the last issue I suggested that the last three sentences of Matthew’s Gospel combine affirmation, imperative and promise. I shared with you the affirmation that is there. The affirmation was that Jesus proclaimed that He had been granted “all … Continue reading
In this article I have been looking at the context in which Matthew’s Gospel was composed. His intensified invective against Jews flows from conflicts between his community of Christian Jews and other Jews in his setting. This realization does not … Continue reading
In the last issue of this article I shared an impression about Matthew’s gospel. Although the most Jewish in nature, it conveys a heightened hostility toward Jews. This calls for further comment. The conflict between the early Christians and the … Continue reading
We have been considering the Gospel of St. Matthew, the first book presented in the New Testament (NT) but definitely not the first book to be written by the early Church. I shared with you the fact that Matthew’s Gospel … Continue reading
In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus restricts His mission during His lifetime to Jews. When He gives His disciples mission instructions, He tells them: Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost … Continue reading