A Virtual File Cabinet for Our Studies of Christian Origins & Hebraic Faith
The only Gospel account where the resurrection appearance to the women includes them touching or taking hold of Jesus’ feet is in Matthew’s Gospel. In contrast to his command to Mary Magdalene in John 20 to not touch him. Matthew 28:9-10 So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to […]
Continue ReadingBelow is a two-part response from an AI. All claims are grounded in critical historical scholarship, not confessional theology. Part I — Jesus and the Pharisees: Continuity and Rupture 1. Areas of Strong Continuity Most critical scholars agree that Jesus operates largely within a Pharisaic interpretive world, not against Judaism itself. Torah as central authority […]
Continue ReadingThis is a follow-up post to The Rise of the Maccabees & Synagogue-based Torah Instruction at this site. Scroll below this response for one that incorporates the Quram community. Below is a direct contrast between the Maccabean-era synagogue/Torah-institutionalization model and Second Temple priestly continuity models, keeping the focus on critical scholarship and embedding sources directly […]
Continue ReadingThis is a summary prepared by ChatGPT of a BAR article. Below is a chronological timeline of the major events in Andrea M. Berlin, “The Rise of the Maccabees,” Biblical Archaeology Review 49.2 (2023), with historical and archaeological context drawn directly from the article. The original timeline was expanded to integrate events and developments proposed […]
Continue ReadingFrom the forward to Days of Awe and Wonder: How to Be a Christian in the Twenty-first Century. A passage from the Jewish Sabbath Prayer Book: Days pass, and the years vanish, and we walk sightless among miracles. Fill our eyes with seeing and our minds with knowing. Let there be moments when your Presence, […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT Here’s what critical Bible scholars generally say about Genesis 14 in relation to the rest of Genesis—especially regarding its language, source and the term “Hebrew.” All points below are cited to academic or widely-accepted scholarly discussions and avoid devotional or theological commentary. Genesis 14’s uniqueness in critical scholarship The term “Hebrew” (ʿivri) in […]
Continue ReadingPosted 1/4/2025 – In Paula Fredrikson’s YouTube video “When Does Christianity Begin…” during the Q&A a young lady asked Paula if she understood correctly what Paula was saying about Paul being a Judaizer. Paula’s response to the audience began forcefully that the young lady made “a very rich comment” The gist of the question was […]
Continue ReadingFrom ChatGPT on 1/4/2026 and below that are extracts from a good BAR article. Prompt: When did Saul become Paul in the New Testament? In the New Testament, Saul does not undergo a formal “name change” moment like Abram→Abraham. Instead, the shift from Saul to Paul happens quietly and narratively in the book of Acts. […]
Continue ReadingFollow the Pharisaic law – Matthew 23:1-3 — 1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’s seat; 3 therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it, but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.” NRSV Reminder – […]
Continue ReadingOf course, the earlier paradigm uses the language of God’s grace and compassion and love, but its own internal logic turns being Christian into a life of requirement and rewards, thereby compromising the notion of grace. Indeed, it nullifies grace, for grace that has conditions attached is no longer grace. (p. 23). The notions of […]
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