Jesus at 2AM - A Humorous, Intelligent Look at the Bible, Church History & the Life of Faith

If, as Paul argues, salvation is by grace alone (a gift of God and not achieved by any act on our part), what does that imply for Christian ethics?  Can we therefore “sin boldly” — indulge our impulses and enjoy the party…?  I mean, if all is forgiven in the end, why not make good […]

Every philosophical and religious tradition has a view on the requirements of membership – what it takes to belong to the community of “salvation.”  In early Judaism, for example, membership within “true Israel” belonged to those who were at least: descended from Abraham, circumcised (men), obedient to the food laws and observant of the Sabbath.  For […]

What happens when you take people from different geographical regions, religious traditions, languages and cultures and tell them they are now “one in Christ” – the family of faith…?  As anyone who has ever sat in a church committee meeting will tell you, the answer is:  arguments!  Since there has been church, there has been […]

If confessing the full divinity of Jesus, or God who is simultaneously three Persons in one, strikes you as quite an intellectual stretch, know that you are in excellent company! After all, it is one thing to regard Jesus as a great religious teacher, a political leader or perhaps even some sort of (human) messianic figure. […]

Every Sunday Christians all over the world gather to sing, pray…listen to (a brilliant!) sermon… Styles may vary, but the pattern and basic content is stunningly consistent.  The question for today is:  Why?  What are the origins of Christian worship?  Why these particular elements?  And how do we know if we are “worshipping correctly”?  Can […]

What does the mean by spiritual gifts?  Are we to believe that Jesus bestows super powers upon his followers – healing people by laying on hands, speaking in tongues, foretelling the future…???  Are spiritual gifts signs of true faith (those who really believe can be distinguished from those who do not by their display of gifts)?  Are they […]

How do we know the Bible is true?  That is to say, why should we trust the biblical vision of reality is anything other than wishful thinking?  Or is faith inherently “blind”? Such questions are often met – both inside and outside the church – with philosophical arguments about the nature of being, first principles, Prime Movers and so […]

It is one thing to be declared “family,” and quite another to live out the relationships implied – particularly when new siblings come from communities deeply divided with one another.  And yet this is the first work of the church.  Those who have been called to bear witness to love’s triumph, to carry on Jesus’s […]

“Saved by works or saved by faith?”:  It is one of the oldest debates in Christianity (albeit not the most helpful).  By now, I hope it is becoming clearer that the idea of “being saved” refers to far more than simply one’s fate after death and relies neither on obedience to a divine law nor […]

Before we can understand Paul’s letters, we must first understand the man: the Pharisee, the zealot, the convert, the missionary and indeed the church’s greatest theologian.   In this episode, we examine Paul’s early life, his fervent commitment to Judaism and the extraordinary humility he demonstrates in his willingness to be wrong.  Saul of Tarsus […]