Category Archives: Theology

N. T. Wright’s The Day the Revolution Began, Romans Reconsidered, Part 64 (by sending his Son as a sin offering)

N. T. “Tom” Wright has just released another paradigm-shifting book suggesting a new, more scriptural way of understanding the atonement, The Day the Revolution Began: Reconsidering the Meaning of Jesus’s Crucifixion. Wright delves deeply into how the crucifixion and resurrection … Continue reading

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Which Gospel? From Bill Hull

                Larger file for use in PowerPoint. Previous version of graphic. (Thanks to reader JohnF for the upgrade on the graphic.) Thanks to Scot McKnight, I came across this chart by Bill Hull. … Continue reading

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Degrees of Punishment: Interpreting the Parable of Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves (Luke 12:41-48), Part 4

Risk Aversion in the Churches of Christ This parable, read with the Parable of the Talents, is a fearful lesson both individually and corporately. Let’s talk about the Churches of Christ as a body. One of the characteristics of my fellowship … Continue reading

Posted in Afterlife, The, Hell, Luke, Uncategorized | 6 Comments

Degrees of Punishment: Interpreting the Parable of Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves (Luke 12:41-48), Part 3

Proposed reading Degrees of punishment. I don’t buy the Purgatory arguments, and I can’t overlook the fact that the second and third managers were punished — even severely. Most commentaries offer no help at all on this question (the first … Continue reading

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Degrees of Punishment: Interpreting the Parable of Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves (Luke 12:41-48), Part 2

Luke 12:44 (Lk. 12:44 ESV)  44 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. The faithful manager will be rewarded with greater responsibility. In an honor culture, this is a great reward. This is, of … Continue reading

Posted in Afterlife, The, Hell, Luke, Uncategorized | 18 Comments

Degrees of Punishment: Interpreting the Parable of Faithful and Unfaithful Slaves (Luke 12:41-48), Part 1

Over the years, I’ve frequently mentioned Luke 12:41-48 as demonstrating that Jesus promises that there will be degrees of punishment for the damned. However, I’ve never attempted to work through the passage in its entirety or literary context. Recently, some … Continue reading

Posted in Afterlife, The, Hell, Luke, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

John Nugent’s Endangered Gospel: Wrapping Up, Part 2

So I’m struggling with this concept of the Kingdom as a preview of heaven. I mean, it’s not mainly about the assembly — right? It’s not about whether we can achieve a phenomenal emotional high on Sunday morning — not … Continue reading

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John Nugent’s Endangered Gospel: Wrapping Up, Part 1

So I find myself somewhere in between Nugent, Thompson, N. T. Wright, Christopher Wright, McKnight, Hunter, Hauerwas,  Yoder, etc. I find much of great value in what they teach, but the truth, I think, is somewhere in between. (Scot McKnight … Continue reading

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John Nugent’s Endangered Gospel: N. T. Wright’s Perspective, Part 2

Wright argues that New Heaven and New Earth (NHNE) theology leads to the conclusion that every good and holy thing we do will survive into the next age. If I were to write a beautiful poem in praise of God, … Continue reading

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John Nugent’s Endangered Gospel: N. T. Wright’s Perspective, Part 1

Nugent’s perspective is different from N. T. Wright’s. Wright’s perspective is important because it has influenced so many theologians and teachers — myself included. I’ve expressed some doubts about Wright’s thinking in the past, and so maybe this will be … Continue reading

Posted in Gospel, What Is the?, John Nugent’s Endangered Gospel, Uncategorized | 6 Comments