Category Archives: Understanding the Bible

The Temptations of the Little Apocalypse

Posted on February 2, 2011 by PaulVK

This week’s sermon is from Luke 21:5-19. It is not an easy passage. This passage seems to be something like a rocky coastline, it seems impossible not to wreck your ship against it. As is usually the case the best … Continue reading →

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Polygamy and the Bible

Posted on January 8, 2011 by PaulVK

Great post by Nathan Bierma on ThinkChristian on the Bible and Polygamy. I was thinking of writing a post about my sermon this week but this provided me a chance to do a comment and a post at the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, Understanding the Bible | 2 Comments

Fear Energizes Moralism, Desire Energizes Gospel Living

Posted on December 1, 2010 by PaulVK

I’m working on Romans 15 for this week’s sermon. I’m struck both by the audacity of Paul’s invitation and the difficulty of following along. The theology is so self-giving, so cruciform, so strenuous. I’m also struck at how deeply moralism … Continue reading →

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Ownership, Judgment and Joy

Posted on November 11, 2010 by PaulVK

My text for Sunday this week is Luke 20:9-19. This is a dramatic and important text that was not unfamiliar to me. Jesus revisits the great Isaiah 5 parable and applies it to himself and his authority to preach in … Continue reading →

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Palm Sunday was for Religious Crack Addicts of the Age of Decay

Posted on October 17, 2010 by PaulVK

In the triumphal entry Jesus finally lets the disciples fully indulge in their insufficient messianic fantasies. All throughout his ministry the disciples have been attempting to found Jesus’ kingdom upon the age of decay. This motley, politically and religiously diverse … Continue reading →

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Kenneth Bailey on Jesus’ Journey Through Jericho

Posted on September 14, 2010 by PaulVK

This from Kenneth Bailey’s “Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes”. Bailey sees the union of the story of Jesus healing the blind man with the story of Jesus inviting himself to Zacchaeus’ house. He sees the crowd’s initial irritation at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Quotations, Understanding the Bible | 1 Comment

Understanding Colossians 1:24 through Luke 18:31-34

Posted on September 11, 2010 by PaulVK

Got a question on Voices about Colossians 1:24 and decided to write a treatment of it through my text for this week’s sermon, Luke 18:31-34. Luke 18:31-34 (NRSV) Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, “See, we … Continue reading →

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Life of the age to come

Posted on August 18, 2010 by PaulVK

Just some more work on my gospel vocabulary. Here’s another way to think about it belief, consequence, judgment and the life of the age to come. What Jesus does when he proclaims that the kingdom-of-heaven/earth/eternal-life/being-in-Christ is at hand, is that … Continue reading →

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Jesus' culture war

Posted on July 12, 2010 by PaulVK

I wrote this for CRC-Voices for a thread on church and politics. Because of our “one square inch” tradition it is important for us to pay some attention to the question of getting specific with the mission of the church. … Continue reading →

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The Constancy of Afterlife Character

Posted on May 14, 2010 by PaulVK

I’m working on the parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. It is an amazing parable. If you want to read someone who reads the text slowly and carefully with a culture eye see Kenneth Bailey’s treatment of it in … Continue reading →

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