Though it is quite clear that the gospel authors did not compose their works with a strict chronology in mind, this does not mean that they were arranged haphazardly.
The gospels were assembled with careful forethought, often in order to draw out certain theological themes. For example, right smack in the middle of Mark 8, Mark juxtaposes several stories together, which at first glance may seem to have nothing to do with one another.
First, there is a conversation between Jesus and his disciples in a boat on the way back after a testy exchange with the Pharisees. Jesus warns them, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees…” (v. 15). The disciples are puzzled by this remark, assuming he is…
“If the white man has inflicted the wound of racism upon black men, the cost has been that he would receive the mirror image of that wound into himself. As the master, or as a member of the dominant race,…
For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)
It was easy to develop a leadership inferiority complex.
My peers were frequently touting some…
I couldn’t believe my ears.
I sat at the table with someone who was trying to explain their understanding of a few New Testament passages. They asked me how I understood them, and as I shared how I looked at…
I’ve been in the church my entire life—35 years and counting—mostly within the particular subculture of American evangelicalism. I’ve come to realize that so many Western churches are fighting an uphill battle against the cultural catechesis of distraction that we’ll…
