515 results for tag: Brad Jersak
Insults Redeemed – Brad Jersak
Jesus and Insults:
“You have heard it said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,...” But I tell you that … anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”(Jesus, Matthew 5:21-22)
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!...
Woe to you, blind guides!... Woe to you, fools!... You snakes! You brood of vipers!” (Jesus, Matthew 23:15-17, 33)
I’ve long wondered about the apparent discrepancy between Jesus’ dire warnings against the use of insults—a sin worthy of judgment—and ...
Q: Has Jesus’ Resurrection made Death our friend (pt 2/4) Brad Jersak
In this post, we will explore how Christ and the NT as a whole describe a fundamental shift in the nature of death in two essential ways as a result of Jesus' resurrection.
(CONT'D from Part 1, which is posted HERE).
How have the death and resurrection of Christ fundamentally changed the nature of death itself?
a. One approach is to say that death itself has changed. Death used to mean “consigned to the grave” (whatever that meant) but then with Paul, death came to mean “present with the Lord.” Death as our destiny shifts radically with Christ’s conquest of hades and the emptying of ...
Q: Has the Resurrection made Death our friend? (pt 1/4) Brad Jersak
QUESTION: Has Christ’s resurrection made death our “friend”?
RESPONSE: I have reservations about calling death a friend. But I think it's worth doing an autopsy on death to explore the way Christ’s work changed not only our relationship to death, but changed the nature of death itself.
I want to ask first, how is death not our friend, then how it might now be our friend and finally, how might we talk about death.
So first, and easiest, why is the statement “death is our friend” not true? Most obviously, in 1 Cor. 15—dubbed “the resurrection chapter”—Paul calls death an enemy, and in fact, the last enemy to be destroyed, ...
“HOW could this happen?” Brad Jersak
"HOW could this happen?"
The first words that burst from a traumatized heart are often either "Why?!" or "How?!" How could such a thing happen?! To us, to me, to my family, to my city?! When we witness devastating events or receive devastating news, the how and the why give voice to our shock. When we cannot get our heads around the tragedies and evils we experience, even second-hand, our hearts cry out, "How could this happen?"
We call these howls of the afflicted "lament." And I take some comfort that the Hebrew Scriptures have a book titled "Lamentations" that give voice to those in misery. In fact, the Hebrew title comes from the ...
“American Jesus” – Beck Underwood
Source: Vimeo: "American Jesus" by beck underwood
At PTM, we hear in this animation a pseudo-gospel preached from too many pulpits across the land. Yes, it's overt, excessive, and ultimately ludicrous, but it does bear the common, essential elements of so many evangelistic sermons: fear of retribution, conversion by coercion, and rote confession under the ultimatum of eternal fiery condemnation. For those whose gospel is not retributive, coercive, or demanding,... congratulations! You may be proclaiming good news. But it's worth checking. Does our gospel rely on the fear of punishment or the promise of rewards to incite conversions?
Jesus' ...
Interpreting the Old Testament: 3 Layers – Brad Jersak
Question:
I grew up in a Christian tradition where literal interpretation is the only way to read the Bible. I have always loved stories such as Elijah's confrontation with the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18) and how God came to him after Elijah fled for his life (ch. 19). But there is a lot of violence in so many of these passages that I am truly not sure how to view them as anything but literal accounts.
Response:
Drawing from my book, A More Christlike Word, when we read the Bible, we certainly do begin with a literal reading. This is just the first or surface reading, bearing in mind that the Scriptures have layered meanings as ...
A Talk About the Bible – CWR Video
In this CWR Video, Brad Jersak and Ed Dunn discuss the topic of Bible study and several tools to get the most out of approaching scripture.
https://vimeo.com/904160163
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Pearls before Swine? Brad Jersak
Question:
I've just been in a discussion on Matthew 7 and we were wondering about the whole "holy things to dogs and pearls to pigs" issue! Apart from the usual interpretations (Dallas Willard & Richard Rohr both give insights), is there more from a Jewish cultural/religious perspective that teaches us at a deeper level, as Rabbi Jesus always does? Thanks. Grace and peace.
Response:
Greetings, friend,
I've done a little digging in John Lightfoot's Commentary on the NT from the Talmud and Hebraica, and checked a number of rabbinical sites online (e.g., "Stringing Pearls"). So far, I haven't found anything beyond what we can ...
“My God, my God” — the cry for help, heard & answered (biblical data) Brad Jersak
"And about the middle of the afternoon Jesus shouted out in a loud voice, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? --which means, "My God, my God, why did you abandon me?" (Matt. 27:46).
I can't think of too many biblical passages that are more important and more misinterpreted than the oft-described "cry of dereliction." So much has been written from so many angles that I'll spare readers another opinion (for today). The modest purpose of this post is simply to gather some of the key biblical data one should take into account when trying to create theologies from a painful scream.
Matt. 27:46 is one of Christ's seven sayings from Cross. Traditional...
Q & R: How is Christ a “sacrificial lamb”? Brad Jersak
What does the Passover Lamb of Exodus reveal and foretell of Christ's death? How does the Day of Atonement interpret Christ's sacrifice?
Jesus’ Nail Scars – Brad Jersak
Question:
Did Jesus’ crucifixion nails go through his hands or his wrists? Does it matter? What matters?
Response:
From earliest times—in both the Bible and sacred art, Christians have located Jesus’ nail scars on his hands.
The strongest biblical indicator for doing so is in John 20, where we read that Jesus appears in the upper room on Easter evening and shows his disciples his hands (cheir) and his side (verse 20).
When Thomas, not present, hears about it, he says, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands [same word], and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand [same word], in his side, I will not ...
Q&R: “Should we be afraid of the devil?” Brad Jersak
"I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Q&R: What if my partner & I disagree about God?
“Your partner must become completely convinced that you are completely convinced that the path she is on is holy, and that is not for you to dissuade her from it.”
We’re in ‘the Last Days’ (As Usual) – Brad Jersak
"Last Days" Lunacy:
In 1973, I was an all-in "Last Days" aficionado. The "Yom Kippur War" or "Ramadan War" marked the fourth Arab-Israeli war (between Israel, Egypt and Syria) and threatened to turn the Cold War into a global nuclear conflict. Popular "theology" (hint: it wasn't theology) was ablaze with talk of World War 3, Armageddon, Gog and Magog (code for "the Commies"), the Great Tribulation and the identity of the Antichrist. I was well-read on the topic (for a nine-year-old) and knew my "Last Days" biblical-geopolitical timelines and symbols all too well. What can I say... I was a sucker for calculations and charts that made us feel ...
Prophecy Pays (but the Gospel Frees) – Brad Jersak
Prophecy pays but the only gospel frees us from fear.
What Makes Plain Truth Ministries Different? – CWR Video
In this CWR Video, Brad Jersak and Ed Dunn explore the mission, ministry and audience we serve at Plain Truth Ministries.
https://vimeo.com/897931279
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The Exclamation Point of God’s Love – Albrecht and Jersak
Greg Albrecht and Brad JersakGreg Albrecht: Hello everyone, this is Greg Albrecht. We’re going to remember and discuss our Lord’s ultimate sacrifice for us and reflect on his life, death, burial and of course the significance and meaning of his resurrection. Helping us with his insights and observations is Brad Jersak. Brad is Senior Editor of our magazines and a Christ-centered professor, speaker and author from Abbotsford, British Columbia.
Brad, in one sense it seems to me that these two events, the crucifixion and the resurrection, are the crowning jewels in God’s demonstration and revelation of his love for us. When I think of the ...
CWR Video – by Brad Jersak – “The Nexus of Good and Evil”
Short video by Brad Jersak on good and evil.
Higher, Wider, Longer, Deeper Love – CWR Video – Brad Jersak
Brad Jersak discusses, at a recent PTM meeting, his experience and participation with Plain Truth Ministries and the boundless generosity of the love of God that we proclaim - a Higher, Wider, Longer, Deeper Love.
https://vimeo.com/907575405
Brad Jersak - Higher, Wider, Longer, Deeper Love
Plain Truth Ministries | Box 300 | Pasadena, CA 91129-0300
