Yeshua in Context >> Archive
Why Yeshua? A Jewish Question.
Here is another mini eBook in the making: Why Yeshua? A Jewish Question. This is also the basis of a podcast that will be posted today on iTunes and at DerekLeman.com. A friend recently said to me, "Jews are better Christians than Christians." He was referring first of all to the ethic of Jesus about healing and serving and making this world like the world to come. His claim was that the Jewish community does these things better than Christians. Second of all, he was referring to statistics about charitable giving and service work and those who engage in them. The Jewish community, far in excess of our smaller population, out-gives Christians in the work of feeding, clothing, providing medical aid, and so on all over the world. He followed this up ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Divinity of Yeshua , Identity of Yeshua , Judaism Today & Yeshua
Had It Not Been for Luke's Gospel . . .
I'm reading Mark Goodacre's The Synoptic Maze, a great, short, bullet point summary not only of the relationships between Matthew, Mark, and Luke, but also of Goodacre's theories on dispensing with Q. Great stuff and his tables are very helpful. Why don't more people make lists and tables of data? I also recently finished my second year of reading through and commenting on a daily portion of Luke in my Daily D'var email list (email me at yeshuaincontext at gmail if you'd like to be on the Daily D'var email list). Luke's gospel has a lot of material not in Matthew and Mark (this is a well-known fact). Luke is the second-most unique of the four gospels (John takes the prize, of course). Have you ever thought of the things you ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Luke's Gospel , Synoptic Relationships
Big Announcement: Delitzsch Hebrew English Gospels
They're done. See the story here. On September 18 we'll have Boaz Michael and Aaron Eby here in Atlanta for a release party and seminar on the gospels. The DHE (Delitzsch Hebrew-English Gospels) represent (at last!) a printing of the four gospels as a Jewish book. The Greek text was translated into a form of Hebrew very similar to biblical or classical Hebrew by Franz Delitzsch in the late 1800's. His Hebrew New Testament is still used (along with other versions) in Israel today. Vine of David (and especially Aaron Eby) translated Delitzsch's Hebrew into a new English edition of the gospels. In Messianic Jewish synagogues all over the land I foresee people reading the gospels in Hebrew and English every Shabbat. And also all over the land I foresee ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Study Tips
Beginner's Guide to the Gospels #1
One writing project I keep working on in the background is a sort of sourcebook for gospels study. In past mentions of this project I had called it "The Yeshua in Context Sourcebook." I'll probably call it something else by the time it is published. It will likely be an eBook and I may offer a print version as well. Yeshua in Context blog readers will also see much of this content appear on the blog . . . for free. But one day you might want to have it all together in organized form. Stay tuned. Meanwhile, here is a an early article from the upcoming book. Chapter 1.1 - ORDER AND RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GOSPELS Before you get too far in reading and thinking about the gospels -- their history, ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Beginners , Formation of the Gospels , Study Tips
The Beloved Disciple in Relation to Peter
*Note: At the bottom you will find a printable PDF, a Sermon Series Starter page from this blog post. In the Gospel of John, how do Peter and the Beloved Disciple compare and contrast? There is a definite theme running through the fourth gospel about this. In some verses it becomes rather obvious. For example, at the Last Supper table, you have to notice that Peter is not as close to Yeshua and has to whisper to the Beloved Disciple to get information about what Yeshua is saying. What is the relationship between these two disciples? What does their relationship say about discipleship and the different personalities of disciples? Do they represent two contrasting, though both legitimate, ways of being a disciple? ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Disciples & Named Characters , Discipleship - Formation , Eyewitnesses , Preachable Points
The Beloved Disciple: Who Is He?
He is the "Where's Waldo?" of the fourth gospel. He is a conspicuously unnamed disciple in several scenes in the gospel of John (and yet I categorize this post under "Disciples & Named Characters"). You will find him in 1:35-40; 13:23-26; 19:25-27; 19:35; 20:2-10; 21:2; 21:7; 21:20-24; and possibly 18:15-16. Who is this guy? Why is he so important (and I'm not talking Dan Brown material here!)? This weekend (on June 5, 2011), I'm leading a seminar, "Eyewitnesses in the Gospels," based on Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses. I'm available to bring this 5-hour seminar to your group. The Beloved Disciple is one of many intriguing characters we need to get to know. ... Read entire article >>
Filed under: Disciples & Named Characters , Eyewitnesses , Gospels as History