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Corruption in the Palace
I have just posted two articles at Res Biblica on the book of Isaiah. The first is on Isaiah 22:15–25, which narrates how Isaiah is instrumental in the demotion of the king’s chancellor Shebnah and how Eliakim takes his place. The second part of this section from Isaiah is the background for the “keys of the kingdom of heaven” mentioned in Matthew 16:19.
The Johanine Comma
Could there have been a motive for introducing the gloss into the main text of 1 Jn. 5:7 that would make it a conscious effort to pervert the Christian faith? Was there anything in the year 800 or thereabouts that made the Catholic Church want to "change" the belief in God? I don't think there is any except the desire of the so-called "non-Trinitarians" to blame the Catholic Church for their not being a part of it. The fact is, all so-called "Christian Churches" who are Non-Trinitarian were founded AFTER the Protestant churches have emerged. This can only mean one thing: the "non-Trinitarian" belief is but an attempt to "correct" a supposed impurity in Christian doctrine introduced by the Catholic Church. In other words, the "non-Trinitarian" belief is a modern teaching that arises from the need to make one's beliefs look original in the face of opposition and antagonism to Catholic belief.
Like A Ruminant
Last Sunday, as I preached on the Parable of the Sower, I mentioned that at a time when Christians didn’t have the luxury of owning a copy of the Scriptures, they went to Sunday Mass, the only place where they came into contact with the Scriptures, and this, through the preaching of the bishop, the successor of the apostles. We have records of how our brothers and sisters in ancient times were instructed to make the Scriptures their own: each time they heard the proclamation of the Word in the first part of the Mass, they are to make an effort to remember the words. ...
When Was The First Bible Cell Meeting?
Apart from a search query on “Where was the Church founded”, there is also another one on “When was the first Bible cell meeting?” I was thinking that this latter was about the Bible cell meetings we were having in the parish. It turns out however that the one asking the question had another thing i
Putting Our Lives in God's Hands
If we read James 4:13-17 out of context, it would seem as if he is rebuking some businessmen simply because they would like to earn some profit for themselves. But if we see the passage within its proper context, then we realize that the rebuke is similar to the one found in the parable of the Rich Fool in Luke 12:16-21.
The Way of the Poor Christ and the Gospel of Well-Being
The day’s gospel reading from Mark is about Jesus' question "Who do you say that I am?" (Mk. 8:27–33) Peter seemed to understand when he gave the answer "You are the Anointed One". His subsequent attempt to put a stop to Jesus speaking about his suffering and death reveals his misunderstanding: he thought -- like the Jews of his time -- that the one favored, chosen, selected by God will come to no harm. On this account, Jesus rebukes him: "You don't think as God thinks but as men."
Peter can be compared to those who hold onto a Gospel of well-being. This "gospe
Light of the World
How does one reconcile a passage like Jesus saying "I am the light of the world" (Jn. 8:12) and "Ye are the light of the world" (Mt. 5:14)?. Augustine in his De doctrina christiana III, mentions a rule of interpretation from Tyconius wherein it is stated that there are passages that refer to someone as to its head at one moment and then to others as its body at another. The passages mentioned above fit the description of this particular rule. Christ calls himself "light of the world" as Head of his Body (the Church) which He also calls "light of the world." Thus the description "light of the world" applies to the Total Christ, as Head and Body.
Light of the World
How does one reconcile a passage like Jesus saying "I am the light of the world" (Jn. 8:12) and "Ye are the light of the world" (Mt. 5:14)?. Augustine in his De doctrina christiana III, mentions a rule of interpretation from Tyconius wherein it is stated that there are passages that refer to someone as to its head at one moment and then to others as its body at another. The passages mentioned above fit the description of this particular rule. Christ calls himself "light of the world" as Head of his Body (the Church) which He also calls "light of the world." Thus the description "light of the world" applies to the Total Christ, as Head and Body.
Fellowship Based On A Common Profession of Faith
The first letter of John is the liturgy's Christmas treat. We began reading it during the weekdays following Christmas and will be reading it until the week after Epiphany Sunday, the traditional closing feast of the Christmas season. That the letter is read during Christmas should not be a surprise since Christmas is the celebration of God's gift of self in Christ, the Love that is born of a virgin.
The letter provides snippets of thought that preachers readily incorporate into their sermon, especially when the topic is about social justice (cf. 1 Jn. 3:17), spiritual discernment (1 Jn.
Fellowship Based On A Common Profession of Faith
The first letter of John is the liturgy's Christmas treat. We began reading it during the weekdays following Christmas and will be reading it until the week after Epiphany Sunday, the traditional closing feast of the Christmas season. That the letter is read during Christmas should not be a surprise since Christmas is the celebration of God's gift of self in Christ, the Love that is born of a virgin.
The letter provides snippets of thought that preachers readily incorporate into their sermon, especially when the topic is about social justice (cf. 1 Jn. 3:17), spiritual discernment (1 Jn.

