Reflections on Scripture

Jesus, the penniless Messiah, is our sustenance.

Christ's resurrection determines the meaning of Easter. But what is the significance of that resurrection?

Is desiring to publish mere hubris? And why do I want to publish so badly?

The multitude of angels wasn't a choir. It was an army.

What are we (Advent) waiting for?

A healthy work ethic requires a healthy rest ethic. But what exactly is rest, and what makes it good?

Five problematic New Testament passages tell slaves to obey masters but also contain surprising glimmers of justice.

Author interview at Lake Forest Church on Paul's letter to Philemon, slavery in the New Testament, and my novel, Neither Slave nor Free.

Bible readers rightly worry over Paul's view of slavery. However, the emancipatory passages in his writings complicate the story.

Bishop William Meade, a pro-slavery preacher, may be my ancestor. My novel, Neither Slave nor Free, alters that shameful family story.

What circumstance gave rise to the New Testament letter to Philemon? Was Onesimus a fugitive slave? Find answers here.

Jesus's ministry of liberation is critical context for interpreting five problem passages on slavery in the New Testament.

Hebrew actually and logically speaks of the past as what lies in front of us so that we can see it and of the future as what lies behind...

Philemon is the shortest of Paul’s epistles. Although even identifying the subject matter of the letter is controversial, readers...

Washington Black suggests we should oppose racism not because it's morally wrong, but because we care about those who suffer from it.

The following is an imaginative fictional account of Zechariah’s experience in the temple (Luke 1:5-20). I suggest reading the passage of...

In recent posts (e.g., here and here), I’ve been writing about the authorship of the Gospels, and the degree to which Gospel content may...

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what, exactly, the message of the gospel is. Of course, the term ‘gospel’ means “good news.” The puzzle...

Why did Paul send Onesimus back to Philemon? He didn't support slavery. Instead, he wanted Onesimus freed and the two brothers reconciled.

There is something deeply right and beautiful about the principle, “From each according to her ability, to each according to her need.”...