GRANT Graeco-Roman Antiquities & the New Testament There are things you can tell about an entire ocean even if you have only one cup of water from it. Naturally a scientist would like to have as many cups and as broad a sampling as possible, but even a single cup is of some help. The … Continue reading Jesus Christ, Superstar
Magical Language in John’s Revelation
In my judgment one is better prepared to appreciate parts of Revelation if he has been exposed to The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis. When a believer is exposed to The Chronicles of Narnia he knows immediately that he stands in the presence of the truest story of all stories, the “deepest … Continue reading Magical Language in John’s Revelation
Try a Little Kindness
GRANT Graeco-Roman Antiquities & the New Testament There were a lot of attributes of primitive Christianity that produced consternation and dismay among its onlookers. This includes the early church’s insistence upon kindness, gentleness, and tenderheartedness. Those early followers of Christ recognized that these virtues were incontrovertibly part of the message of God’s kingdom, to a … Continue reading Try a Little Kindness
WHEN BEAUTIFUL IS UGLY
The 19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen tells a story entitled the Ugly Duckling, where a scruffy, barnyard duckling grows into a beautiful swan. Almost everyone loves the story of a come from behind person, or in this case an animal, who turns into a winner. But those are popular stories of ugly becoming … Continue reading WHEN BEAUTIFUL IS UGLY
John’s Leadership Style
The few words that John speaks about himself bespeak much about his style of leadership and ministry. With so many of the 7 churches of Revelation entangled in assimilation to the urban values and religions of Roman Asia, it certainly would have been easy for John to give prophecies about the virtue of assimilation and … Continue reading John’s Leadership Style
Non-Christian Missionaries in Antiquity
GRANT Graeco-Roman Antiquities & the New Testament At least as early as the writings of John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, interpreters of Acts 19:1-7 have thought that the “disciples” mentioned in 19:1 were “Baptists” who remained loyal to their eponymous prophetic founder, John the Baptist. If Chrysostom and later interpreters have been correct, then naturally … Continue reading Non-Christian Missionaries in Antiquity
Molding Citizens for the Kingdom of God 