546 results for tag: Brad Jersak

Gospel Before Translation (pt. 1/3) – Brad Jersak

Reader's Question: What Translations Do You Prefer? Response: With all the English Bible translations available, most readers tend to pick a favorite based on either readability or accuracy. When reading the Old Testament, I prefer Robert Alter's translation, The Hebrew Bible, as it blends accuracy with style beautifully, and The Orthodox Study Bible, because its OT section is based on the Septuagint (LXX), the Greek version of the Hebrew canon translated before Christ and most popular among NT authors who cite it. When reading the New Testament, I love NT Wright's Kingdom New Testament because of its readability and David Bentley Hart's ...

“Preach the Word [Logos!]” Brad Jersak

"Preach the word..." —2 Timothy 4:2 How many times was I exhorted as a Bible College student to "preach the word"? My memories are admittedly reconstructive but here's how I recall those instances. I'm hiding in the balcony of the old chapel, trying to sneak in an extra 30 minutes sleep. One of my highly skilled Evangelical instructors is beseeching us with booming preacher's voice, waving his (always a "him") well-worn, leather-bound Study Bible before us. And he's nearly shouting, "Preach the word!" That is, when you preach, always preach from the Bible. Whatever you say must be found in and founded on this book, the inspired ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – A Nonviolent God with Violent Prophets?

Question: In a talk I saw you give at an Open Table discussion, you cited 1 Sam. 15, the genocide of the Amalekites, and your conversation with a mentor. You seemed to be okay interpreting the story metaphorically.  That explanation is a big stretch for me. How can verse 3 (the command to slaughter) be a metaphor? Samuel was a bona fide OT prophet... and yet in verse 33, he kills Agag, hacking him to bits! God is good, is not destructive, but are we to believe his prophets are? Sure, they can have their faults, but a metaphor? I need help... lost in translation..." Response: Now you are seeing the reality of the Bible as a "text ...

June 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Greg Albrecht: Tear Down This Wall– pg. 3 Brad Jersak: Practicing Matthew 18 without a Bludgeon– pg. 7 Steve Crosby: Script-torturing Matthew 18 – pg. 10 Jeff K. Clarke: The Gospel of Sin Management – pg. 12 Richard Rohr: The Mystery of Suffering – pg. 14 Greg Albrecht: Politically Charged Conversations -pg. 15

Q&R with Brad Jersak: What are the Roots of Belief that God is omnipresent, omnipotent & omniscient?

Question Hey Brad, I hope you are doing well in the midst of all this craziness. I have had some questions bouncing around in my head the last week or so I was hoping you could help by pointing me to some resources I could check out. I have been wondering the root of the beliefs that God is omnipresent (everywhere present), omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing). Are these beliefs the early church gathered and have passed on similar to the understanding of the Trinity? Or maybe it is obvious from scripture and I am just completely unaware. My roots for these beliefs are that I was told in Sunday school and in sermons. I am not ...

Q&R “What’s the Deal with Hosea’s Angry God?” Brad Jersak

Question I'm working through Romans right now because I want to understand Paul's theology. I am also reading through Wright's simple "For Everyone" commentary and John Stott's commentary. In all of my reading, I am trying to step outside of my human, 21st century, North American understanding of justice (and justification), instead looking at the text as God's plan for setting the world back to the way he designed it to function, which will ultimately culminate in a new heaven and a new earth.  In reading Stott on Romans 2:6, "God will give to each person according to what He has done," I was directed towards Hosea 12:2. I was instan...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – Is suffering “necessary”?

Question I have often read Christian authors (especially the great "saints" of history) who say that suffering is necessary. Is it? Or is that a superstition? Response Good question. The difficulty is what "necessary" means.  If it means, God needs you to suffer, no. Not any more than I need my children to suffer. But if it means, the structure of the universe and the nature of humanity in a fallen world is that suffering is inevitable, but remarkably, these challenges can become occasions for growth and that without them, we seem to atrophy, okay. In that case, "necessary" is descriptive of our reality and only prescriptive of ...

Q&R: “Saving Grace Appeared to All People”: Offer or Gift? (Titus 2:11) Brad Jersak

When ideology presses you to change the Bible to dumb down salvation: NIV - For the grace of God has appeared that *OFFERS* salvation to all people. – Titus 2:11 *OFFERS* appears nowhere in any manuscripts. Not anywhere. Why add it? NT Wright lays out what's actually there in the Greek: God's saving grace, you see, appeared for all people (NTE). See? There's nothing there at all about it being offered. Christ IS the saving grace who appeared to everyone.But surely "offered" is "understood." Is it? How about context? Why not instead of "offering," use David Bentley Hart's suggestion, "Giving": For the grace of God appeared, *GIVING* ...

Forgiveness: What it isn’t & what it is – Brad Jersak

"And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart." Matthew 18:34-35For those who find it easy to leave the streams of love, forgiveness, compassion and mercy behind,... you may not care to remain in those streams but, is your infinite debt something you can manage on your own? Be careful not to forget the unforgiving servant. Go back to the streams of God and be grateful for them. -- Adit Gamble  I'm feeling such a fear of the Lord these days about ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Eternal Destruction” in 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10

Question:  Flikr|Timmy Please explain the meaning of 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10. Does it mean that those who were disobedient and did not know God are going to punished with everlasting destruction?    6 ... since it is just, on God’s part, to pay back with suffering those who inflict suffering on you, 7 and to give you, with us, respite from your sufferings.This will come about when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels, 8 in a flaming fire, meting out punishment to those who don’t know God and those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: What happened to souls before Christ conquered death?

Question "What was happening to all those (During their incarceration) who died prior to Christ’s descent and deliverance of the so-called captives?" Response That's quite easy to answer! I don't know. It really is a mystery.  But I suppose we can say a little bit in ignorance. I think we can say a little bit why it's a mystery: One reason: Nobody who experienced it directly and came back ever described it. (Namely, Jesus and the people he raised from the dead). Modern descriptions from near-death experiences are so completely personal that I would regard them as saying very little about the nature ...

May 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Articles: Grace Is the Gospel of Christ – pg. 1 The Narrow Door – pg. 2 Want to Hear a Good Story? – pg. 5 Franny and Bonnie – pg. 7 Quotes & Connections – pg. 8

Conspiracy Theory: How & Why Christians Perpetuate the Tomb Soldiers’ Cover-up – Brad Jersak

     Now while they were on their way, some of the guard came into the city and reported to the chief priests all that had happened. And when they had assembled with the elders and consulted together, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers, and said, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came by night and stole Him away while we were asleep.’      “And if this should come to the governor’s ears, we will win him over and 1keep you out of trouble.”      And they took the money and did as they had been instructed; and this story was widely spread ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: “What is the worm that never dies?”

Question: I have read a Q & A you have answered on Mark 9 and found it really thorough and very interesting. The one thing I do not see is what the worm represents in this passage in Mark 9. It says "the worm never dies." I have heard that it represents the eternal worm that basically torments you for eternity in hell. I haven't been able to find an explanation for was the "worm" means. Would you be able to explain the best interpretation you know? Thank you very much. I really appreciate you.  Response: In Mark 9, we see Christ is simply citing the imagery in the very last verse of Isaiah: 24 “And they will go out ...

April 2020

CLICK HERE to read now (PDF Format) Brad Jersak: The Finished Work– pg. 3 Jim Fowler: Did Jesus Die for All?– pg. 7 Greg Albrecht: Is Paris Burning? Retrospective – pg. 8 Laura Urista: Out of the Tribulation Closet – pg. 10 Irene Frances: Fear Not! – pg. 13 Greg Albrecht: Is the Bible Infallible? -pg. 15

“But if there’s no hell…” We don’t deny there’s a hell. Brad Jersak with David Goa

Even after my most recent CWRblog post about hell, titled "What if you're wrong about hell?" I still can't tell you how many people object with a question that begins, "But if there's no hell..." How many times have I responded, "Of course there's a hell! I've been there—seen it with my own eyes, my own heart and my own Bible." The issue is not the existence a hell, but whether we have the eyes to see its true nature. To that end, I raised the topic with my godfather David Goa, who always knows how best to set me straight. The following notes represent my best effort at distilling the essence of our conversation: We don’t deny there’s ...

Root Fears & Angry-god – Brad Jersak with Dave McFadden

Root Fears & Hot Button Conversations Since the beginning of this calendar year, in literally every conversation I’ve had with Christian leaders and churches, two hot button topics came up, and not at my request. The questions raised were about: * INFERNALISM: the hell of eternal torment, and * INCLUSION: sexuality in Christian communities. Scary stuff, right? Or it used to be. What we had only whispered privately a decade ago, for fear of fomenting division or provoking reprisals, has now grown into open conversations in earnest. But despite this refreshing new boldness to voice our private thoughts, a strain of fear continues ...

Q&R with Brad Jersak: What if you’re wrong about hell?

Question: Recently, in response to my rejection of the hell of eternal torment, one of my readers offered a fairly common objection: “I hope you’re right about that. BUT if you’re wrong about hell, then a lot of people will go there … and it will be your fault. Wouldn’t it be better to play it safe just to be sure?” The following response was adapted from a much longer essay from Clarion Journal, titled, “Let's Talk about Hell BETTER or “If You’re Wrong, a Lot of People Will Go to Hell & It's Your Fault” by Brad Jersak. Response: The Wager This high stakes objection is worthy of a careful response. “Wrong about hell” ...

Q & R (x2) with Brad – “But why did Jesus NEED to die? Why not simply declare victory?

QUESTION: "If not to appease the wrath of an angry God, then WHY did Jesus NEED to die?  If to conquer Satan, sin and death, WHY did Jesus NEED to die? Couldn't he just declare it?"        Why did Jesus need to die? Okay, I can accept that it's not to placate God's wrath directed at humanity. But then why? I  believe that you have answered elsewhere, 'To defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer.'        But the question is not so easily resolved. Why was his death necessary for Jesus to die to defeat Sin, death, and the Destroyer? If God chose to forgive without preconditions - as ...

Papa’s Love & Frightening Warnings – Brad Jersak

“Bradley, don’t touch. You’ll burn your little hanny [hand] right off.” —Irene Jersak The Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil,  for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” —Genesis 2:16 “If you’re right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off.” —Jesus Christ “Hot!” – Mom’s Warning I was perhaps 6-years-old. Maybe at Uncle Henry and Auntie Florence’s house. I remember fixating on Auntie’s red-hot stove element. I recall my mother’s dire warning. “Bradley, don’t touch. You’ll ...