546 results for tag: Brad Jersak
June 2019
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Brad Jersak: Only God Is Good– pg. 1
Steve Brown: Don't Miss Out on Your Real Father– pg. 6
Felicia Murrell: Magic Genie or Heavenly Father? – pg. 8
Stephen Crosby: Praying Into the Abyss of Despair – pg. 9
Brian Zahnd: God's Love in Granite – pg. 11
Greg Albrecht: Can I Do This Faith Journey... -pg. 14
Q&R with Brad Jersak & Richard Murray – “C.S.I. Jerusalem: Who killed Ananias & Sapphira?”
Question:
Dear Brad,
I have read your book, A More Christlike God, and I am on board wholeheartedly, knowing that we are still learning every day. I have given your book to a friend whose worldview has shifted dramatically. Yesterday he asked me, “What shall I make of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11) in light of the "unwrathing" chapters in Brad's book?” It is a problematic text. Where have you landed on this one? Thanks for all you do … Faithfully reading your CWR blogs.
Response:
Because of my conviction that Christ revealed that our Abba is not retributive, this question comes up a lot. The greatest difficulty is that ...
Q & R with Brad Jersak: “How do we practice Matt. 18:15-18 discipline without using it as a bludgeon?”
Question
I am part of a Christian group going through some unresolved conflict. One side keeps trying to use Matt 18:15-18 like a sledgehammer against the other. How do we read this passage in context when people try to weaponize it?
Response
Here are Christ’s instructions as translated in N.T. Wright’s New Testament for Everyone version:
‘If another disciple sins against you,’ Jesus continued, ‘go and have it out, just between the two of you alone. If they listen to you, you’ve won back a brother or sister. But if they won’t listen, you should take with you one or two others, so that “ever...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Do people who die just sleep or are they in God’s presence?”
Question 1:
Do you think when a person dies they just sleep or do they go to be in God's presence?
Response:
When someone dies, we know that they are are in God's presence, since Paul says, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8) and they join the "cloud of witnesses" with Christ on "Mount Zion" along with all those "spirits of righteous men and women made perfect" (Hebrews 12). They are part of the great multitude who worship at God's throne (Revelation 5). We know from these passages that at the very least, those who died "in Christ" are now with Christ and are alive and conscious, as we see with ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak: “Condemnation in Mark 16?”
“God our Father, we find it difficult to come to you, because our knowledge of you is imperfect. In our ignorance of you, we have imagined you to be our enemy; we have wrongly thought that you take pleasure in punishing our sins; and we have foolishly conceived you to be a tyrant over human life. But since Jesus came among us, he has shown that you are loving, that you are on our side against all that stunts life, and that our resentments against you are groundless.” —Augustine of Hippo
Question: "How do we read 'condemnation' in Mark 16:16 as other than juridical?"
Hi Brad,
I was wondering about Mark 16:16: "Whoever believes ...
Audio Book of “A More Christlike God”
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May 2019
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Articles:
Religion: Where Is the Love? – pg. 1
Not That Kind of Christian – pg. 2
The Power of God's Love – pg. 5
Happy 100th Birthday – pg. 6
Crowned with Tender Mercies – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
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April 2019
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Brad Jersak: Bury the Hatchet– pg. 3
Greg Albrecht: The Blood Curse Lie– pg. 7
Brian Zahnd: The Sign that Saves – pg. 9
Wm. Paul Young: The Killing House – pg. 11
Felicia Murrell: No Shadow of Turning – pg. 14
Greg Albrecht: More than a Watchmaker -pg. 15
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Is the Bible our final authority?”
Question: Is the Bible our final authority?
My church (and denomination) has a doctrinal statement (or statement of faith) in which it says that "The Bible is our final authority for faith and practice?" How would you respond to that?
Response:
This is sort of question I run into frequently with pastors who've challenged my last two congregations. They object that we have not included a statement on Scripture in our doctrinal statement ... when our doctrinal statement was actually the Nicene Creed and Apostles Creeds. My counter challenge was to point out the irony of a 'conservative' creating his own statement of ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Does God Ever ‘Intervene’ in Natural Law?
Question
I’m reading A More Christlike God and it has been a very faith stretching experience in a good way. It is really challenging me.
I have a question though from chapter 9 where it says “God willingly chose powerless love in the cosmic Cross of Creation. That is, when God through the Logos (John 1) created the universe, he relinquished control to natural law. From the beginning of time, God has voluntarily refrained (‘ chained’ himself) from violating the order of necessity.”
How does Yahweh intervening supernaturally work into this such as the parting of the Red Sea? Does he sometimes violate natural law?
Response
That's a great ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “How do we harmonize the Bible’s judgment and redemption texts?”
Question
How do we best harmonize the Bible's 'eschatological' texts? Some described unmitigated judgment and permanent destruction for the majority of the human race, while other passages seem to announce the redemption of everyone in the end. How do we hold both descriptions together? Can we? Or are these really contradictory?
Response
Yes, it's true: those who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated judgment texts with all-encompassing redemption passages.
who pay very close attention to the actual words of Scripture note how difficult it is to reconcile its unmitigated ...
February 2019
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Brad Jersak: Trending: Deconstruction– pg. 3
Greg Albrecht: Aroma of Love, Stench of Greed– pg. 6
Rachel Ramer: Heirs to Religious Angst – pg. 8
Stephen Crosby: Confessions of a Christian Idiot – pg. 11
Peter Enns: No Contradictions in the Bible! You Heard Me! – pg. 13
Brad Jersak: “According to the Scriptures” -pg. 15
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Was the early church anti-Semitic?”
Question
Hi Brad,
I’ve run into a few guys that are saying that the Church Fathers were anti-Semitic. Consequently, they at least think the writings of the Church Fathers should be disregarded in what they had to say. There certainly was some anti-Semitism embedded in Christianity but it seems ill-advised to me to disregard the Church Father's writings because of it.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this topic if you can spare the time.
Response
Before I say respond to your question, let me begin by directly and without qualification denouncing anti-Semitism in all its forms, including the ancient calls to expel or exterminate Jews, the modern ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “Wasn’t there separation from God before the veil was torn?”
Question:
I just finished reading A More Christlike Way. Great book. Thanks for sharing your thoughts in book form. After reading, I feel that I know you better. I loved reading the parts where you shared your personal experiences as struggles. I could relate to some of those struggles.
Susie and I have been discussing the idea of separation from God. We know that we are not separated but something that puzzles us is why was the veil in the temple rent upon Christ’s death? Denied access before the cross, open access after. That appears to suggest separation. Any thoughts?
Response:
Yes, the tearing of the veil on Good Friday does seem to suggest ...
Q&R with Brad Jersak – “The church is the pillar and foundation of the truth” (seriously?)
Question:
What do you think about the verse that says that "the Church is the pillar and ground of truth"?
This has been giving me real hiccups ever since I discovered how the Church (especially in the West) has played fast and loose with the Scriptures, the interpretation of them, and even the ecumenical councils. Add to that the many doctrinal additions of the Roman Church and the denial of Apokatastasis by most Orthodox priests, and I feel disoriented and out of touch with everything.
Response:
I know! Tough one, right?
Given the long history of corruption and waywardness within the Jesus movement and its institutions, Paul's assertion seems ...
Q&R The essence of forgiveness – Brad Jersak
Question
What is the essence of forgiveness? If I don't forgive, will I 'lose my salvation'?
Response
The word 'forgive' literally means 'let go.' If someone has offended me or sinned against me in some way:
1. Forgiving is NOT saying, I'm okay – I might still be suffering.
2. Forgiving is NOT saying, you're okay – they might still need to change.
3. Forgiving is NOT saying, it's okay – the wrong was still wrong
4. Forgiving is NOT saying, we're okay – we might not yet have enough trust to reconcile
Forgiveness is letting go. What does that look like?
For me, it means I picture taking those who’ve ...
December 2018
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Brad Jersak: Advent, Arrival, Appearance– pg. 1
Eden Jersak: Arrival of Hope– pg. 3
Brad Jersak: Arrival of Peace – pg. 4
Laura Urista: Arrival of Joy – pg. 6
Kenneth Tanner: Arrival of Love – pg. 8
Greg Albrecht: Kingdom of Heaven – pg. 8
Larry Parsley: J.B. Roane and the Case of the Belated Apology – pg. 12
Steve Stewart: Pure and Wonderful Grace – pg. 14
Brad Jersak: “What Lesson Is God Teaching Me?” -pg. 15
November 2018
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Articles:
Enslaved by Religion...Or Free in Christ? – pg. 1
Success by Excess Is Not True Greatness – pg. 2
Thanksgiving Banquets and the Kingdom of Heaven – pg. 5
When Life Downsizes – pg. 7
Quotes & Connections – pg. 8
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October 2018
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Blair Baker: The Power of Imagination– pg. 3
Richard Rohr: Your Imaginarium – pg. 6
Greg Albrecht: The End of Guilt & Shame – pg. 8
Jared Brock: Bearded Gospel Men – pg. 10
Paul Young & Brad Jersak: Big God, Big Love, Big Cross – pg. 13
Brad Jersak: “Are Jesus' Warnings to Be Taken as Threats?” -pg. 15
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