Category Archives: Acts

Scattered Ramblings on Loving, but Not Liking, People

Posted on September 13, 2015 by jamesbradfordpate

At church this morning, the pastor preached about the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).  The pastor was saying that love for neighbor is not about how we feel about our neighbor, and how our neighbor feels about us; … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, Bible, Church, Love, Luke, Religion | 1 Comment

Book Write-Up: The Book of Acts in Its Diaspora Setting, by Irina Levinskaya

Posted on March 27, 2014 by jamesbradfordpate

Irina Levinskaya.  The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting, Volume 5: The Book of Acts in Its Diaspora Setting.  Grand Rapids, William B.Eerdmans/Carlisle: The Paternoster Press, 1996. This book is the fifth volume of a series about the … Continue reading →

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Luke the Maverick?

Posted on July 12, 2013 by jamesbradfordpate

In The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture, Bart Ehrman argues that Luke-Acts does not believe that Jesus died to atone for people’s sins.  Jesus’ death in Luke-Acts is significant in another way, according to Ehrman.  Ehrman makes a variety of arguments … Continue reading →

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Paul, Christianity, and Judaism at Last Night’s Bible Study

Posted on April 5, 2013 by jamesbradfordpate

At my church’s Bible study last night, we did Session 11, which is entitled “Paul’s Peace Movement”.  We’re going through Romans: The Letter That Changed the World, with Mart De Haan & Jimmy DeYoung. My posts on my church’s Bible … Continue reading →

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Aniconic Stoics; the Beard

Posted on June 13, 2012 by jamesbradfordpate

I finished The Cambridge History of Christianity: Origins to Constantine.  I have two items. 1.  On page 569, Robin Jensen states: “Paul had been arguing in the synagogue with devout Jews and addressed his speech on the Areopagus to Epicurean … Continue reading →

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Early Judaic African Christianity

Posted on June 8, 2012 by jamesbradfordpate

For my write-up today on The Cambridge History of Christianity: Origins to Constantine, I’ll quote what Maureen Tilley says about early African Christianity on page 386: “The Semitic roots of Punic religion raise the question of the origins of Christianity … Continue reading →

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Supersessionism; A More Ethical Acts 15:20

Posted on April 18, 2012 by jamesbradfordpate

I started Brad Young’s Paul the Jewish Theologian.  I have two items: 1.  On page 3, Young quotes Abraham Joshua Heschel, who talks about Christian supersessionism: “The Christian message, which in its origins intended to be an affirmation and culmination … Continue reading →

Posted in Acts, Bible, Jewish-Christian Relations, Religion | 2 Comments

The Sadducees and Angels; the Pharisees’ Lemons

Posted on March 28, 2012 by jamesbradfordpate

For my write-up today on volume 3 of John Meier’s A Marginal Jew: Rethinking the Historical Jesus, I have two items. 1.  Acts 23:8 says that the Sadducees did not believe in angels or spirits.  Meier finds this odd because … Continue reading →

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Jesus’ Death in Acts; Matthew—-Jew or Gentile?

Posted on January 3, 2012 by jamesbradfordpate

I finished Anti-Judaism in Early Christianity, volume 1, and I have two: 1.  S.G. Wilson states on pages 157-158: “…the soteriological significance of Jesus’ death is never made explicit in the missionary speeches and is rarely apparent elsewhere in Luke-Acts.  … Continue reading →

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God’s Offspring

Posted on May 20, 2009 by jamesbradfordpate

G. Reale, A History of Ancient Philosophy: The Schools of the Imperial Age, trans. John R. Catan (Albany: State University of New York Press, 1990) 84-87. Today, I read about the Stoicism of Epictetus, the slave philosopher who lived in … Continue reading →

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