Luther Seminary's Bible Q & A

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Cameron Howard, and Mary Hinkle Shore. Article written by Mary Hinkle Shore.

Jesus was a small-town peasant in a Roman province far from the centers of political and religious power. People in such circumstances rarely threatened Rome in any serious way. A miracle-working Jewish prophet and teacher would not have posed much of a conventional threat to such power and brutality. For his own part, Jesus never took up arms, nor did he encourage his followers to …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Cameron Howard, and Fred Gaiser.Article written by Fred Gaiser.       

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ( Mark 15:34 ). Jesus was not the first to pray this prayer, nor was he the last. But when we hear this terrible outburst on the lips of Jesus, echoing the opening words of Psalm 22 , we might be confused: Was not Jesus truly God? Was not Jesus "of one Being with the Father," as we confess in the Nicene Creed? So, how could God forsake …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Cameron Howard, and Sarah Henrich. Article written by Sarah Henrich.  

Was Jesus married -- and why do we care?

In the wake of the recent publication of a small (1.5-inch x 3-inch) piece of a Coptic (an ancient language of Egyptian Christians) manuscript , we suddenly have "The Gospel of Jesus' Wife" along with speculation about Jesus' marital status and the presumption that the Church -- that mythical, monolithic entity -- is suppressing the whole truth. …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Fred Gaiser.
Article written by Fred Gaiser.

One could, I think, answer this question too quickly, either with an “Of course!” or an “Of course not!”

The quick “Of course” could come from a faithful Christian who might then continue, “Yes! This is what I have heard every year during Advent or Lent, when the pastor read the Old Testament lesson from Isaiah about the birth of Immanuel ( Isa 7 …

Article written by Mary Hinkle Shore.

The New Testament includes four gospels. When two of them introduce Jesus, he is already an adult. The Gospels of Mark and John include no information about the birth of Jesus or his childhood. Our information on the infant and the boy Jesus comes from the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. These two gospel writers introduce us to the older generation of Jesus’ family …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Diane Jacobson.
Article written by Diane Jacobson .

Does Sabbath still matter? Many folks would say no.

Keeping the Sabbath seems kind of lightweight compared to killing, idolatry, adultery, and theft. Many think that keeping the Sabbath is mainly about going to church on Sunday (or synagogue on Friday or Saturday), and that such a practice ought not be considered crucial. But Sabbath is not just another activity. Sabbath is, in fact, …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Lois Malcolm.
Article written by Eric D. Barreto .

Jesus' first words in the Gospel of Mark do not appear until the 15th verse of the first chapter, and what he says is a definitive statement of what his mission is all about. At the same time, his first words are a bit enigmatic. Once we start thinking about he says, his mission statement may be not as clear as we would like.

Emerging from his baptism by John in the Jordan and his temptation …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Richard Nysse.
Article written by Richard Nysse .

God's association with war in the Old Testament has long been a disturbing problem for Christians. [ 1 ] The problem becomes even more intense when we observe that God is called a "warrior." Admittedly, there have been disastrous Christian appropriations of the theme (e.g., the Crusades). It has been, to state it plainly, both troubling to consciences and a source of sin for Christians. …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Lois Malcolm.
Article written by Lois Malcolm .

Who is the Holy Spirit? We often have difficulty answering this question and perhaps are rightly suspicious of those who are only too eager with a response.

Yet the Spirit is as close to us as our nearest breath. The Hebrew word for "spirit" ( ruach ) means wind or breath of life -- the animating power in people, animals, and even evil spirits. The same word is used for God's life-giving …

Podcast discussion with Eric Barreto, Kathryn Schifferdecker and Sarah Henrich. Article (below) written by Sarah Henrich .

What really happened at Easter?

Even after two millennia, inquiring minds still want to know: What really happened at Easter? Or, to phrase it differently: Really, what happened at Easter? Not Easter 2011 or 1911, but the first Easter, the day of Jesus' resurrection.

Here's the problem: our "inquiries" are shaped by our power to answer the "really." What contemporary folks …