Why Hide the Meaning of the Parables?
Did Jesus deliberately use parables so that some people would not understand, turn, and be forgiven?
Difficult Sayings of Jesus
Some statements made by Jesus can sound startling, puzzling, or even contradictory when they are separated from their language, setting, and biblical background. This collection examines those difficult sayings directly.
Each entry explains why the saying has caused difficulty, presents interpretations that have received serious consideration, and offers an assessment of what the saying most likely means.
The Kingdom Suffers Violence
Who are the violent, what are they doing to the kingdom, and is Jesus describing their actions positively or negatively?
Forcing a Way into the Kingdom
Does Jesus mean that people are forcefully entering the kingdom, eagerly pressing toward it, or doing violence to it?
The Kingdom Is Within You
Does Jesus mean that the kingdom exists within individuals, is present among his hearers, or is present in his own person and ministry?
Many Called, Few Chosen
What distinction is Jesus making between those who are called and those who are chosen?
Camel Through the Eye of a Needle
Is Jesus using deliberate impossibility as hyperbole, and what should we make of claims that the eye of the needle was a small gate?
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"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
