Part VI Matthew: The Genealogy (1:1-17)

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on November, 7 2013

“The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” — that is how the gospel of Matthew begins. The word “ …

The Birth of Jesus, Conclusions: Part XVI

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 20 2013

Luke concludes his birth story with a series of episodes designed to point to the story of the adult Jesus. First, in Luke’s story, the shepherds depart, while …

The Birth of Jesus, Part XV. The Journey to Bethlehem

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on June, 13 2013

The creators of the birth narratives, Matthew and Luke, used two motifs in interpreting the life of Jesus of Nazareth. First, each was historically aware that Jesus hailed from …

The Birth of Jesus, Part IV. The Two Versions of the Birth Story

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on December, 5 2012

The familiar stories of Jesus’ miraculous birth entered the Christian tradition in two different forms, separated by perhaps a decade. The original narrative was written by a man we …

“Think Different – Accept Uncertainty” Part X: The Christ – He Is Not the Savior of the Fallen

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on May, 24 2012

In my studies of the origins of life and its evolution, I have become convinced that the traditional and primitive claim that involves the concept of “original sin” has …

Examining the Meaning of the Cross, Part IV: The Symbols of the Hebrew Scriptures in the Crucifixion

Column by Bishop John Shelby Spong on March, 24 2011

The first narrative account of Jesus’ crucifixion in the Bible is found in the gospel of Mark written some 40-43 years, or approximately two generations, after the events it …

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