To live as the prophets lived was to live theologically near-sighted and far-sighted at the same time — to have a clear and present understanding of the pain, sorrow, joy, and confusion of this life as well as to live and proclaim the reality of the promises of God. Full reading and audio »
In the Vulgate (the late fourth- and early fifth-century translation of the Bible by St. Jerome), Zephaniah 1:15–16 is translated as follows: Dies iræ, dies illa, dies tribulationis et angustiæ, dies calamitatis et miseriæ, dies tenebrarum et caliginis, dies nebulæ et turbinis, dies tubæ et clangoris super civitates munitas et super angulos excelsos. Full reading and audio »
Daniel is an Old Testament book that is moving betwixt and among various cultures, eras, rulers, and even languages in order to demonstrate that which lasts beyond such diversity and division, and how the people of God will thrive even in the midst of oppressive circumstances. Full reading and audio »
As we turn now to the prophecy of Zechariah, we hear once again the concerns of life after the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the holy city of Jerusalem. Full reading and audio »
As mentioned in our introduction to the Prophets, one of the things that ironically unify the prophetic literature is the diversity we find. In all but one book of the Prophets, the major theme is found in the message of God given to the prophet and then spoken through the prophet to Israel. Full reading and audio »
We live in a culture where people have a difficult time believing in anything that goes beyond the rational and scientific. As we heard in our reflections from the prophet Habakkuk, to have faith is so essential to life that it will change everything. Full reading and audio »
As we turn now to the prophecy of Jeremiah, we are introduced to a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament and the story of Israel: living as people in exile. Full reading and audio »
The Talmud is a collection of rabbinical entitled the Makkot (23b–24a) there is a famous debate seeking to reduce duties of faith to the most basic principle… Full reading and audio »
In his book To Know as We Are Known, Parker Palmer addresses the challenge of building community in this day and age. Many people will come to churches and schools seeking truth as the basis for why and how a community forms and is sustained. Full reading and audio »
In 1928, a young painter in Brussels struggled with the post-World War I world he saw around him. As Europe tried to regain a sense of identity and purpose, it became popular for politicians to issue statements of idealism … Full reading and audio »
On a summer’s day in 2009, Manhattan urbanites in New York City were going about their usual hustle and bustle of starting their day. Rushing to the subway stations, hailing cabs, grabbing espresso drinks, and picking up copies of The New York Times to catch the latest headlines and scan the news items for the day. Full reading and audio »
Imagine walking through a desert landscape, thinking about your day, what you will be having for dinner, or what you will be doing with friends and family the next week, when the following events occur… Full reading and audio »
At the end of our introductory comments on the prophets, we noted that Jesus states in the Sermon of the Mount, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill (Matthew 5:17).” The prophetic power found in the Old Testament doesn’t by any means end with the incarnation of Jesus as the final Word of God. Full reading and audio »
In 1 Kings 18:20–40, Ahab gathers all the Israelites on Mount Carmel for a showdown between the prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal. This is a time of reckoning akin to a Wild West shootout, where contending powers gather in one place for a “winner take all” demonstration of power. Full reading and audio »
Our Lectio for this week is a reflection from CBTE Director Celeste Cranston. Starting next week we invite you to continue to study God’s Word with us as we kick off the third year of the Lectio with a new series on the book of Isaiah. Full reading and audio »
CBTE is an arm of the SPU School of Theology whose purpose is to provide biblical and theological education for the SPU community, the church, and the world. More»
In this free six-part video series, Associate Professor of Old Testament Bo Lim, CBTE Lectio guide for Isaiah, discusses several major topics in this book that has been called the “Fifth Gospel.”
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