"For many were giving false testimony against him, and the testimonies did not agree." (Mark 14:56, CSB).Do you remember our conversation about witnesses from two days ago? If those who were so committed to the letter of the law, i.e. the Scribes and Pharisees, kept the whole counsel of the law, they would have crucified those false witnesses along with Jesus. Truth be told, they were violating th...  Read More

'Stauros' is the Greek word for 'stake' and is the word used for the instrument of Jesus' death. In fact, anyone bearing a 'stauros' had their sentence passed, and was carrying the instrument of their death to the appointed place of their judgment...a dead person walking. It was the cruelest form of capital punishment in the Roman world, so much so, that Roman citizens sentenced to death could not...  Read More

What would happen if witnesses would be held to a high standard of accountability? In an age where words are cheap and self-promotion is not only considered the norm, but even promoted as praiseworthy, the Old Testament practice of two, or three, witnesses verifying facts, seems dangerous. Imagine the witnesses having to 'throw the first stone' of a capital crime ruling, to make the awful outcome ...  Read More

So many of the regulations in Deuteronomy have to do with the fact that we are human beings, living in a material world with physical needs. The Bible never divorces our bodies from our souls. It recognizes that we are complex persons created in God's image, but that we come as a total package. That's one reason I like the Complete Jewish Bible's rendering of The Shema. We are to love God with our...  Read More

Possess the land...That some perceive God as a miser who does not relish the pleasure of His children enjoying all His blessings and benefits, baffles me. God created a paradise for Adam and Eve to enjoy, and He invited them to revel in all He had made. Yes, they were stewards of it all, but He blessed them and told them to enjoy all its benefits and populate it with a family to share in its bless...  Read More

...for your own good.When the scribe played the game with Jesus that scribes loved to play, there was something about his demeanor and response that got Jesus' attention: "You are not far from the kingdom of God" (Mark 12:34). Scribes were the students and interpreters of the law, but not just any law, Torah. It seems to me that this scribe had truly embraced Deuteronomy 10:12-22. He had moved awa...  Read More