Most general Bible readers have the mistaken impression that Matthew, the opening book of the New Testament, must be our first and earliest Gospel, with Mark, Luke and John following. Read more…
New Testament
The second half of the Christian Bible, including the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles and Revelation. The Books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts of the Apostles, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, and Revelation.
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The “Strange” Ending of the Gospel of Mark and Why It Makes All the Difference
• 04/24/2013
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The Parables of Jesus
• 03/27/2013
“Recovering the Original Meaning of Matthew’s Parables” by Helmut Koester as it was originally published in Bible Review magazine. Koester suggests that the parables of Jesus did not communicate a Read more…
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Gospel of John Commentary: Who Wrote the Gospel of John and How Historical is It?
• 02/22/2013
The Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament, tell the story of the life of Jesus. Yet only one—the Gospel of John—claims to be an eyewitness account, the Read more…
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Mary, Simeon or Anna: Who First Recognized Jesus as Messiah?
• 02/12/2013
Who was the first person to truly recognize Jesus as the Messiah and understand the implications? Biblical scholar Ben Witherington III takes a close look at the account given in Read more…
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Witnessing the Divine
• 12/23/2012
The legend of the magi has fired the imagination of Christians since the earliest times. In art, the adoration of the magi appeared earlier and far more frequently than any Read more…
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How December 25 Became Christmas
• 12/07/2012
Theological scholar Andrew McGowan examines how December 25 came to be associated with the birthday of Jesus and became Christmas, a holiday celebrated by Christians around the world. Read more…
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The Origin of Christianity
• 11/09/2012
Geza Vermes explores the origin of Christianity by examining the characteristics of the Jewish Jesus movement to see how it developed into a distinctly gentile religion. Read more…
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Willing but Weak: Mind over Matter?
• 09/17/2012
It is Jesus to whom we are indebted for the thought that lies behind the well-known saying, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Jesus’ exact Read more…
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Jesus, Paul and the Gospels
• 09/13/2012
Sean Freyne reviews “Jesus, Paul and the Gospels” by James D.G. Dunn. Read more…
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A “Jesus Hideout” in Jordan
• 09/05/2012
Biblical Scholar James Tabor examines the setting of some of the Jesus’ final excursions before his crucifixion. Read more…
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Antipatris: Another Pauline Site Off My Bucket List
• 05/30/2012
Ancient visitors would have approached the magnificent walls of Antipatris on this Herodian street. Biblical scholar Mark Wilson describes the road into Antipatris. “My imagination was stirred to picture Paul Read more…
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Does the Gospel of Mark Reveal Jesus’ Anger or His Compassion?
• 05/23/2012
In the fifth-century C.E. Codex Bezae, an early edition of the New Testament written in Greek, the Gospel of Mark describes Jesus’ anger before healing a leper (Mark 1:41). While Read more…
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With Age Comes Experience
• 05/10/2012
During her time at the 2011 conference of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Francisco, California, BHD contributing blogger Robin Gallaher Branch enjoyed many stimulating lectures, including one by Read more…
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What’s Funny About the Gospel of Mark?
• 04/26/2012
During her time at the 2011 conference of the Society of Biblical Literature in San Francisco, California, BHD contributing blogger Robin Gallaher Branch enjoyed a stimulating lecture by New Testament Read more…
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God Language in the New Testament
• 04/25/2012
Language can become controversial at times, as New Testament professor Ben Witherington III reveals in his Biblical Views column “Spirited Discourse About God Language in the New Testament,” in the Read more…
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SBL Meeting Gives New Insights on Paul
• 04/02/2012
While attending the Society of Biblical Literature’s November 2011 conference in San Francisco, California, BHD contributing blogger Robin Gallaher Branch heard two intriguing lectures that presented new ways of thinking Read more…
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Uncovering the Jewish Context of the New Testament
• 03/26/2012
Most Jewish readers approach the New Testament, if they approach it at all, with at best a certain unfamiliarity. This is unfortunate, according to Jewish New Testament scholar Amy-Jill Levine, Read more…
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The Bethesda Pool, Site of One of Jesus’ Miracles
• 09/30/2011
The Bethesda Pool, where Jesus heals the paralytic man in the Gospel of John, is a complex site. It appears to have been a mikveh, or ritual bath. As the Read more…
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Reflecting on the Power of the Codex
• 09/06/2011
Sometime in the first few centuries C.E., the first bound books—termed codices—revolutionized the way people read the words of prophets, kings, scribes and thinkers.* Unlike lengthy, cumbersome ancient scrolls, which Read more…
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Understanding Revelations in the Bible
• 07/17/2011
Whether we’re looking for gospel meaning or struggling with understanding revelations in the Bible, Ben Witherington III, author of the article “Asking the Right Question” says historical Bible study can Read more…
