The complexity of the parable of the dishonest manager found in Luke rsquo s Gospel alone did not stop the church fathers from cutting to the heart of the matter Jesus commended the dishonest manager for slashing the amount of money the debtors owed to his master and encouraged his listeners to a
John W. Martens
John W. Martens is an associate professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minn,where he teaches early Christianity and Judaism. He also directs the Master of Arts in Theology program at the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity. He was born in Vancouver, B.C. into a Mennonite family that had decided to confront modernity in an urban setting. His post-secondary education began at Tabor College, Hillsboro, Kansas, came to an abrupt stop, then started again at Vancouver Community College, where his interest in Judaism and Christianity in the earliest centuries emerged. He then studied at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto, and McMaster University, with stops at University of Haifa and University of Tubingen. His writing often explores the intersection of Jewish, Christian and Greco-Roman culture and belief, such as in "let the little children come to me: Children and Childhood in Early Christianity" (Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, 2009), but he is not beyond jumping into the intersection of modernity and ancient religion, as in "The End of the World: The Apocalyptic Imagination in Film and Television" (Winnipeg: J. Gordon Shillingford Press, 2003). He blogs at www.biblejunkies.com and at www.americamagazine.org for "The Good Word." You can follow him on Twitter @biblejunkies, where he would be excited to welcome you to his random and obscure interests, which range from the Vancouver Canucks and Minnesota Timberwolves, to his dog, and 70s punk, pop and rock. When he can, he brings students to Greece, Turkey and Rome to explore the artifacts and landscape of the ancient world. He lives in St. Paul with his wife and has two sons. He is certain that the world will not end until the Vancouver Canucks have won the Stanley Cup, as evidence has emerged from the Revelation of John, 1 Enoch, 2 Baruch, and 4 Ezra which all point in this direction.
Gospel: God’s Joy
“Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight.”
Gospel: Weigh the Cost
“Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
Peter is imprisoned by Agrippa I
This is the thirty-fifth entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles In this entry James brother of John and Peter face the wrath of the authorities For previous entries please now go to the Complete Acts of the Apostle Commentary where you can find links to each of
Gospel: Persons of Honor
“For great is the might of the Lord; but by the humble he is glorified.”
In Antioch they are called “Christians”
This is the thirty-fourth entry in the Bible Junkies Online Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles In this entry the narrative turns to the origin and development of the Church at Antioch For previous entries please now go to the Complete Acts of the Apostle Commentary where you can find links to
The Little Flock
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
Soul Satisfaction
There is a reality to which God has called us that is not dependent upon our goods but on the preparation of our souls.
