Westminster's
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Morning
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| books_between_testaments_session_1.pdf |
| books_between_testaments_session_2.pdf |
October 19 and 22
Books That Didn't Make the Bible and Why
by John Gooch
How did Christians decide which books got into the New Testament? And what about all the ones that didn't? Should we care about them? Session 1 explains the process of deciding which books were considered essential and which were not. It also lists a number of books that have been discovered that speak of Jesus and his life and mission.
The second session looks particularly at the Gospel of Thomas as a case study for inclusion/exclusion from the Scriptures. The participant will gain a basic understanding of the criteria the Christian community has used throughout its history to include or exclude books from the Bible.
by John Gooch
How did Christians decide which books got into the New Testament? And what about all the ones that didn't? Should we care about them? Session 1 explains the process of deciding which books were considered essential and which were not. It also lists a number of books that have been discovered that speak of Jesus and his life and mission.
The second session looks particularly at the Gospel of Thomas as a case study for inclusion/exclusion from the Scriptures. The participant will gain a basic understanding of the criteria the Christian community has used throughout its history to include or exclude books from the Bible.
| books_that_didnt_make_the_bible_and_why_session_1.pdf |
| books_that_didnt_make_the_bible_and_why_session_2.pdf |
October 26
The Gospel of Judas Recent Discoveries, the Bible, and Tradition
by Emily Cheney
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John begin the New Testament. But are these Gospels the only ones connected with Jesus' twelve apostles? Not at all! Manuscripts of about thirty Gospels have been recovered in either complete or fragmentary form, many of which are referred to by names of Jesus' apostles, including Judas. The Gospel of Judas, acquired by the Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art in 2000, translated through the auspices of the National Geographic Society, and published in April 2006, dates between 220 to 340 CE but is a copy of the original Greek manuscript that was probably written between 130 and 180 CE. Written in Coptic, the language of Egyptian Christians, it was discovered in the Egyptian desert in the 1970s and has a gnostic perspective similar to what is found in the Gospel of Thomas.
Before examining its contents, this study considers how we should classify this book in relation to the rest of the New Testament, how the four New Testament Gospels portray Judas, and what the early church leaders mentioned either about this Gospel or about Judas. The study then reviews the content of the Gospel of Judas, over which there has been much excitement and controversy as of late.
Participants review what the New Testament Gospels say about Judas and then read portions of the Gospel of Judas to compare accounts. Information is provided that will help participants understand the gnostic nature of this text.
by Emily Cheney
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John begin the New Testament. But are these Gospels the only ones connected with Jesus' twelve apostles? Not at all! Manuscripts of about thirty Gospels have been recovered in either complete or fragmentary form, many of which are referred to by names of Jesus' apostles, including Judas. The Gospel of Judas, acquired by the Maecenas Foundation for Ancient Art in 2000, translated through the auspices of the National Geographic Society, and published in April 2006, dates between 220 to 340 CE but is a copy of the original Greek manuscript that was probably written between 130 and 180 CE. Written in Coptic, the language of Egyptian Christians, it was discovered in the Egyptian desert in the 1970s and has a gnostic perspective similar to what is found in the Gospel of Thomas.
Before examining its contents, this study considers how we should classify this book in relation to the rest of the New Testament, how the four New Testament Gospels portray Judas, and what the early church leaders mentioned either about this Gospel or about Judas. The study then reviews the content of the Gospel of Judas, over which there has been much excitement and controversy as of late.
Participants review what the New Testament Gospels say about Judas and then read portions of the Gospel of Judas to compare accounts. Information is provided that will help participants understand the gnostic nature of this text.
| judas.pdf |
Wednesday Evening
Virtual Bible Study's
Every Wednesday at 7pm
on zoom
Cost of Discipleship
What can the call to discipleship, the adherence to the word of Jesus, mean today to the businessman, the soldier, the laborer, or the aristocrat? What did Jesus mean to say to us? What is his will for us today? Drawing on the Sermon on the Mount, Dietrich Bonhoeffer answers these timeless questions by providing a seminal reading of the dichotomy between "cheap grace" and "costly grace." "Cheap grace," Bonhoeffer wrote, "is the grace we bestow on ourselves...grace without discipleship....Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the girl which must be asked for, the door at which a man must know....It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life." The Cost of Discipleship is a compelling statement of the demands of sacrifice and ethical consistency from a man whose life and thought were exemplary articulations of a new type of leadership inspired by the Gospel, and imbued with the spirit of Christian humanism and a creative sense of civic duty.
Available on Kindle, paperback and audio click here
Available on Kindle, paperback and audio click here
Coming Soon!!!
Today's families face challenges not too different from the first families of the Bible. The drama experienced in Genesis happens within stories about families, and the issues they raise-married vs. single life, sibling rivalry, infertility, family relocation, blended families, and the like-and are startlingly relevant to families of today. This book examines the families of Genesis, starting with how the Adam and Eve story encompasses far more ways of being family-including singleness-than most of us think, and shows us that the ups and downs of the relationship between Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, and Ishmael can help us understand the complicated dynamic of blended families. It also looks at the sibling rivalry of the Cain and Abel story and points to the jealousy and violence to which the whole human family seems addicted. The final chapter exploring death in the family argues that death leaves a hole, not simply in the hearts of loved ones but within the ongoing stories that families tell about themselves. Carolyn Helsel and Suzie Park invite readers to consider these connections as they reexamine modern family life as well.
Available on the Thoughtful Christian or on Kindle
Available on the Thoughtful Christian or on Kindle
October 29 and November 2
Mary MagdaleneTradition and Gospel
by William M. Ramsay
Ever since the publication of The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene has been the most read-about follower of Jesus in all the Gospels. Yet down through history there has been a curious variety of understandings--or misunderstandings--of just who Mary was.
Does the Bible present a unified picture of Mary Magdalene? What is it? How has the church understood the character of Mary Magdalene through the centuries, and how should we see her now? Finally, what light does the Gospel of Mary shed on her?
This two-session study is designed to help participants think about what we know about Mary Magdalene and what her story means to us. It looks at what the Bible actually says about her and how tradition evolved to create her popular image as a penitent prostitute. The second session looks specifically at the Gospel of Mary, a book that was not included in our Bible but was known by many of our biblical writers. It was discovered in 1896, and its content is discussed.
by William M. Ramsay
Ever since the publication of The Da Vinci Code, Mary Magdalene has been the most read-about follower of Jesus in all the Gospels. Yet down through history there has been a curious variety of understandings--or misunderstandings--of just who Mary was.
Does the Bible present a unified picture of Mary Magdalene? What is it? How has the church understood the character of Mary Magdalene through the centuries, and how should we see her now? Finally, what light does the Gospel of Mary shed on her?
This two-session study is designed to help participants think about what we know about Mary Magdalene and what her story means to us. It looks at what the Bible actually says about her and how tradition evolved to create her popular image as a penitent prostitute. The second session looks specifically at the Gospel of Mary, a book that was not included in our Bible but was known by many of our biblical writers. It was discovered in 1896, and its content is discussed.
| mary_magdalene_session_1.pdf |
| mary_magdalene_session_2.pdf |