Not Either/Or, but Both/And

I’m glad the Navigators (the organization that designed this year’s Daily Bible Reading Plan) placed the readings from James to follow Galatians. Some — even the Reformer Martin Luther — don’t like James. But this is a good way to show the balance between faith and good deeds. In today’s Bible reading*, James concludes the…

The Most Important Commandment

“Which is the most important commandment?” a young man asks Jesus in today’s Bible reading*. (Mark 12:28) At the time, the Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day had taken the original Law of Moses — which included the Ten Commandments — and added thousands of additional laws in the Talmud, a commentary on the Mosaic Law….

Love: The Glue that Holds Spiritual Gifts Together

Today’s Bible reading* includes what is often called “The Love Chapter”. Part of this chapter 1 Corinthians 13:4–7) is often used during wedding ceremonies. But Paul didn’t write this chapter to describe marital love. Instead, he wrote it to show the superiority of love over spiritual gifts. He goes so far as to say that without love,…