Biblical scholar N.T. Wright believes that failing to read the New Testament in its proper context has a devastating effect on both the unity of the Christian church and the theological understanding of God and the world. 

“When we fail to care about or recognize the history, literature, and theology of the early Christians, we tend to make them in our own image,” Wright told The Christian Post. “We imagine that they’re just like us with our sorts of concerns, yet very often they’re not.”

The early Christians, particularly those from the Jewish background, were “celebrating the fact that in and through Jesus, something had just happened, and as result, the world was a different place,” he continued.

“In other words, this was news. Something had happened, something would therefore happen and they were caught up in this new movement. For us, Christianity has collapsed into being a set of good advice about how to go to Heaven when you die. We forget that it started off as news and about something that happened concerning Jesus. If we could reemphasize that, we would all be a lot healthier for it.”

Wright, a retired Anglican bishop and now chair of New Testament and early Christianity at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, is seeking to combat biblical illiteracy through his new book, The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians, co-authored with Michael F. Bird.

Complete with maps, diagrams, and a series of lectures, the book is intended for both students needing an introduction to the New Testament and any Christian feeling stuck reading Scripture, according to Wright.

“It’s an invitation to walk in the Jewish world, the Greek world, the Roman world of the New Testament,” he said. “What it was like living in those days, why people thought the way they did, why they looked at things the way they did. And then particularly, what can we actually say about Jesus himself, about the Gospels, about the early Christians, about Paul, about the resurrection?”

His goal, Wright said, is to “transform the way that the next generation learns and studies the new Testament, both in seminaries and colleges and in churches more broadly.”

“It’s user-friendly enough for the absolute beginner, but then it’ll take people on a long way from there into all sorts of exciting stuff, more than they’d ever imagined,” he said.

The theologian stressed that the ultimate truth in the New Testament is deeply personal, not a mere “how-to” guide when it comes to living a good, moral life. He expressed hope that The New Testament in Its World will help modern-day believers study and apply the New Testament with a clarified focus and mission.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Leah MarieAnn Klett

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The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1.

An incredible rescue took place a couple weeks ago in Bellevue, Nebraska. Photographer Terry Ingram was out taking photos of eagles when a car flew past him and lost control while crossing railroad tracks. It struck a fire hydrant and flipped upside down in an icy pond. Terry courageously ran into the freezing water and was able to get one of the car doors open. He heard a young man say, “Get me out, it’s filling full of water.” Terry pulled all three men from that vehicle and helped drag them to shore, heroically saving their lives.

Terry said, “God puts people in places for a reason.” These men, two of whom are 19, were in desperate need when they were rescued. Similarly, God intervened when you and I were helpless to save ourselves from sin and death.

The apostle Paul wrote, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

Jesus entered an “ice-cold pond” at the cross and took the punishment that you and I deserve to pay for our sins. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.” (Isaiah 53:5) It was by far the most dramatic rescue of all time! Our great and awesome God came after us because He loves us so much and wanted to save us from an eternity without Him.

The critical question is this: Will you rely upon Christ’s payment for your transgressions? Simply turn away from sin and trust Jesus to forgive you. Oswald Chambers stated, “The reason it is so easy to obtain salvation is because it cost God so much.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Dan Delzell

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Kobe Bryant was among nine who died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning in California, which was first reported by TMZ. The NBA star, 41, was traveling in his private helicopter when it crashed in Calabasas.

A call for a downed helicopter went out around 10:00 a.m. local time, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Firefighters arrived at the scene and put out the flames, including the brushfire that resulted from the crash.

The Sheriff’s Department confirmed that all nine people, including the pilot, on the helicopter were deceased.

“Unfortunately there were no survivors,” said Tony Imbrenda of the Los Angeles County Fire.

At a Sunday press conference, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said though there’s wide speculation, “It would be entirely inappropriate right now to identify anyone by name until the coroner has made the identification … It would be extremely disrespectful to understand that your loved one who is perished and you learn about it from TMZ. That is just wholly inappropriate. We’re going to wait until the coroner does their job.”

The shocking news have left fans offering prayers for Bryant’s family. Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, have four daughters.

An investigation is underway. The LA County Sheriffs will announce details of the crash later this afternoon.

SOURCE: Christian Post; Christian Today

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Anne Graham Lotz has faced a difficult journey over the past few years. After losing her husband in 2015 and then her father — the famed evangelist Billy Graham — in 2018, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

It was a harrowing journey filled with painful treatments that left Lotz, author of the new book, Jesus In Me: Experiencing the Holy Spirit as a Constant Companion, with spiritual and physical challenges — and life-altering lessons.

“I have experienced triumph in some of the darkest places,” she recently told “The Pure Flix Podcast.” “And I know it’s because of the Holy Spirit.”

Listen to Lotz share her cancer journey and her incredible faith:

Lotz, who recently completed cancer treatments, recounted learning about her diagnosis and how she initially struggled to tell her family.

The Bible teacher, who has inspired millions, suddenly found herself face-to-face with a battle that held the power to deeply challenge her faith, but she persisted.

“It was my next assignment so to speak, but I didn’t know how to tell my family,” she said. “I felt like God had this in His hands too — that it was part of His purpose for me.”

SOURCE: Christian Post; Pureflix.com, Billy Hallowell

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After over 4 billion listens to Pentatonix on YouTube alone, the newest member to the band, Matt Sallee, is seeing God do something new and different in his industry.

For those of you who haven’t heard of them, go listen! Pentatonix is an a cappella band made up of five members who are literally performing everywhere. Taking their unique style of music and covering everything from Queen to Christmas, they have been featured in rock, pop, classic, and hip-hop spaces all over the world. Their genre-bending takes on classics have been some of the most viewed and listened to online over the past few years.

Matt is also a worship leader at his local church, which just came out with a new worship album, Make Way from E58 Worship, that also billboarded in late 2019. Matt’s passion for Jesus, along with his amazing talent, have put him on some of the top stages in entertainment. I interviewed him about his unique career, his faith, and where the music industry is at right now.

*****

Shawn: How did singing start for you?

Matt: Singing started for me at the very young age of four.  My dad was a music pastor, and I grew up singing next to him in Baltimore City. From that point, I just kept singing in everything from church plays to community theater to county choruses. In high school I did every musical, play, and anything else musical I could sign up for. My friends were all sports guys and I was always singing. It continued throughout life, and I felt purpose and calling in it.

Shawn: Your dad was more into worship. Is that what you wanted to do, or were you thinking of going mainstream?

Matt: Honestly, I didn’t want to do what my dad did; I wanted to do it differently. I had been doing worship my whole life, but I’d always had dreams of being on stages and with certain people—dreams that have actually come true. I knew God had called me to sing, but he wasn’t genre specific. He just attached a bunch of dreams to that.

Shawn: Let’s talk about Pentatonix. It could have been really niche, but it has become mainstream. You guys combine so many types of music together.

Matt: The group started in 2011. The original group started in Texas with a show called The Sing-Off. They created a super group and won the show. That started their career. What catapulted their career was YouTube, which wasn’t as oversaturated at the time. I came into the picture when one of the members left. I had so many connections to people who were involved, and that got me the audition. It was super last minute and I was the ninth add-on audition. It was a crazy God story. Three months after the audition, they asked if I could come on a trial period, and after I prayed about it, I moved to L.A.; and the rest is history. I jumped right in. God had been preparing me in life, and especially the previous four years, for it all. I had to learn more than anyone should ever know about a cappella music.

Shawn: You guys can be seen everywhere, even where people aren’t looking. What is it like to blow up with this band?

Matt: It’s cool. No one gives you a book on how to become famous overnight. No one tells you how to handle it. I had a wonderful upbringing. My parents taught us humility and how to give God credit for everything going on. Things change as far as followers and being recognized, and people are excited for you, but the heart of it has always been about God and music. I truly feel like God was preparing me for this group for such a time as this. I was ready to answer the call.

Source: Christian Headlines

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Kobe Bryant, the NBA star who had a 20-year career with the Lakers, was tragically killed Sunday when the helicopter he was traveling in crashed and burst into flames in Calabasas, California. His daughter Gianna, aka “Gigi,” 13, was also on board and died along with seven others, TMZ first reported.

The 41-year-old athlete, who won five NBA titles in his time with the Lakers, as well as two Olympic gold medals playing for the United States throughout his storied career, was on his way to a travel basketball game with his daughter when the helicopter crashed. Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said in a news conference there were no survivors, and according to the flight manifest, there were nine people on board the helicopter.

Following the news of the accident, Christian celebrities, pastors and other leaders in the faith community took to social media to express their shock and sorrow. From Lecrae to TobyMac, here are nine Christian leaders who reacted to the news of Bryant’s death.

Hip-hop artist Lecrae said he was “physically shaken” over the tragedy. He shared a video of Bryant explaining a basketball game to Gianna while sitting courtside last month.

“Lord We pray for the Bryant family. We pray for all those affected. We pray for the other families of those in the helicopter. We ask that your Spirit would be a comforter. In Jesus name,” he wrote. 

Chad Veach, pastor of Zoe Church in Los Angeles, took to Instagram to share a photo of Bryant hugging Gigi.

“devastating… prayers to the Bryant family and all those effected by today’s tragedy,” he wrote. “LA will never be the same… i heard Bill Plaschke talk this week about Kobe being the most important Laker ever. An iconic leader that meant so much to this city and the world… unreal.”

Producer DeVon Franklin shared a video of himself praying for Bryant’s family and all affected by the tragic accident.

Praying for the families and everyone grieving 🙏🏾😭 #RIPKobeByrant pic.twitter.com/OWlD7ggrbr

— DeVon Franklin (@DeVonFranklin) January 26, 2020

“Praying for the families and everyone grieving,” he captioned the video.

Craig Groeschel, pastor of Life.Church, tweeted a photo of Bryant along with the caption, “Such a tragedy. Praying for God’s presence and comfort for Kobe’s family.”

Such a tragedy. Praying for God’s presence and comfort for Kobe’s family. 🙏🏻❤️ (photo via https://t.co/KiolH13ovL) pic.twitter.com/r8Rlie19ts

— Craig Groeschel (@craiggroeschel) January 26, 2020

Franklin Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham and head of Samaritan’s Purse, expressed his sorrow on Facebook.

“Our deepest condolences and prayers for the families of NBA-great Kobe Bryant, his 13-yr-old daughter, and the other victims in this tragic helicopter crash in California today. Please remember them in your prayers,” he wrote.

“Anytime there is tragedy like this, it is a reminder of the brevity of life and that none of us know when we are going to have to stand before God and give an account for our lives. Are you ready?”

Source: Christian Headlines

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