Klyne Snodgrass's blog

Israel is surely one of the most diverse countries both geographically and culturally. Nothing is boring about Israel, and each day’s experience in this country stimulates thought and feeling and understanding. For example, one has difficulty understanding a Jewish view of the sabbath until witnessing the celebration and joy that are expressed at the Western Wall at the beginning of Sabbath.

The IBR Gospels group has been back in the States about a week, but the memories of our experience in Jerusalem, Galilee, and with the film crew are still very present in our minds. For me one of the most striking experiences was being on the stairs at the southern end of the temple mount. Herod the Great’s accomplishment—and those working long after his death—to expand the temple mount was a phenomenal achievement. Retaining walls with huge stones enabled the topography to be reshaped so that the temple mount was doubled in size to

Many Christians have little idea of the importance of the resurrection, but it is the only reason this faith exists. I doubt that we would ever have even heard of Jesus of Nazareth were it not for the resurrection. We can speak of new life in Christ only because of the resurrection. God is the God who creates life in the midst of death. He did it for Jesus, he can do it for the death we currently live, and, because he raised Jesus, Christians believe God will raise them from death when the kingdom comes in its fullness. God is the living God, not only because he is real, but because God alone is immortal, has life in himself, and gives life.

How did language that is not biblical become the most important language for doing evangelism? Jesus never even comes close to saying, "Invite me into your heart so you can go to heaven." Nor does the rest of the New Testament. (Concerning the misguided focus on going to heaven, see my blog for March 17.) If people really knew what it meant for Christ to take over the controlling center of their being, that would be one thing, but they do not. Jesus does not seek people to make a decision, but people who become disciples, who follow him, and who are attached to him.

Perhaps no subject is as distorted—or so central—to Christianity as eschatology. Very weird notions about life after death, heaven, and hell abound among Christians and have seeped into the thinking of many in our society and become even more distorted. The side bar on this