Few images in Christian tradition are as recognizable as the three crosses of Golgotha. But the picture Luke paints weaves in references to the third heaven, garments divided by lots, the words of Isaiah 53, and Joseph's cellmates in the prison of Pharaoh.
Truly understanding the Bible means closing knowledge gaps most readers don't know exist. Going deeper isn't about acquiring more information; it's more like a complete change of operating system. Four shifts in thinking will help one begin the journey from Athens to Jerusalem.
What is She'ol? Korach's descent into the earth opens a study of the Jewish concept of the underworld, its gates, chambers, and appearances of this tradition in the New Testament.
Learn how the Cursing of the Fig Tree, though taught as a pillar of Replacement Theology, might actually be a Midrash on two well-known prophetic passages.
What does the Jewish tradition say about phenomena like Aliens, or extra-terrestrial beings? And, is there any overlap with the broader categories of Angels and demons?
A new book available on Amazon.com
Can someone speak, act, forgive, heal, or even claim unity with G_D without collapsing the boundary between the human and Divine? Is there a precedent in the Torah that helps us understand this idea?
Thomas's refusal to believe in the resurrection without seeing Jesus's wounds is typically read as a failure of faith. But against the backdrop of rabbinic tradition, the Gospel of John affirms details of the Pharisaic tradition of the Resurrection of the Dead.
Modern life can be merciless at times. Technology, access to information, and increasingly complex human relationships can bring a steady assault on both our physical and spiritual health. Perhaps this is why over 50 million Americans are fighting depression and other mental illnesses
As part of the greater Jewish community, the Apostolic leaders struggled with these particular issues more acutely. The sudden influx of Gentiles leaving paganism to join the diasporic Jewish communities made this a primary issue for them...
It probably doesn't take much effort to observe that our world today is in a condition of judgment. This is the result of many centuries of fighting, selfishness, confusion, and accelerated division. Somewhere along the way, we have ...
Historically, scientific theories and revelations would challenge religious tradition, or completely topple age-old beliefs systems, giving the popular impression that Religion and Science are conceptual enemies. A prophecy made in the Zohar gives us insight...
An ancient midrash declares that the Neshamah is the only thing (ie: part of humankind) that is truly good¹. This is primarily because the Neshamah is rooted above, in the upper world. Remember, this is the source of the conflict between the Nefesh, which is rooted in the lower world.
Growing up in the Catholic church, the idea of Original Sin was a concept deeply embedded into my psyche at a very young age. In fact, I never questioned it, nor really stopped to re-evaluate this idea until much later in life.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte (convert), and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.”- Matthew 23:15
No matter how old you are or how much effort you invest in spiritual development, every one of us has an inner battle that we are engaged in on a daily basis. Believe it or not, the human experience has been more or less engineered this way, and the Yetzer Hara is at the center of this design.
“And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this
In this video, Rabbi Dovber Pinson shares some insights to understand the complexity of the Soul according to Rabbinic tradition.
From a literalist read of the Gospels, it appears that Jesus gives a clear prohibition against the use of religious titles, in particular, the title of "Rabbi".
The Temple, the centerpiece of the Chanukkah story represented a form of defiance to the overreach and technological progress of the surrounding pagan nations.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Yeshua leverages many ideas from the Midrash that expound upon the deeper concepts in the Torah. ... many of them find their closest parallels to the works of the Kabbalah - texts like the Zohar, the writings of the ARIzal, and the Tanya.
Did Jesus teach a new and separate commandment apart from the commandments of the Torah?
Over the last 50-60 years, Physicists have come to the idea that our universe is the result of a terrifying collapse from a 10-dimensional universe to the 4 dimensions we are familiar with. The kabbalah and science share common, both indicating that there is more to our existence than we can see.
There is a principle that anything containing immense potential for holiness is commensurately susceptible to corruption. One example is physical intimacy, and speech is another.
Despite its ubiquitous usage in the church, the word "Judaizer" is only found once in the New Testament, in Galatians 2:14. In its broadest sense, a "Judaizer" is a pejorative label given to someone who influences others to observe some form of Jewish religious lifestyle.
If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration. - Nikola Tesla
Studies have shown that the human brain processes up to 11 million bits of information per second through our various senses. Since the body is hard-wired for survival, University of Berkeley scientists have discovered...
If you have been reading the articles regarding the human soul, (like this one) you are familiar with the (5) levels, and their un
Below is a helpful diagram mapping the levels of the soul, how they interact with human expression, and where they are generally connected to the body.
In Romans 11, Paul leverages a few Midrashic themes from the Rabbinic tradition that many readers may not be aware of. When understood in this context, Paul's message confirms the Jewish enduring covenantal place and role in the redemption.
When understanding the New Testament, it is important that readers become aware that the focus of much of the texts (ie: the Epist
People are often surprised to hear the term Jewish meditation. Otherwise knowledgeable Jews, including many Rabbis and scholars, are not aware such a thing exists. It is therefore not surprising that many current books on meditation give scant attention to Judaism.
