Huldrych Zwingli on Luke 24:13-18 That same day on which the Lord had risen, two of those seventy disciples whom the Lord had chosen while he was living went forth. It appears that these disciples fled out of fear of the persecution which they believed to be at hand. This history also teaches that what…

Dr. King’s call for the oppressed to learn forgiveness continues to be a thorn in my heart and mind. I see this call as related not only to the idea of a Jubilee of forgiveness, but also related to image-flourishing. I have mentioned in previous treatments image-flourishing and the Jubilee year. Image bearers reflect the…

Recently I participated in a panel discussion that was entitled “Race and the Church.” I was asked to contribute a historical perspective on the matter by sharing some information from the life and thought of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This I attempted to do though knowing that I was anything but a Dr. King…

Lancelot Ridley on Ephesians 2:8 To faith, in the Scripture, is attributed our justification, not because faith is the author of our justification, for the author of our justification is Christ, but justification is attributed to faith because faith receives the mercy of God and believes the promises of God made to just people and…

Johannes Bugenhagen on Colossians 1:15-20 Christ is the head and beginning of all things. Whether you look at the work of creation or the work of the new creation and redemption, Christ himself is the firstborn ahead of all creatures. He is the Author and Lord of all. He is truly the firstborn, glorified before all…

Johannes Oecolampadius on John 1:14   In these words—“The Son of God became flesh”—we see in a certain way the sum of our faith. What is coarser than flesh? Flesh will be turned into earth, and this is its curse. But Christ’s flesh experiences no corruption. That is to say, the Son of God truly became…

Whether one conceives of image-flourishing as best facilitated with an emphasis on individual achievement, or shared achievement within a more collective framework, dangers of abuse reside in both. Dangers of abuse reside in any attempt to formulate a position in between. No form of government or economic system can guarantee freedom from damage done to…

“And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gen 12:2). The call to image-flourishing can inadvertently breed its opposite. The ideal of a prosperous existence may feed, on one hand, a kind of negative individualism that focuses…

Up to this point in my series, I have suggested that submission to God and his evaluative perspective is inextricably bound to the flourishing of his image in us. Demonstrations of this, authenticating true submission, can vary, but they often need some kind of affirmation. This is to say, scripture itself does not always provide…

When is a human being most Like a human being? To ask this question against the backdrop of the contemporary scene is to entertain some mixed opinions. Human beings are capable of extraordinary acts of self-sacrifice, such as in the cases of doctors, nurses, and other volunteers, who choose to treat those sick with the…

“[I]t is more inhuman to love a man not for being a man but for being your son. For this means not loving in him what belongs to God but loving what belongs to you.” [On True Religion 46, 88 (New City Press)] Ever since I read this statement, it has bothered me. Is it…

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1:31). God is a being who is active even in being. In a gracious demonstration of his will, he brought forth creation, a reality steeped in profound meaning and significance. My purpose is to draw out some implications from God’s…