Dr. Michael Barber
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John Bergsma on the Dead Sea Scrolls
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 11.10.11 |
Dr. Michael Barber explores the Dead Sea Scrolls with Dr. John Bergsma, looking specifically at why Catholics should find them interesting.
You can find Dr. Bergsma’s audio series on the Scrolls here.
Audio File
Exegesis as Theology, Theology as Exegesis
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 09.01.11 |
One of the most jaw-dropping sections in Pope Benedict’s recent letter, Verbum Domini, states the following:
“where exegesis is not theology, Scripture cannot be the soul of theology, and conversely, where theology is not essentially the interpretation of the Church’s Scripture, such a theology no longer has a foundation” (Verbum Domini, no. 35).
In a sense, here Pope Benedict is reiterating what… [Continue Reading]
The Catholic Understanding of the Saints: Isn't Christ the 'One Mediator'?
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 06.03.11 |
This is a hugely important question. But, actually, in a certain sense, this question really contains a number of other questions rolled up into one:
- Isn’t Christ the “one mediator between God and man” (1 Tim 2:5)? If so, isn’t affirming the ability of the dead to pray for us a violation of that biblical teaching? In light of that, it would seem that there can be no biblical justification for the… [Continue Reading]
Understanding the Book of Acts—Part 3: More Similarities Between Luke and Acts
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 04.29.11 |
Be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2.
Continuing our walk through the book of Acts, we can note the following similarities between what happened to Jesus in the Gospel of Luke and what happens in the life of the Church in Acts.
A centurion. . .
A centurion, well-spoken of by the Jews, sends servants to Jesus to ask him to come to his house (Luke 7:1–10).
A centurion, well-spoken of by the Jewish people,… [Continue Reading]
The Eucharistic Theology of Early Church Fathers
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 04.28.11 |early church, early church fathers, Eucharist, Ignatius, Irenaeus
Joel, who speaks of how he is more Eucharistic-centric than many of his Protestant friends, has a great post up on John Paul II and the Eucharist. Of course, I’m pretty Eucharistic-centric too. : )
In fact, at JP Catholic we participate in the Eucharistic celebration every day.
Anyways. . . since Joel brought up the Eucharist, I thought I’d share a bit from the early church fathers.
Irenaeus on the… [Continue Reading]
Understanding the Book of Acts: Part 2—Acts of Jesus & Acts of the Apostles
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 04.27.11 |Book of Acts, Easter Season, Luke-Acts, Talbert
In the first post of this series I highlighted the unity of Luke-Acts. I emphasized that the two books seem to show us that the ministry of Jesus is continued through his Church. Now I want to begin to move closely through the narrative, highlighting the way this theological truth is underscored.
Indeed, for the reader who knows the Gospel of Luke, Acts is a sort of déjà vu experience. The narrative… [Continue Reading]
Jesus Didn't Just "Die for Our Salvation": Why He Rose from the Dead
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 04.26.11 |1 Cor 15:14, 1 Corinthians 15, Durrwell, Easter, Resurrection, Rom 4:25, Thomas Aquinas
Christ is risen, Alleluia!
But why did he rise from the dead?
Here I want to ask the question and touch on an aspect of the resurrection that is often overlooked, namely, how it relates to our salvation.
Most people know that Jesus died for their sins. But, as we shall see, according to the New Testament Jesus also rose for our salvation. This aspect of the biblical message is often neglected. The… [Continue Reading]
Understanding the Book of Acts: Part 1—"Why Do You Persecute Me?"
Posted by Dr. Michael Barber on 04.26.11 |Book of Acts, Easter Season, Talbert
As we begin the Easter season, the liturgy—particularly the lectionary readings—turn our attention to the Book of Acts. Here then I thought I’d return to some material I’ve touched upon here in the past, namely, the link between the Acts of the Apostles and the life of Christ in the Gospel of Luke.
Indeed, once you see how the ministry of the Church in Acts is linked to that of Christ’s in the Gospels—and… [Continue Reading]
