Woman Begat Woman

Tradition continues to call Mary Magdalene a prostitute. The Concise Oxford Dictionary gives “reformed prostitute” as the meaning of Magdalene and preachers continue to tell us the gospels tell us so! The musical Jesus Christ Superstar and Mel Gibson’s movie do too.   However, nowhere does the Bible state that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. The Bible tells us that she was cured of possession of evil spirits. Where did this misunderstanding begin and why is it so important to set the record straight?   Mary Magdalene is mentioned more frequently in the Gospels than any woman other than Mary, Jesus’ mother and more than most of the disciples. She was a devoted follower of Jesus who accompanied the Lord and His disciples and provided funds for them as they ministered (Luke 8:3).   Mary was at the crucifixion when the rest of the disciples except John had fled (John 19:25). She was the one the Lord appeared to at the tomb and whom He appointed as history’s first w...

The story of Deborah cannot be told without telling the story of Jael, the one prophesied about in Judges 4:9. Jael was the wife of Heber of the Kenites who were known for their metalworking skills. (Judges 4:17-22). Perhaps it was good for business to be seen not taking sides so the Kenites choose to not live with the Israelites even though they were the descendants of the father in law of Moses. During the battle between Barak and Jabin's armies, Sisera, commander of Jabin's army, fled on foot due to the chariots being stuck in the mud and arrived exhausted at the tent of Jael.   Sisera knew that Jabin, the king, was friendly with the family of Jael’s husband and according to the custom Jael’s hospitality guaranteed protection for Sisera. Jael treated Sisera like a mother. She gave him milk to drink and even tucked him in with a rug. When he was sleeping like a baby she took a hammer and a tent peg and drilled him from temple to temple and fastened his head to the g...

I read a blog recently by a man who believes that the "biblical pattern of male leadership limits the pastorate to men"!  Why believe him when the overwhelming evidence in the bible is that God gifted both men and women equally?  A silly ditty, 'How the hell can we believe you?',  sung at weddings when the groom is about to give his speech comes to mind!  Why are  we still having this conversation? Let's rather read the bible in large chunks and not just obscure passages to disprove those with clear and obvious meanings. The message of the bible tells us that human beings cannot know the thoughts of Almighty God! Why continue to put God in a box that can be controlled and manipulated to serve our own selfish desires. "Who has understood the mind of the Lord, or instructed him as his counsellor? Who did the Lord consult to enlighten him?" Isaiah 40:13 God's creation of Adam first (in Genesis 2) is not an indication that males are meant to be do...

It is only when the bible is read in context that we can be informed and transformed. The term “homosexual” wasn’t used until about a hundred years ago and Biblical Greek or Hebrew have no word that is the same as the word homosexual in English. The first translation of the Bible to use the word was only in the 1946 Revised Standard Version (RSV). It is therefore quite astonishing to discover how translations have evolved from 1599 until 2017. Words like homosexuality and lesbian that are not in the original Greek appearing in a translation as in the case of The Passion Translation (TPT) in 2017! 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) Romans 1:26-27 For this cause God gave them up to vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men left the natural use of the woman, and burned in their lust one toward another, and man with man wrought filthiness, and received in themselves such recompense of their error, as was meet...

Two air flights, a taxi and a bus trip have taken a family member to St-Jean-Pied-de Port to walk the Way of St James. She plans to return 32 days later after walking 804 kilometers. In about AD 55 another brave woman, Phoebe, undertook a journey, mentioned by Paul in Romans 16, to deliver an important document to Rome. The journey that Phoebe undertook from Corinth was dangerous. No air flight only trav el on a sailing ship for a great distance from Greece to Puteoli on the stormy Mediterranean Sea. On arriving at Puteoli there would be no bus or taxi to Rome, she had to travel on foot or caravan for the rest of the way. However Phoebe, woman of valour, had the strength to undertake this treacherous journey. Scholars agree that the reason for her journey was to carry Paul’s letter to Roman Christians and Paul had no doubt that Phoebe could be trusted to deliver this important correspondence. The letter was to introduce himself and his message to the Romans before his imminent arr...

A posting on Facebook recently touched me deeply and made me question a few things about myself. Perhaps more than a few things! It was a posting by Professor Jonathan Jansen: “At 37,000 feet this morning a person wearing a hijab came out of the cockpit. The man next to me spilled his coffee. Thank you, my pilot Fatima Jakoet, for a smooth and pleasant flight. ” In Luke 10:30-37 we read the well-known story of the Good Samaritan who stopped to help a fellow who had been beaten, stripped naked and left for dead on the side of the road. We believe the story tells us “Do unto others as you would have them do to you”. But perhaps there is more to the story to discover. The priest and a Levite saw the beaten man but decided to cross over and pass him on the other side of the road. The Good Samaritan however took pity on him, bandaged him, put him on his donkey and took him to an inn where he paid the innkeeper to look after him. Jesus asks which of these three was a neighbour to t...