Author: David Ellis

Don: I was stimulated by the blog comment on the Emperor’s New Clothes and its application to the story in Matthew 22 of the wedding guest who refuses to don the wedding garment. It suggests that what is called for is a return to a grace-dependent nakedness that was part of the condition of Man…

Don: Scripture contains a number of illustrations of the concept of there being some kind of inner light within every human being. For example: 1 John 3:24: …The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by…

Don: Throughout history, well-meaning Christians have lived in fear of committing, or of having committed, the unpardonable sin. The notion that one must never be guilty of this sin was a common sermon topic when I was a boy. But given the ubiquity and all-encompassing nature of grace that we have deduced in our recent…

Don: We have left Matthew to sojourn briefly in Luke 15, to study the parable of the prodigal son. It will help to answer our questions about grace and about how it is possible to pull a spiritual plastic bag over our heads. The context: Jesus is attracting sinners to him, and the Pharisees and…

Don: Last week Jason asked if law and grace are a zero sum game. Rimon had remarked earlier that fallen man may have as much difficulty accepting or keeping God’s grace as he has of keeping God’s law. God’s love and grace seem closely related. How do they relate to the gospel, to the good…

Jay: Joyce said last week that it was important not to use the law to judge others, but it was essential to use it for community. Harry opined that such a community would not be true community. Rimon said that just as it is impossible for humans to keep the law perfectly, it is also…

Jay: In our recent discussions, we seem to have determined that rather than live by a divine law that is harsh, demanding, and probably impossible for any human to uphold, we should accept god’s grace as protecting us from the law. Matthew tells you that your hands, eyes, and feet might cause you to sin,…

You might know of the Khan Academy, a website that offers free but first-rate lessons in a variety of subjects, from mathematics to art history. A recent lesson in the latter category, by Dr. Nancy Ross and Dr. Paul Binski, discusses (and shows) The Harrowing of Hell, c. 1440-70, a carved painted and gilt alabaster…

Don: Jesus told his self-righteous listeners that the demands of the law are very harsh, and those would live by it need to understand just how harsh. Hence, his references to cutting off one’s hands, eyes, and so on. This was also the lesson of the rich young ruler, and it was the message of…