I guess if one considers that Jesus was strongly against the Pharisees, overturned the tables of the moneychangers at the temple and encouraged loving one's neighbor giving the Samaritan example.
The conditionality is one of stewardship and the OT is full of the story of the formation of 'Israel': the prophets speak against 'Israel' when this stewardship ('are you a blessing?', 'are the families of the earth in the condition of blessing themselves' (as in free from your yoke?) is...
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.
I will bless those who bless you, and him who curses you I will curse; and by you all the families of the earth shall bless themselves."
stewardship were there is no one to...
I wonder if you see a difference in the prophet Isaiah's use of 'Jacob' and 'Israel' as separate?
Two examples:
Isaiah 44.
[21] Remember these things, O Jacob,
and Israel, for you are my servant;
I formed you, you are my servant;
O Israel, you will not be forgotten by me.
[23] Sing, O...
The original promise was made to Abraham in the book of Genesis (12.1-3, RSV):
'Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so...
I appreciate your opinion and agree. But we can move into 'seeing' in John's gospel. There are four uses of 'come and see'
1. unnamed disciple (could be beloved disciple) and Andrew answer Jesus' call to 'come and see'. John the Baptist just named him 'Lamb of God'. Jesus' statement...
Many criticize religious texts yet I cannot think of a better exercise than working with them. There are many forces tugging at them and one can see where humankind, or perhaps more accurately, (mostly man: although 'women' fall into the male based 'tradition': Jesus, beloved disciple, woman...
'God gave Jesus the identity of God' ? yet identified as 'son': 'this is my son in whom I am well pleased' for example. Jesus told the Pharisees in John's gospel referencing OT text: 'you shall all be sons and daughters of God'. I am not affected by a false textual reference in the Quran. My...
I believe that Jesus was not God but in God for he was written as saying in John's gospel, 'the Father is greater than I' yet 'The Father is in I, and I in you, and you in me'. For Abrahamic faith reconciliation sakes, I put Jesus in the category of prophet: sent by God and returned to God as...