Paul Penley

Love to explain things: the Bible or effective #philanthropy. Dad of 6. Travel the world, research #Bible backgrounds, write books, BibleExplainer & #flyfishing

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

2nd book in #Jesus in Cultural Context series released: What Jesus Meant (https://t.co/0Sqdvd5vCG).

Why? B/c we've misunderstood Jesus: A widow who “gave all she owned” isn’t a good model of generosity. “Heaven and earth passing away” isn’t the end of the world. And many more.

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

“Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them” - Epictetus

Our decisions are emotional.

Our emotions arise from the stories we tell ourselves.

So how we put the story together controls what we feel & do.

And we write new stories based on past templates.

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Jesus didn’t condemn the Pharisees for rigorous adherence to high standards. Jesus had higher standards.

He condemned them for elevating easier public religiosity over authentic embodiment of the intent of God‘s law

It’s time we understand the Pharisees for who they really were

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Jesus condemns “Whoever undoes the slightest command” in Matt 5:19 before calling us to “surpass the righteousness of Pharisees” because Scribes & Pharisees added legal traditions to avoid doing what God ordered.

Qumran confirms Pharisees “pursued an easier way” of obeying God.

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Scribes and Pharisees were not legalistically following God’s law. They were cleverly excusing themselves from obeying God‘s law through legal innovations.

They were what the #DeadSeaScrolls claimed: “seekers of smooth things” - always making new rules to avoid real obedience

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

“Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed...”

Ecclesiastes 5:8 acknowledges systemic #injustice.

May we work to make the consequences for #exploitation in Proverbs 22:16 come true.

“Whoever oppresses the poor for his own increase... will come to #poverty.”

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Every command from God about how to treat people is about how to love God

You can’t “get right with God” without treating people right.

Israel’s neighbors treated kings like god; Genesis raised the standard: treat every person like you would treat God!

https://t.co/AST5y8ky0m

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

The Hebrew anthropological innovation of every man & woman made in "the image of God" means we don’t just treat one Assyrian king or Egyptian Pharaoh like a god; we treat every person like we treat God!

Loving people is loving God. #Jesus agreed. Do you?

https://t.co/AST5y8ky0m

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Blaise Pascal, 17th-century French scientist and Catholic theologian, said, “People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.”

We have done so with Jesus. Meet him anew in this book: https://t.co/WE9dGegA4X

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Jesus said the 2nd greatest commandment “love people” is like the 1st “love God” (Matt 22:39). How so?

Because loving God‘s image is loving God himself.

Just like #Jesus said, if you have loved the least of people, you have loved me.

The 2nd commandment is HOW you do the 1st.

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

The widow giving her last 2 coins to the temple treasury isn’t a good example of philanthropy in Mark 12

“Jesus doesn’t add more stress to those in poverty by asking for donation. He isn’t a backwards Robin Hood taking from the poor to give to the rich.”

https://t.co/0Sqdvd5vCG

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

Today @scotmcknight is posting about my book: What Jesus Meant.

He notes: “The cover’s starkness sends a message to Christians about the stark images they use of Jesus”

Calls out “hard-hitting introduction” but questions if bold goals blind me to my bias
https://t.co/JNmuaV4Yi4

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

“As soon as the disciples called Jesus Messiah, he had to redefine who Messiah would be.”

“Jesus couldn’t just make points; he had to make counterpoints in lively ancient conversations”

Find out how 1st century Jews viewed Messiah in ‘What Jesus Meant’ https://t.co/0Sqdvd5vCG

[Paul Penley @PaulPenley]

May Jesus’ people not be united when we word our beliefs the same, but rather, when we love people the same way Jesus did.