Learning to Read
Four years of Greek and Hebrew at a Baptist college taught me the opposite of what I expected. Not precision—the places where the English hides a decision.
· 48 min read
Scripture & Biblical Studies
Biblical books and passages, and the tools scholars bring to them: manuscripts, textual criticism, translation, the Septuagint, and what inerrancy actually claims.
95 articles in this topic
Matthew 13:44–52: The Hidden Treasure, the Pearl, and the Scribe’s New and Old
A Catholic exegesis of Matthew 13:44–52: the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the dragnet, and the scribe who brings out the new and the old.
· 53 min read
The Didache — Old Enough for the Canon, and Still Left Out
The Didache may be older than the last books of the New Testament, yet no Bible ever carried it. What the earliest church order says, and why it was left out.
· 47 min read
The Case Against John MacArthur: A Critical Assessment
A former evangelical's comprehensive assessment of John MacArthur: the scholarship claimed for him, his documented exegetical errors, and his record.
· 67 min read
The Epistle of Barnabas — The Near-Miss That Bore an Apostle's Name
Quoted as Scripture in Alexandria and bound into Codex Sinaiticus, the Epistle of Barnabas bore an apostle's name—yet the New Testament closed without it. Why.
· 31 min read
1 Clement — The Letter from Rome That Almost Entered the New Testament
1 Clement was read as Scripture at Corinth and bound into Codex Alexandrinus. How the letter came so close to the New Testament, and why the Church left it out.
· 28 min read
Matthew 13:24–43: The Weeds, the Mustard Seed, and a Field Left to Grow
A Catholic exegesis of Matthew 13:24–43: the parables of the weeds, mustard seed, and leaven, the Psalm 78 citation, and Augustine’s corpus permixtum.
· 35 min read
1 John — “God Is Love,” the Antichrists, and the Verse That Was Never There
The First Letter of John gives us “God is love,” the antichrists, and the Bible’s most famous fake verse. A Catholic reads 1 John and its road into the canon.
· 30 min read
The Letter to Philemon — A Runaway Slave, the Shortest Letter Paul Wrote, and Scripture's Quiet Case Against Slavery
The Letter to Philemon: Paul, the runaway slave Onesimus, and 'no longer a slave but a brother.' A Catholic look at slavery, Paul's shortest letter, and canon.
· 36 min read
The First Letter to Timothy — The Church's Charter and a Contested Letter's Path to Canon
1 Timothy built the Church's offices — bishops, deacons, the pillar of truth. A Catholic look at church order, the authorship debate, and its road to canon.
· 39 min read
The Second Letter to Timothy — Paul's Last Words and a Disputed Letter's Road to Canon
2 Timothy is Paul's farewell: 'all Scripture is inspired,' guard the deposit, the good fight. A Catholic look at inspiration, authorship, and the road to canon.
· 35 min read
The Letter to Titus — A Gentile on Crete, the Great God and Savior, and a Disputed Letter's Road to Canon
The Letter to Titus: church order on Crete, 'our great God and savior,' the bath of rebirth. A Catholic look at grace, authorship, and its road to canon.
· 33 min read
The Second Letter to the Thessalonians — The Man of Lawlessness and a Disputed Letter's Path to Canon
2 Thessalonians warns against a forged letter — and is itself one of Paul's disputed letters. A Catholic look at the man of lawlessness and the restrainer.
· 30 min read
The Epistle to the Colossians — The Least Important Church, an Early Heresy, and a Ghost Letter
Paul never saw Colossae and an earthquake soon wrecked it—yet its letter was never doubted, and it spawned a forged 'Laodiceans' that haunted the Bible for centuries.
· 26 min read
The Epistle to the Ephesians — The Letter That Lost Its Address and Kept Its Place
Ephesians was never doubted—yet its address may be a blank, Marcion called it 'Laodiceans,' and modern critics doubt Paul. A Catholic reads its road through the canon.
· 31 min read
The Epistle to the Philippians — Joy in Chains and the Quietest Road into the Canon
Philippians was never doubted—yet Polycarp spoke of 'letters,' critics cut it in three, and its hymn built Christology. A Catholic reads its road through the canon.
· 25 min read
The First Letter to the Corinthians — The Oldest Words in the New Testament and Its Road Into the Canon
A Catholic on 1 Corinthians — the quarrelsome church whose letter preserves the oldest creed and the earliest Eucharist in the New Testament, and its road into the canon.
· 36 min read
The Second Letter to the Corinthians — The Letter No One Doubted and No One Can Agree Is One Letter
A Catholic on 2 Corinthians — Paul's most personal letter, its power-in-weakness gospel, and the integrity debate behind a book the Church never doubted.
· 40 min read
The Epistle to the Galatians — The Undisputed Letter at the Heart of the Canon's First War
Galatians was never doubted—yet Marcion put it first, the church fought over it, and Luther called it his own. A Catholic reads its road through the canon.
· 33 min read
3 John — The Elder, Gaius, and the Man Who Loved to Be First
The Third Letter of John is the shortest book in the Bible, never names Jesus, and records a real first-century church quarrel over hospitality. A Catholic reads Gaius, Diotrephes, and its long road into the canon.
· 32 min read
The Acts of Paul — Thecla, the Baptized Lion, and the Forger Who Loved Paul
A presbyter in Asia forged the Acts of Paul 'out of love for Paul'—and was deposed for it. How the book gave the Church Thecla, the baptized lion, and 3 Corinthians, and why it was still left out of the canon.
· 30 min read
The Gospel of John — The Spiritual Gospel and Its Journey to Canon
John's is the highest Christology in the New Testament — the Gospel the Gnostics loved and a few of the orthodox feared. A Catholic examines its authorship, the Alogi, and its path to the canon.
· 44 min read
The First Letter to the Thessalonians — The Earliest Christian Writing and Its Journey to Canon
1 Thessalonians is most likely the oldest surviving Christian writing. A Catholic examines its date, the parousia, the misread “rapture,” and its path into the New Testament canon.
· 26 min read
The Acts of the Apostles — The Birth of the Church and Its Journey to Canon
Luke's second volume tells how the Church went from an upper room in Jerusalem to the heart of Rome. A Catholic examines the authorship, the 'we' passages, the historicity debates, and the path of Acts to the canon.
· 36 min read
The Book of Revelation — The Bible's Most Contested Book and How to Read It
A Catholic reading of Revelation: who wrote it and when, why the Christian East nearly rejected it, and the four ways Christians have read its visions.
· 34 min read
The Gospel of Luke — The Evangelist of Mercy and Its Journey to Canon
Luke, the Gentile physician and companion of Paul, wrote the longest Gospel — and the one Marcion tried to hijack. A Catholic examines its authorship, sources, theology, and path to the canon.
· 34 min read
The Book of Romans — Paul's Masterwork and Its Road Into the Canon
A Catholic on the Book of Romans — the one letter no critic could deny, the most tangled text in the New Testament, and why it stands first among Paul's letters.
· 41 min read
The Gospel of the Hebrews — A Lost Gospel and the Canon It Never Joined
The Gospel of the Hebrews survives only in scraps quoted by the Fathers — the risen Christ appearing to James, the Holy Spirit called his mother. A Catholic reads the fragments and asks why it never entered the New Testament.
· 35 min read
1 Peter — The Apostle’s Letter of Hope in Suffering
The First Letter of Peter is the one catholic epistle the early Church never doubted. A Catholic reads its author, its ‘Babylon,’ its theology of suffering, and the riddle of the spirits in prison.
· 36 min read
2 John — The Elder’s Letter to the Chosen Lady
The Second Letter of John runs thirteen verses, signs itself only ‘the Presbyter,’ and tells a church to shut its door on false teachers. A Catholic reads its author, its ‘chosen Lady,’ and its long road into the canon.
· 32 min read
The Apocalypse of Peter — Heaven, Hell, and the Book That Almost Made the Bible
The earliest Christian tour of heaven and hell was nearly canonized — read in church, defended by Clement of Alexandria. Why the Apocalypse of Peter was left out.
· 28 min read
The Epistle of Jude — The Letter That Quoted Lost Books
Jude runs twenty-five verses, quotes two books outside the canon, and nearly did not make the cut. A Catholic reads its authorship, its apocrypha, and its road to Scripture.
· 31 min read
The Epistle of James — Faith, Works, and the Letter Luther Called “Straw”
The one New Testament book a Reformer tried to demote. A Catholic on the Epistle of James—its disputed road to the canon, its authorship, and the faith-versus-works fight.
· 39 min read
The Gospel of Mark — Peter's Witness and Its Journey to Canon
The shortest Gospel was tied to Peter from the earliest testimony, yet read least in antiquity. A Catholic examines Mark's authorship, abrupt ending, and path to the canon.
· 44 min read
Saint Matthias: The Apostle Who Replaced Judas
A Catholic account of Saint Matthias, chosen by lot to replace Judas — the first act of apostolic succession and the last casting of lots in Scripture.
· 38 min read
Judas Iscariot: The Betrayer Among the Twelve
A scholarly Catholic account of Judas Iscariot — what his name means, why the Gospels give him two different deaths, what the Church actually teaches about his damnation, and whether he received the Eucharist.
· 35 min read
Saint James the Less: The Apostle and the Brother of the Lord
A Catholic account of Saint James the Less—apostle son of Alphaeus, possible brother of the Lord and bishop of Jerusalem, and the brothers of Jesus.
· 35 min read
Saint Simon the Zealot: The Apostle Who Is Only a Name
A scholarly Catholic account of Saint Simon the Zealot: what “Cananean” means, why the “Zealot party” label is anachronistic, and why his death is unknown.
· 29 min read
Saint Jude Thaddaeus: The Apostle of Hopeless Causes
A scholarly Catholic account of Saint Jude Thaddaeus—the apostle of three names, the Epistle of Jude, the mission legends, and the patron of hopeless causes.
· 37 min read
Saint Matthew the Apostle: The Tax Collector at the Customs Post
A scholarly Catholic account of Saint Matthew the Apostle: the call at the Capernaum customs post, the Matthew/Levi question, and his contested death.
· 39 min read
Why the Orthodox Old Testament Has More Books Than the Catholic Old Testament
The Eastern Orthodox Old Testament contains books the Catholic canon does not—1 Esdras, 3 Maccabees, Psalm 151, the Prayer of Manasseh. A Catholic explains why, and why his own Church drew the line tighter.
· 28 min read
Who Actually Killed Goliath? David, Elhanan, and the Textual Transmission of 1–2 Samuel
2 Samuel 21:19 in Hebrew credits Elhanan, not David, with killing Goliath. The Catholic tradition has long-standing tools for the textual problem.
· 60 min read
1 Samuel 13:8–14: Why Saul Lost the Kingdom by Half an Hour
1 Samuel 13:8–14 explained: why Saul was rejected, what ‘a man after God’s own heart’ means, why the army was scattering, and how this relates to 1 Samuel 15.
· 41 min read
Saint Bartholomew the Apostle: Nathanael, Pantaenus's India, and the Armenian Tradition
A scholarly Catholic account of Saint Bartholomew the Apostle — the Nathanael identification, the Eusebius–Pantaenus trace to India, the Armenian Apostolic tradition, and the witness of Catholic liturgy.
· 85 min read
Saint Philip the Apostle: 'Come and See' and the Two Philips of Hierapolis
A scholarly Catholic account of Saint Philip the Apostle—his four Johannine scenes, the Two Philips problem at Hierapolis, and the witness of Catholic liturgy.
· 72 min read
Mary, the New Eve: How the Earliest Christians Read the Annunciation as the Undoing of the Fall
The Eve–Mary parallel begins with Justin Martyr around 155, deepens in Irenaeus and Tertullian, runs through every century of the Christian tradition, and was retrieved at Vatican II. A reference-length essay on the typology, its primary sources, and what it does and does not commit a reader to.
· 30 min read
Saint James the Greater: First Martyr of the Twelve, Son of Thunder, and the Long Road to Compostela
A scholarly account of Saint James the Greater: son of Zebedee, Boanerges, the first apostle martyred, and the twelve-century Compostela tradition.
· 65 min read
Saint Thomas the Apostle: From the Upper Room to the Coromandel Coast
A scholarly account of Saint Thomas the Apostle: the Johannine doubt scenes, the confession of Christ's divinity, and the Mar Thoma tradition of India.
· 73 min read
Saint John the Apostle: The Beloved Disciple, the Guardian of Mary, and the Apostle Who Did Not Die a Martyr
A scholarly account of Saint John the Apostle: the New Testament evidence, the Ephesus mission, his care for Mary, the Patmos exile, and why he alone did not die a martyr.
· 65 min read
John 1:7 Meaning: He Came as a Witness, That All Might Believe
What does John 1:7 mean? A Catholic exegesis of the Greek—μαρτυρία and the witness motif, the two ἵνα clauses, and the puzzle of believing “through him.”
· 30 min read
2 Kings 13:20–21 and the Bones of Elisha: A Catholic Exegesis of the Old Testament's Relic Miracle
A Catholic exegesis of 2 Kings 13:20–21: the Hebrew, the LXX, Sirach 48, and the patristic case that Elisha's bones warrant relic veneration.
· 50 min read
The Historical David: Archaeology, the Hebrew Bible, and Catholic Doctrine in 2026
What archaeology, the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and Catholic doctrine say about whether King David was a real historical figure.
· 55 min read
Saint Andrew the Apostle: The First-Called and the Brother of Peter
A scholarly account of Saint Andrew the Apostle: New Testament sources, the Patras martyrdom, the saltire X-cross legend, the relics, and Scottish patronage.
· 56 min read
The Deuterocanonical Books: What They Are, Where They Came From, and Why Christians Disagree About Them
What the deuterocanonical books (the seven books most Protestants call the Apocrypha) are, where they came from, and why Christians disagree about them.
· 63 min read
1 Samuel 5:1–5: The Ark in the Temple of Dagon
1 Samuel 5:1–5 explained: the Philistine grain god Dagon falls face-down before the ark at Ashdod, head and hands severed on the threshold. Catholic typology.
· 55 min read
“Speak, for Your Servant Is Listening”: Samuel’s Omission of the Divine Name
Why did Samuel drop the divine name from Eli's instruction in 1 Samuel 3:10? An exegetical study of the gradual Israelite silence around the Tetragrammaton.
· 28 min read
2 Peter — The Most Contested Letter in the Canon
Few New Testament books faced more persistent doubt than 2 Peter. Its disputed authorship, weak patristic attestation, and long road to the canon.
· 34 min read
The Shepherd of Hermas: The Book That Almost Made It Into the Bible
The most popular Christian text you've never heard of — and how the Church discerned that the Shepherd of Hermas belonged to Tradition, not Scripture.
· 32 min read
The Epistle to the Hebrews — Authorship, Canon, and the New Testament's Greatest Sermon
Hebrews—anonymous, disputed, indispensable. Its three-century canonical battle and the theology that shaped Catholic worship.
· 30 min read
The Gospel of Matthew — The Church’s Gospel and Its Journey to Canon
Few books shaped early Christianity as deeply as Matthew. Explore its authorship debates, composition, theology, and canonical status.
· 33 min read
Did the Catholic Church Ban the Bible? What History Actually Shows
Did the Catholic Church ban the Bible? Examining the councils, indices, and regional restrictions—what's myth, what's exaggeration, and what's actually true.
· 29 min read
Simon Peter: The Fisherman Who Became the Rock
The life of Simon Peter—first among the apostles and first pope—traced through Scripture, the Church Fathers, and modern archaeology at Capernaum and Rome.
· 47 min read
John 1:6 Meaning Explained: There Came a Man, Sent from God
What does John 1:6 mean? A Catholic exegesis of the Greek—the ἦν/ἐγένετο contrast, the perfect participle ἀπεσταλμένος, and John the Baptist as witness.
· 34 min read
Uncovering His Feet: What Actually Happened on the Threshing Floor in Ruth 3:4
What does 'uncover his feet' mean in Ruth 3:4? The Hebrew euphemism debate, three scholarly camps, and why Catholic exegesis must hold the ambiguity.
· 35 min read
1 Samuel 2:25 Meaning: “The Lord Wanted Them Dead”
An exegetical study of 1 Samuel 2:25—the Hebrew ḥāpēṣ, the hardening tradition, and the Catholic response from Aquinas to Trent to De Auxiliis.
· 48 min read
Scriptural Inerrancy and the Hard Passages of the Old Testament
How Catholic inerrancy handles the conquest of Canaan, the Aqedah, the imprecatory psalms, and other hard Old Testament passages. Five approaches.
· 40 min read
Jephthah’s Vow: A Catholic Reading of Judges 11:29–40
Did Jephthah sacrifice his daughter? A Catholic reading of Judges 11 with Augustine, Aquinas, the Fathers, the Catechism, and the full exegetical tradition.
· 64 min read
The Angel of the Lord: Divine Messenger, Theophany, or the Pre-Incarnate Son?
Who is the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament? A Catholic survey of the biblical evidence, the major interpretive positions, and why this mysterious figure matters for Christology.
· 25 min read
Biblical Inerrancy: What It Means, Why It Matters, and How Catholics Understand It
A comprehensive guide to biblical inerrancy—what it means, its history from the Chicago Statement to Vatican II, how Catholics understand it differently from evangelicals, and how to approach apparent contradictions in Scripture.
· 19 min read
Confessional Ph.D. Programs in New Testament: Evangelical and Catholic Options Honestly Assessed
An honest guide to confessional PhD programs in New Testament studies — Baylor, Wheaton, Fuller, Dallas, Boston College, CUA, Fordham, and Marquette. Faculty, funding, placement ceilings, and trade-offs.
· 23 min read
Inerrancy vs. Infallibility: What's the Difference?
What is the difference between biblical inerrancy and infallibility? A Yale-trained Catholic explores how these two doctrines differ, where they overlap, and why the distinction matters for how we read Scripture.
· 10 min read
Ph.D. Programs in New Testament: A Candid Guide to the Top Doctoral Programs
Top PhD programs in New Testament studies: faculty, funding, placement, and honest drawbacks at Yale, Duke, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, and more.
· 29 min read
Apocalypticism in the Dead Sea Scrolls: Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness
What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about Jewish apocalypticism? A study of the Community Rule, the War Scroll, the light-darkness dualism of Qumran, and how it connects to the New Testament.
· 22 min read
The War Scroll Explained: A Catholic Guide to the Final Battle
A comprehensive guide to the War Scroll (1QM) from the Dead Sea Scrolls: the 40-year eschatological battle, angelic warfare, priestly liturgy, and what this reveals about Jesus's rejection of violent messianism.
· 28 min read
Who Were the Essenes? A Catholic Guide to the Dead Sea Scrolls Community
A comprehensive guide to the Essenes, the Jewish sectarian community at Qumran that preserved the Dead Sea Scrolls. Discover their beliefs, practices, and significance for understanding Jesus's world.
· 33 min read
John 1:5 Meaning Explained: The Light Shines in the Darkness
What does John 1:5 mean? A study of the Greek—the present tense of φαίνει, the double meaning of κατέλαβεν, and the already/not yet of eschatology.
· 23 min read
Romans 9–11: Election, Israel, and the Mystery of Salvation
What does Romans 9–11 really teach about election and predestination? This Catholic interpretation engages Thomism, Molinism, Calvinism, and Arminianism — the most comprehensive treatment online.
· 57 min read
John 1:3–4 Meaning Explained: The Creator Who Became the Light
What do John 1:3–4 mean in the Gospel of John? A close reading in the original Greek — the punctuation of ὃ γέγονεν, Incarnation as life in the Word, and Chalcedonian Christology.
· 24 min read
A Glossary of Greek Terms in John 1:1–18
A scholarly glossary of key Greek terms in John 1:1–18 — Logos, theos, sarx, doxa, and more — with theological significance for understanding the Prologue.
· 25 min read
Five Heresies That Misread John 1 — and How the Church Answered Them
Five major heresies misread John 1: Arianism, Modalism, Adoptionism, Ditheism, and Docetism. Learn what each taught, where they went wrong, and how the Church's response was anchored in the text.
· 19 min read
Is Jesus God? The Biblical and Catholic Case for the Deity of Christ
Is Jesus God? A biblical and theological examination of the deity of Christ, from New Testament texts through the Councils, addressing common objections and theological implications.
· 20 min read
John 1:2 Meaning Explained: This One Was in the Beginning with God
What does John 1:2 mean? A close reading in the original Greek — why the repetition guards against Modalism and polytheism, and what it reveals about God.
· 20 min read
What Does Bara Mean in Hebrew? The Biblical Word for 'Create' Explained
What does bara (בָּרָא) mean in Hebrew? The biblical verb for 'create' in Genesis 1:1 explained — its grammar, its 54 occurrences, why God is its only subject, and what it means for creation theology.
· 13 min read
In the Beginning Was the Word: John 1:1 Explained
A deep dive into John 1:1 in the original Greek—the Logos, Colwell's rule, Nicene consubstantiality, and why this verse is the whole Gospel.
· 22 min read
The Gospel of John Prologue: A Verse-by-Verse Series
A Catholic verse-by-verse commentary on the Prologue to John's Gospel (John 1:1–18) — exploring the Greek text, Trinitarian theology, and the Church's doctrinal tradition.
· 3 min read
Stages of Revelation
How God progressively revealed himself through Noah, Abraham, and Israel—a Catholic reflection on Catechism §§ 54–64 and salvation history.
· 9 min read
God’s Gradual Revelation of Himself
Why did God reveal himself gradually? A Catholic reflection on Catechism §§ 51–53 and the divine pedagogy that prepared humanity to receive Christ.
· 7 min read
Errors in Scripture and Biblical Authority
Do contradictions undermine biblical authority? A Catholic look at inerrancy, Dei Verbum § 11, and reading Scripture for the truth it teaches for our salvation.
· 20 min read
Proof-Texting and The Catechism
In this post, I discuss proof-texting and the importance of considering each of the teachings of the faith as part of a unified whole.
· 5 min read
Sola Scriptura and the Journey Toward Catholicism
Sola scriptura is logically self-defeating: affirming Scripture alone requires authority outside Scripture. The insight that started my Catholic journey.
· 8 min read
Inspiration of Scripture
Understand divine inspiration and biblical authority. Explore what Scripture inspiration means in Catholic theology and how to interpret the Bible's role.
· 6 min read
Week 7 at Yale: Struggle with Scriptural Inerrancy
What does scriptural inerrancy really mean? A Yale Divinity student explores how to define biblical errors, reconcile contradictions, and understand Scripture as a reliable guide for faith.
· 13 min read
The Crucifixion of the Warrior God: A Bridge Too Far
A critical review of Greg Boyd's Crucifixion of the Warrior God. Boyd's cruciform hermeneutic is promising, but does his reading undermine Scripture's reliability?
· 31 min read
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