Dr. Eitan Bar

At first, during the first century, the distinction between Jews and Christians was not as clear-cut as it is today. Christianity initially emerged as a Jewish movement from within Judaism, with many of its early followers, including Jesus and his disciples, being Jews.

In this article I critique David Platt’s interpretation of Matthew 27:46, which posits that God the Father killed God the Son, expelling Him from the Trinity. This article explores alternative perspectives on this verse, dissecting its theological implications and offering fresh insights into the nature of Jesus’ crucifixion and the …

The figure of Satan, or “the satan” (Hebrew: הַשָּׂטָן), appears in the Hebrew Bible primarily as an accuser or adversary, rather than the fully developed devil figure seen in later Christian theology. The term “satan” is derived from a Hebrew verb meaning “to obstruct” or “to oppose.” In the Old…

Here, Paul emphasizes love’s protective nature. The Greek word translated as “protects” literally means to cover, suggesting that love provides a protective barrier, holding up under pressures and difficulties and keeping out negative influences that might undermine relationships. Love’s protection means it is willing to suffer for others, regardless of…

You have likely noticed that in fundamentalist Christian traditions, being “saved” is understood as avoiding a place where God sends people to be tortured in eternal flames, burning them ceaselessly, a concept commonly referred to in these traditions as “hell.” However, Judaism, the root of Christianity, interprets ‘salvation’ quite differently.…

Evangelicals, commonly self-identified as “Born-again Evangelicals,” generally interpret “born again” as a profound experience of repentance and faith in Jesus’s sacrifice for sins. This experience is often specific, memorable, and pivotal to their personal testimony. These experiences, usually emotionally charged, can look like reciting a “salvation prayer” from a pamphlet…

In this era, filled with action movies, violent video games, and incessant news reports of violence, it’s hardly surprising that the term ‘blood’ often conjures negative associations such as violence, terrorism, war, suffering, and wrath. This perspective might explain why some preachers assert that God tortured, abused, and killed Christ.…

Generosity is an often overlooked core principle in Jesus’s teachings. Christ emphasized the importance of giving, sharing, and caring for others throughout His ministry. One of the most profound examples is the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), where Jesus illustrates the essence of loving one’s neighbor through acts…

Jesus met individuals often viewed by society as irredeemable or beyond help, such as the woman caught in adultery, the tax collector Zacchaeus, or the Samaritan woman at the well. In each encounter, Jesus looked beyond their current situation and envisioned what they could become, instilling hope and offering a…

Kindness is the act of showing compassion, generosity, and consideration towards others, often involving selfless actions and a genuine concern for their well-being. It encompasses gestures of goodwill, such as offering help, expressing empathy, and treating people with respect and understanding. At its core, kindness reflects an inner attitude of…

Understanding the reason(s) behind Jesus’ death is fundamental to Christian belief. Explore five historical theories that attempt to explain why Jesus died, each offering a unique perspective on the significance of His sacrifice and its impact on our faith.

By the third century AD, rabbis attempted to further separate Jesus’ disciples from mainstream Judaism by introducing a controversial legend into the Oral Law. They hoped this legend would create discomfort among Jesus’ followers and ultimately create animosity between rabbinic Jews and Christian-Jews, expelling the latter from Jewish communities altogether.…

Many Christian Fundamentalists (often Calvinists, Baptists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, etc.) argue that the Bible must be read literally. For instance, in the Popular Calvinistic website, it stated: “Not only can we take the Bible literally, but we must take the Bible literally. This is the only way to determine what God…

An article titled, “Why do I face the consequences of Adam’s sin when I did not eat the fruit?” on the popular Reformed website “GotQuestions” reads: The Bible says, “Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because…

There are two kinds of “Christianity.” One is a religion that, on paper, intellectually adheres to all the correct theological recipes and doctrines about Jesus’ Lordship and Divinity. The other is a way of life—represented by the kingdom of heaven—embodied by Christ-like individuals who live out the values Jesus taught…