The following is an extract from my forthcoming book, Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches. The ebook comes out next month; the paperback comes out next Easter. Enjoy! — The Philadelphians are often esteemed as a model church because Jesus never rebuked them—as though escaping censure was the high point of Christian living. (What a sad way to read these love letters from Jesus. “I got a letter from the Lord and he didn’t scold or threaten to kill me. I’m so blessed.”) Each of the seven letters reveals something of the goodness of God, but nowhere does God’s grace and kindness shine brighter than in this letter to the powerless Philadelphians. In less than 250 words, the Lord gives one of the most stunning summaries of the hope held out in the gospel, and he does this by making promises. Because many people don’t know what makes the new covenant new, they miss these treasures. They read these letters with an old covenant mindset and come away quaking in their boots. This is why it’s essential to understand the difference between the old and new covenants. The old covenant was characterized by people [...]

My new book, Letters from Jesus, comes out in a few weeks. Here’s a taste… — In the creviced hills east of the Sea of Galilee, a kibbutznik stumbled on the neck of a partially buried earthen jar. Inside the jar was a roll of parchment. Experts at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem examined the parchment and found letters written by someone claiming to be the Son of God. The letters were dated to the first century, and all the evidence indicated that they had been written by Jesus Christ. A media frenzy followed. Within days the letters were translated into every language known to man. They were circulated online and everybody read them. The letters, revealing a side of Christ that few had seen, triggered a theological cataclysm. Seminarians squabbled, boards bickered, and churches split. Yet many believed that God was sending humanity a much-needed message of love and hope. Feuds ended and wars ceased. So many people turned to Christ on account of these letters that media outlets labeled their discovery the most important event in Christendom since the resurrection. Everything above is a fiction. I wrote it as a thought experiment, a kind of what-if question. What [...]

For the past year and a half I have been writing a book on the gospel of Jesus. I’m happy to announce – it is finished! Great! What’s the new book called? Letters from Jesus: Finding Good News in Christ’s Letters to the Churches. Who picked the name? You did. Probably. A few weeks ago I ran a poll on Facebook and the majority of voters chose this title over The Gospel in Seven Letters. Why? Because Letters from Jesus “sounds more personal and intimate,” and this is exactly the vibe I’m trying to convey. You’ve got mail. From Jesus! What’s the book about? It’s about the astonishing good news of grace found in Christ’s letters… Wait, what? Jesus wrote letters?! Yes. They’re at the back of your Bible in the Book of Revelation. Oh those letters. They’re strange. I don’t understand them. The letters from Jesus to the seven churches may be the most misunderstood chapters in the Bible. Many people dismiss them as too hard, too strange, or too scary. “Did Jesus really say that?” Which is a shame, because they are letters from Jesus and they are the only letters we have. Why did you write a [...]