Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. They mean that Luke took the parable Luke 10.30-35 and told it as a story with a direct message about correct behavior. Bible experts call the parable of the Good Samaritan an example story. By this… Read More

Christians often see Jesus in the figure of the merciful Samaritan in Luke’s gospel. Given the hostility between Jews and Samaritans in the first century, it would be ironic indeed if Luke’s Jesus, the ideal Jewish person — were at the same time the ideal, or good, Samaritan. Luke… Read More

Who were these bandits who attacked the stricken traveler? There are two distinct terms in the Greek language of the New Testament. In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Luke chooses the term “lestes,” which describes a violent member of a group. Before one can fully appreciate the story… Read More

How did we get our Bible? When were the writings that make up the New Testament selected, arranged, and collected? Learn more about what biblical scholars have discovered. The New Testament we have today is a collection of writings that have been gathered and edited. The titles, the fixed number… Read More

The Gospels might seem to be biographies of Jesus’ life, but they more than this. As John 20:31 says, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing you may have life in his name.” Find out more about… Read More

When people travel and interact with each other, societies change. Find out how biblical society changed through trade and travel. The story of trade and travel in the ancient Near East tells how those civilizations developed. The Bible, other documents of the times, and archaeological discoveries give a general… Read More

What is archaeology and what does it have to do with the Bible? Find out here. Archaeology studies past human cultures by examining the physical objects they have left behind. It includes excavating (digging) to recover objects that have been buried for long periods of time. Often, cities were built… Read More

The New Testament didn’t appear out of thin air. Find out how the New Testament was compiled and explore the reliability of the canon. In the ancient world, pseudonymous writing was not unknown. Letters written in the name of an apostle, originating in a circle of early Christians, perhaps… Read More

Learn about the issues behind The Da Vinci Code. What is fact and what is fiction? Revealing the Truth Behind the Fiction The Da Vinci Code which is loosely based on Gnosticism, a diverse series of early Christian literature, has created a stir among readers who seek to “decode”… Read More

Gnosticism, a line of thought referenced extensively in The Da Vinci Code, emphasizes the importance of a special knowledge for faith. Read more about the origins and influence of Gnostic thought. The Origins of Gnosticism The term, gnosticism, comes from the Greek word, gn´sis, which means a knowing or… Read More