Spark Cast

I Desire Mercy—Jesus' Call to a Divided Nation Q&R [Dr. R. Steven Notley]

Based upon decades of study on the cultural and rabbinic context of the Gospels, Dr. Steven Notley will reveal fresh insights into Luke 4 and Jesus’ public pronouncement of his ministry at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus' message of mercy marks the entire Gospel of Luke though it did not find a home in every hearing heart. Dr. R. Steven Notley is Professor and Dean of Religious Studies at Pillar College, Newark, NJ. Since 2016, he has served as the academic director of the el-Araj Excavation Project in its search for first-century Bethsaida-Julias, the lost city of the apostles. He received his PhD from the Hebrew University, where he studied with David Flusser. Dr. Notley lived for 16 years in Jerusalem with his wife and four children, during which time he was the founding chair of the New Testament Studies program at the Jerusalem University College. He is the author of many books and articles and continues collaborative research and publication with Israeli scholars in the fields of historical geography, ancient Judaism, and Christian origins. Among his list of publications, he collaborated with Flusser on the historical biography, The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’ Genius; with Anson Rainey on the monumental biblical atlas, The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World; and with Ze’ev Safrai on an annotated translation of Eusebius’s important description of Roman Palestine, Eusebius, Onomasticon: A Triglott Edition with Notes and Commentary. He rejoined Safrai for their second work, a pioneering collection and translation of the earliest rabbinic parables that provide the literary and religious context for the parables of Jesus, The Parables of the Sages.

I Desire Mercy—Jesus' Call to a Divided Nation [Dr. R. Steven Notley]

Based upon decades of study on the cultural and rabbinic context of the Gospels, Dr. Steven Notley will reveal fresh insights into Luke 4 and Jesus’ public pronouncement of his ministry at his hometown synagogue in Nazareth. Jesus' message of mercy marks the entire Gospel of Luke though it did not find a home in every hearing heart. Dr. R. Steven Notley is Professor and Dean of Religious Studies at Pillar College, Newark, NJ. Since 2016, he has served as the academic director of the el-Araj Excavation Project in its search for first-century Bethsaida-Julias, the lost city of the apostles. He received his PhD from the Hebrew University, where he studied with David Flusser. Dr. Notley lived for 16 years in Jerusalem with his wife and four children, during which time he was the founding chair of the New Testament Studies program at the Jerusalem University College. He is the author of many books and articles and continues collaborative research and publication with Israeli scholars in the fields of historical geography, ancient Judaism, and Christian origins. Among his list of publications, he collaborated with Flusser on the historical biography, The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’ Genius; with Anson Rainey on the monumental biblical atlas, The Sacred Bridge: Carta’s Atlas of the Biblical World; and with Ze’ev Safrai on an annotated translation of Eusebius’s important description of Roman Palestine, Eusebius, Onomasticon: A Triglott Edition with Notes and Commentary. He rejoined Safrai for their second work, a pioneering collection and translation of the earliest rabbinic parables that provide the literary and religious context for the parables of Jesus, The Parables of the Sages.

Revelation | Hold On & Wake Up [Danielle Parish & Kevin Neuner]

A closer look at the churches in Thyatira and Sardis reveals that they are encouraged to wake up and repent, and persevere, even when everything around them looks hopeless.

Revelation | First Loves & White Stones [Danielle Parish]

Looking closely at the letters to the cities of Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum, John the Revelator speaks to the specific context of the churches in these three cities using the language of first loves and white stones.

Revelation | The Church's Bi-Millennial Performance Review [Kevin Neuner]

Seven cities. Seven churches. Why? A clue is found in the preface, that John, a brother to the people to whom he writes, shares, in Jesus, in the persecution, the kingdom, and resistance. This triad formulates the foundational agenda for John's exhortations and prepares these disciples for the encouraging hope that is coming.