• Reflect

    Was Jesus a tax collector?

    A friend sent me an article to read, and this is my reaction to it. Anyone wanting additional context on my reaction should reference that article here. Does Matthew 22:18-22 morally obligate us to pay taxes? What does Jesus mean when he says, “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s?” Jeff Barr analyzes this and believes this passage is one of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament. Let’s look at the passage in question: “But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them,…

  • Reflect

    [s]indwelling or sin-indwelling

    If we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit…. Here is an interesting verse to look at because there is so much packed inside of it—and I would like to unpack some of it: “Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.”Romans 7:20 ESV Paul wrote this letter to the Romans as a follower of Christ. Paul, like all Christ followers, has the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So, the sin that dwells within each Christian must be sharing a dwelling with the Holy Spirit. That sounds like they could be roommates—except that they are…