Showing results by author "Paul Pavao" in All Categories

The Council of Nicea was not clerics in a dark and ornate hall. It was brawls in churchyards; it was emperors and governors fighting to save the empire; it was political intrigue as the governments of church and state blended into a volatile stew. It was the way a fringe group of peace-loving communal worshipers of a crucified Palestinian prophet conquered the Roman Empire.

Jesus quoted Hosea in saying, "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." The prophet Samuel similarly told King Saul, "To obey is better than sacrifice. In fact, an attentive read through the Old Testament will show that there are a lot of things better than sacrifice. What was the role of Old Testament sacrifices? How does that affect our understanding of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross? Pavao forces us to look at verses we gloss over because they contradict our understanding of the purpose of the Jewish sacrificial system. Have you ever considered that God once said: I didn’t speak to your ...