The Sin Spectrum: Blomberg's View On Sin Equality

are all sins equal craig blomberg

Craig Blomberg is an American New Testament scholar and a member of the Evangelical Theological Society, the Tyndale Fellowship, the Institute for Biblical Research, the Society of Biblical Literature, the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, and the Committee on Bible Translation for the New International Version of the Scriptures. He is currently a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of the New Testament at Denver Seminary in Colorado, where he has been since 1986.

Blomberg has written extensively on the topic of sin in his capacity as a New Testament scholar. He argues that all sins are equal in God's eyes in that they are all, by definition, unrighteous and imperfect. However, he also acknowledges that some sins are worse than others in terms of the severity of their consequences in this life. For example, Blomberg asserts that lusting in one's heart will have consequences, but they will not be as severe as the consequences of committing adultery. Similarly, coveting has a lesser effect than stealing.

Blomberg highlights a passage in Scripture that singles out sexual sin as having worse consequences than other types of sin: Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body (1 Corinthians 6:18). He also points out that even in the final judgment, there seem to be degrees of punishment, suggesting that not all sins carry the same weight of punishment in hell.

In conclusion, while all sins are equal in God's eyes in that they are all unrighteous and imperfect, some sins have more severe consequences than others in this life and may be considered worse in that respect.

Characteristics Values
Nature of sin Unrighteousness and imperfection
Sins and their consequences Lustful thoughts and adultery
Sins and their consequences Unjustified anger and murder
Sins and their consequences Coveting and thieving
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and dishonesty
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and pride
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and envy
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and destruction of the body
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and destruction of the self
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and sorcery
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and idol worship
Sins and their consequences Sexual immorality and deceit
Sins and their consequences Murder and deceit

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The historical reliability of the Gospels

Craig Blomberg, a distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, has authored over 30 books, including "The Historical Reliability of the Gospels", which is considered one of the most helpful books on the topic. In this book, Blomberg interacts with critical questions, skeptical arguments, and methodology to communicate the validity and trustworthiness of the four Gospels. He draws from the research of the Gospels Research Project of Tyndale House to make dense academic findings accessible to a wider audience.

Blomberg addresses various allegations against the Canonical Gospels, affirming the orthodox Christian position. He covers topics such as the formation of the Canon, the choice of the Synoptic Gospels, the text and translation of the New Testament, the authorship and dating of the Gospels, the reliability of oral tradition, the composition of the Synoptic Gospels, and the literary genre of the Gospels.

Blomberg also engages with alleged contradictions in the Gospels, such as the timing of the Sanhedrin's condemnation of Jesus and the centurion's request for healing. He offers plausible solutions that consider the cultural and historical context, such as the convention of acting on behalf of another person. Additionally, he discusses the historical Jesus, the harmony between the Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of John, and the problem of harmonization.

Blomberg's work provides a thorough examination and defense of the historical reliability of the Gospels, interacting with both skeptical and evangelical scholarship. He emphasizes the importance of engaging with a wide range of perspectives to defend the truth and reach a broader audience.

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The nature of sin and its consequences

Sin is a falling short of God's glory. It is unrighteousness and imperfection. All sins are equal in that they are all unrighteous and imperfect, and any sin will keep one out of heaven. However, not all sins have the same consequences in this world or carry the same weight of punishment in hell.

Jesus equated lust and adultery in the Sermon on the Mount, but that does not mean they are equal in every respect. Committing adultery will have more severe consequences than simply harbouring inappropriate thoughts. Similarly, the consequences of coveting are not as severe as those of thieving.

Sexual sin is singled out in Scripture as having worse consequences than other types of sin. It is said to affect not only the mind and soul but also the body. The Bible warns that "whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18).

While all sins are equal in that they are all unrighteous and imperfect, some sins have more severe consequences than others in this life and will carry greater punishment in hell.

Refinements and Qualifications

It is important to note that while some sins may have more severe consequences than others, this does not mean that they are more or less forgivable. All sins, no matter how "big" or "small," can be forgiven in Christ. As it is written in Romans 5:20, "where sin increased, grace increased all the more".

Additionally, the distinction between sins should not be used as an excuse to tolerate or minimise certain types of sin. As Christians, we should strive to avoid all forms of sin and help others to do the same.

The Weightier Matters of the Law

Jesus criticised the Jewish leaders of his time for being overly concerned with minor issues while neglecting the "weightier" matters of the Law (Matthew 23:23). These weightier matters include social justice, mercy, and faithfulness (Micah 6:8).

Christians should be careful not to become overly focused on certain sins while neglecting more important issues. We should strive for righteousness in all areas of our lives and remember that even seemingly minor sins separate us from God and require forgiveness.

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The historical Jesus

Craig Blomberg, a distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary, has authored and edited multiple books, including 'The Historical Reliability of the Gospels' and 'Jesus and the Gospels: An Introduction and Survey'. Blomberg's academic expertise includes subjects relating to the historical Jesus, and he has lectured widely on the topic.

Blomberg's interest in the historical Jesus stems from his personal experience in coming to embrace the historical reliability of the gospels. Raised in a liberal branch of the Lutheran Church, he encountered conflicting teachings during his confirmation class where he was shown how the Synoptic accounts of the Last Supper contradicted each other. However, even as a junior high student, Blomberg felt that there were plausible ways of combining the texts into a harmonious whole. This experience sparked his curiosity and led him to explore credible scholarly alternatives to skeptical views.

In his writings, Blomberg emphasizes the importance of understanding Jesus in historical context. He acknowledges that even without the New Testament, we can learn about Jesus from non-Christian sources. Based on his research, Blomberg summarizes Jesus as a first-third-century Jew, born out of wedlock, whose ministry intersected with that of John the Baptist. Jesus became a popular teacher and wonder-worker, gathering close disciples and consistently teaching perspectives on the Law that clashed with the religious authorities' interpretations. He was believed to be the Messiah and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, with his followers claiming that he was bodily resurrected.

Blomberg addresses alleged gospel contradictions and offers plausible solutions. For example, he suggests that the centurion first sent Jewish elders as an embassy to ask Jesus for healing, rather than approaching him directly. He also reconciles the timing of the Sanhedrin's condemnation of Jesus, proposing that they likely began interrogating him at night and came to provisional conclusions, followed by a formal hearing in the morning to create an aura of legality.

Blomberg's work provides valuable insights into understanding the historical Jesus and the reliability of the gospel accounts. His contributions have influenced both academic and lay audiences, shaping their perspectives on the life and teachings of Jesus.

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The New Testament miracles

The New Testament Gospels contain numerous accounts of miracles performed by Jesus. These include faith healings, exorcisms, resurrections, and control over nature. While many Christians and Muslims believe these miracles to be historical events, some liberal Christians consider them figurative. Since the Age of Enlightenment, scholars have increasingly taken a skeptical approach to miracle claims, though there is a consensus that the historical Jesus was viewed as a miracle worker during his lifetime.

Craig Blomberg, a New Testament scholar, identifies a characteristic shared among all miracle accounts in the Gospels: Jesus delivered benefits freely and never requested or accepted payment, unlike some high priests of his time. For instance, in Matthew 10:8, Jesus advised his disciples to heal the sick without payment.

The Gospel of John mentions seven miraculous signs that characterise Jesus's ministry, from turning water into wine to raising Lazarus from the dead. However, it is not always clear when two reported miracles refer to the same event. For example, the healing of the centurion's servant in Matthew and Luke may refer to the same event as the healing of the royal official's son in John, but with some differences in detail.

The largest group of miracles mentioned in the Gospels involves healing the sick, infirm, or disabled. These include healing the blind, curing leprosy, healing paralysis, and casting out demons. Jesus is also described as having power over nature, such as walking on water, calming storms, and multiplying food.

Post-resurrection miracles attributed to Jesus are also recorded in the Gospels, such as a miraculous catch of fish. Accounts of Jesus's miracles are also found outside the New Testament, including in the Quran, Infancy Gospels, and the Book of Mormon.

Craig Blomberg's Views on Miracles

Craig Blomberg has written extensively on the miracles of Jesus, including their interpretation and historical reliability. He argues that miracles were an important part of Jesus's life, attesting to his divinity and dual nature as God and Man. Blomberg suggests that miracles were acts of love and mercy, intended to show compassion for suffering humanity.

In addition to his scholarly work, Blomberg has also reflected on his personal journey towards embracing the historical reliability of the Gospels, including the miracle accounts. Raised in a liberal branch of the Lutheran Church, he encountered sceptical views on the Gospels during his confirmation class and religious education. However, he later discovered conservative Christian literature and scholarship that presented credible alternatives to these sceptical approaches. This led him to pursue further study at Trinity in Deerfield, where he encountered a wealth of evangelical scholarship that reinforced his faith in the reliability of the Gospel accounts.

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The Synoptic Gospels

The majority of Mark and about half of Matthew and Luke coincide in content, sequence, and wording. This common material is known as the "triple tradition". It includes stories such as the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the first disciples of Jesus, the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, and the call of the tax collector, among others. The triple tradition itself constitutes a complete gospel, similar to the shortest gospel, Mark.

Matthew and Mark report the cursing of the fig tree, despite some differences in wording and content. In Luke, the parable of the barren fig tree is in a different part of the narrative. Some scholars argue that Luke has adapted an element of the triple tradition, while others consider it a distinct pericope.

The triple tradition's pericopae tend to be arranged in the same order in all three gospels, in contrast to the material found in only two of the gospels, which is more variable in order. This strong parallelism is widely attributed to literary interdependence, though the role of orality and memorisation of sources has also been explored.

The precise nature of the literary relationship between the Synoptic Gospels—the synoptic problem—has been debated for centuries and is yet to be conclusively solved. The longstanding majority view, known as Marcan priority, holds that Mark was written first and that Matthew and Luke directly used it as a source, in addition to another hypothetical document, Q. However, this hypothesis has come under substantial attack in recent years. Other theories include the Augustinian hypothesis (Matthew-Mark), the Griesbach hypothesis (Matthew-Luke), and the Farrer hypothesis (Mark-Matthew).

Frequently asked questions

All sins are equal in the sense that they are all "unrighteous" and "imperfect", and that they all separate us from God. However, not all sins are equal in terms of the severity of their consequences in this life. For example, while lust and adultery are both sinful, adultery is worse as it has more severe consequences.

Yes, in the sense that all sins are unrighteous and imperfect. However, the Bible also singles out sexual sin as having worse consequences than other types of sin.

Craig Blomberg does not believe that all sins are equal. He argues that some sins are worse than others in terms of the severity of their consequences.

Sexual immorality is considered worse than other sins such as dishonesty, pride, and envy. Murder is worse than harbouring a grudge. Adultery is worse than lust.

All sins are equal in the sense that they are all unrighteous and imperfect, and that they will all keep us out of heaven unless we are made righteous through faith in Christ.

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