Bible scholar

Snips from my reading. “The openness of the gospels, the openness of Jesus must warn us against regarding people as lacking in faith if they are unable to adopt a disciple’s way of life or if it is something completely alien to them. In any event, Jesus never did.” Disciple is L’s technical term for the inner and next-outward circles of followers. Many others, however, helped Jesus and company occasionally — possibly offering a cup of cold water. These “Joseph of Arimathea’s” (remember him?) did not scatter Jesus’ work, so ergo they helped in his gathering (another term that L. freshens up). Struck me that being non-judgmental to fringe folks is not the usual way of free church groups like Baptists, and I admit that Lohfink seems more right about his anatomy of a Jesus-model church than some rigoristic Puritan-descended groups. Mea culpa. Veni Spiritu sancti. (OK, correct my wannabe Latin.) (p.96)