All the Commands are subject to misunderstanding, overemphasis, and underemphasis. The Commands of Jesus can be taken so out of context and misapplied, that they can even become false gods and idols that blind vision from the true nature of the Commands. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and si…

Send us a Text Message. In this episode, Mr. Michael Eltham, in the aspirancy phase of Diaconate formation, interviews Father Chris Myers. Topics include: his call to the priesthood, childhood, prayer, relationship with God, and errors of atheism.By Father Christopher

As we have noted before, many of Jesus' specific words must be broadened to incorporate the fullness of what he intended as Commands of obedience upon his followers. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Comma…

This may appear on the surface to be identical with the first command: Obey my Commands. From Jesus' conversation with the man we call the "rich young ruler," however, the inference can be made that Jesus is specifically speaking of the Ten Commandments of Exodus 20. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information o…

Jesus often couched his teachings in the form of metaphors and parables for the curious purpose, if we are to take him at his word, of preventing those who are not in earnest about obeying him from understanding him. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father …

Giving, for many Christians, is founded on legalistic obligation based on the Old Testament tithe. It is doubtful, however, that a strong case can be made in the New Testament for the perpetuation of the tithe as commonly taught. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be fou…

Probably the most feared sin in the world, "the Great Sin," is what we commonly refer to as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips…

Paul's famous statement in Ephesians (4:26) "Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger," is often used to excuse anger, so long as we don't let it go on too long. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon …

This is the second time we have used this passage from Matthew 25 to highlight one of the Commands. And for good reason. This must surely be one of the most powerful passages in all the Bible. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit A…

Probably few other commands of Jesus have been interpreted with such wide latitude as the command to "eat the bread" and "drink the cup" in remembrance of the last supper on the night before his crucifixion. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the In…

Here we encounter another highly specific command. While said by Jesus only once, it is yet difficult to include in any other grouping or summary of Commands. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and…

Send us a Text Message. 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time Mark 6:7-13 "God Shares His Authority With Us"By Father Christopher

The examples Jesus uses to address how disputes should be settled are, in a sense, unfortunately narrow of focus. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

A few of the Commands are so all-encompassing that, if they were followed perfectly, none of the other Commands would be necessary. They draw all the Commands up into them. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase Th…

In how many ways we each break this command...often, even daily! When it comes to the "commands of personal conviction," this must certainly rank up near to the top of the list. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purcha…

Send us a Text Message. This is today’s reflection on the readings for the 13th Sunday of Ordinary Time.By Father Christopher

Most of the commands given by Jesus to his disciples when he sent them out two by two must be viewed as being too specific to be considered universally incumbent upon all his followers throughout all time. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inkl…

Send us a Text Message. This is a reflection on the Gospel of Mark 4:35-41. This Gospel was read last Sunday, the 12th Sunday of Ordinary TimeBy Father Christopher

How far into eternity will God's mercy extend? It is one of the great historic theological conundrums. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

This is surely one of the Bible's most well known verses. Its succinct proverb is a part of everyday conversational idiom everywhere. The command might therefore have been rendered in its more familiar form as simply: Turn the other cheek. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings …

Curiously, Jesus did not address the mode and manner of how we are to conduct ourselves in the normal flow of daily conversation. His comments about speech are very specific. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase …

We have spoken several times about Jesus' use of hyperbole, exaggeration, and metaphor. We do not actually "eat his flesh" when participating in a communion or Eucharist service. He does not really want his followers to "cut off" their hands or "pluck out" their eyes to rid their lives of sin. These are symbols and images which Jesus used skillfull…

Again we encounter Jesus making a point with overstatement. No one seriously expects us to go through life saying nothing but yes and no. Jesus himself did not do so either. Once more we gain further insight into his words from the Lord's brother James, who gave this command in its more familiar form: Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. (James …

It is easy to hear words such as, "He who is ashamed of me and my words...of him will the Son of Man be ashamed." (Mark8:38, Luke 9:26), and read ourselves right out of the text. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purch…

It continues to be astonishing, once we see it, how much of Jesus' teaching concerned the simple things of life - such "unspiritual" things. Where is all the theology and doctrine? Of course we can turn to Romans or Ephesians if we want that sort of thing. But where is it in the Gospels? It's not there. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read b…

One of Jesus' most familiar "I am" declarations in John's gospel is, I am the truth. To love Jesus, therefore, one must love truth. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phi…

Many of the Commands of Jesus emerged out of free-flowing conversations with those around him. It can therefore be difficult to perceive his higher intent in the midst of a specific exchange. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Am…

Most Christians are well familiar with Jesus' injunction against condemnation: Judge not. We are less acquainted with the form of judgment he does tell us to make. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Command…

Literalists eager to discover loopholes in the Commands will easily be able to dismiss a blanket injunction against obscenity. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips…

The unfortunate image conjured up by this passage in the minds of many is of a poor suffering beast of burden, a hundred pound slab of oak laced to his back, a plow tied behind, laboring in the hot sun from sunup to sundown. Not a very appealing life! From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and simil…

There are two ways to read Jesus' invitation, Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

Most commentators, theologians, pastors, and teachers, through the years have interpreted this passage through a salvationary lens. It may be, however, that a more subtle reading strikes closer to home, and perhaps probes more meaningfully to the heart of Jesus' intent. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More informatio…

The familiar passage from Matthew 7 is usually associated with prayer, and the promise of answered prayer: Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inkl…

No pithier visual imagery exists in Jesus' teaching than his clever use of the speck and log in the matter of fault-finding. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

Many of the Commands are implied, but this is a direct, clear, forceful, and unyielding command--Judge not. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

Throughout the Commands, we have repeatedly emphasized that this or that word from Jesus is THE essential, THE first, THE foundational command. "Wait a minute," some may object, "If this is the most important command...how can that be the most important?" From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and s…

The cross has become the essential symbol of Christianity. It was not so, however, when Jesus spoke these words. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phillips.…

There are many "firsts" in the Gospel story -- the first disciples called, the first command, the first sermon, the first Follow me, etc. We have noted some of these as we have progressed through the Commands. One of the most instructive such firsts occurs in Matthew 5:3: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. From The…

This is a very interesting and seriously convicting command. And one mostly ignored by the vast majority of Christendom's churches. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Michael Phi…

Contrary to what many think, Jesus had nothing against either money or rich people. Many of his closest friends were possessors of means. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and other books by Micha…

We here encounter a Command made all the more intriguing when we consider to whom Jesus addressed it. He did not speak these words to his disciples or followers or to the crowds. This was his response to Satan after the final temptation in the wilderness. Can we then consider it a universal Command which Jesus places upon his followers as well? Fro…

So many of Jesus' Commands are interrelated. In these combined passages from Luke, we hear echoes of Love, Give to the poor, Do more than required, Be a servant, Be kind, Do good, Do not demand back what you have given, Serve the least of humanity as you would Jesus. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information o…

Two individuals in the Gospels occasionally cause the sensitive heart a pang of empathy. In both instances, at first glance we feel that Jesus is a little harsh. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands …

The passage from Mark 7 concerning the pharisaic worship of the letter of the law, as manifested by an obsession with clean cups and bowls and hands, gives a singularly important teaching in all the Gospels. Jesus here addresses an inevitable tendency in all religions--the susceptibility of truth to degenerate into doctrines and legalisms, defined …

An entire history of Christendom could be written from the perspective of the slow, steady, continuous divergence of Christ's followers from Christ's commands. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands an…

Faith is truly one of the most complex attributes of spirituality. It is a word bandied about easily and casually by the unbelieving world as readily as it is used in the believing world. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon…

It is unfortunate, in one sense, that the Lord's parable of the talents is about money and the return gained from its use. This has led to the false idea that God cares about the world of finance. The misappropriation of the truth of this parable has contributed to many foolish prosperity doctrines that are an embarrassment to the church. Because o…

New Testament scholar William Barclay says plainly about Mark 9:48-50, "These three verses are amongst the most difficult in the New Testament to interpret." From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on this and similar writings may be found at Father of the Inklings. Visit Amazon to purchase The Commands and …

At first I wrote Bring children to me in order to more directly represent Jesus' words. Then I realized that Jesus was addressing a larger principle: The childlikeness required to receive the principles of God's kingdom. There are several huge implications involved. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Kimball. More information on…

We continually find that the familiarity of certain of Jesus' words often obscures their astonishing meaning. Here, for example, many images of what it means to take upon oneself the Lord's "yoke" spring to mind, along with his oft-quoted words of comfort, You shall find rest for your souls. From The Commands by Michael Phillips. Read by Michael Ki…