
Moving along rapidly toward completing the updating of our Bible Study Video series, New Testament: Gospels, this week I bring you four more episodes, all focused on the Seven Signs in the Gospel of St. John plus additional unique material. St. John makes an interesting distinction, referring to these seven events, five of which are unique to the Gospel of John, as “signs” from the Greek semeion. I explain the theories of why in the video series. Episode Thirty-six is focused exclusively on the Wedding at Cana, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (John 2:11). Episode Thirty-seven includes the Healing of the Nobleman’s Son (John 4:46-54); the Healing of the Paralytic Man (John 5:1-1-15); and Pt 1 of 2 on the Healing of the Man Born Blind (John 9:1-41). Episode Thirty-eight completes my discussion of the five unique signs with the Healing of the Man Born Blind (Pt 2 of 2) and the Raising of Lazarus (John 11:38-43). Episode Thirty-nine includes discussion of the two signs which are also reported with slightly different details in one or more of the Synoptic Gospels: the Feeding of the 5,000 (John 6:1-14) and the Walking on Water (John 6:15-21), followed by the Part 1 of 7 on Unique Themes, Details and Events in the Gospel of John, starting with the spiritual themes of Light vs. Darkness, Good vs. Evil; Truth vs. Falsehood; Life vs. Death; Heaven vs. Earth; moving on to the first of Unique Details: the Emotions of Jesus; Numerology in the Gospel of John; John’s extensive use of “Jews”; and Prophecy.
Once again, the choice of the featured image was difficult, since there are a great many amazing images in these four episodes. The contest ended in a draw. The first, above, used in Episode Thirty-eight, is a 15th C. fresco, the Raising of Lazarus, Pantanassa Church, Mistra, Greece, from the DVD collection known as the Yorck Project more commonly called 10,000 Masterworks. The photograph was taken more than 15 years ago and one hopes that restoration, or at least, active preservation techniques, have halted the deterioration of this remarkable image. It’s rival in the Western Church tradition is Duccio di Buoninsegna’s egg tempera and gold on panel work, produced between 1310 and 1311 A.D. at Siena, Italy, from the Kimball Art Museum, Ft. Worth, TX.

Watch: Episode Thirty-six. Listen: Podcast-Episode Thirty-six.
Watch: Episode Thirty-seven. Listen: Podcast-Episode Thirty-seven.
Watch: Episode Thirty-eight. Listen:Podcast-Episode Thirty-eight.
Watch: Episode Thirty-nine. Listen: Podcast-Episode Thirty-nine.
In the week of Nov. 17th my focus will be on Episode Forty to Episode Forty-three, which include Parts 2 through 5 of seven on Unique Themes, Details and Events in the Gospel of St. John.
During the week of Nov. 24th my focus will be on the final two episodes, Episode Forty-four and Episode Forty-five, the last of which is focused on five unique events in the Gospel of St. John plus a summary of the entire series.
As always, thank you for your interest and support. May God bless you in all that you do in His Name! Amen! Glory be to God for all things! Amen!


Episode Twenty-six and Episode Twenty-seven, the first of twenty focused on the Gospel of St. John in the AIC Bible Study Video series, New Testament: Gospels, were uploaded this week. In Episode Twenty-six I explore the history, authorship & themes and offer some suggestions on how to read the Gospel of St. John, plus a reading of the first five verses of John 1,the opening words in St. John’s ground-breaking Prelude. In Episode Twenty-seven I read and discuss the whole Prelude: John 1:1-18. Among the many examples of historic art depictions of St. John is a remarkable and colorful example from the Carolingian era of the revived Holy Roman Empire in western Europe. The manuscript, The Benedictional of Aethelwold, a service book for the Mass by the Bishop of Winchester, based on the Gallican and Gregorian Sacramentaries, was protected by various noble families after the English Reformation. It was acquired from the Duke of Devonshire, Chatsworth, Devonshire, by the British Library in 1958 A.D. Below is the only illumination of a Gospel author that has survived, St. John with the traditional Eagle symbol.


I’m pleased to announce the uploading for another revised episode, Episode Twenty-one in the AIC Bible Study Video series, The New Testament: Gospels. Content is Part 2 of 6 in Unique Content in the Gospel of St. Luke, including Sending the Return of the Seventy and Jesus’ encounter with Mary and Martha at Bethany.

