In its splendor, the second temple in Jerusalem that Jesus would have seen was far more magnificent than the more modest edifice constructed by those Jewish exiles whose return to Jerusalem from Babylon is retold in the closing chapters of Second Chronicles and in Ezra and Nehemiah. The temple of Jesus’ day was one element of a reconstruction plan of astonishing ambition undertaken by Herod the Great. From near and far, first-century Jews came...

Few things are more uncomfortable than holding a conviction when the world seems hell-bent on sweeping it aside. It’s easy to blend in, to nod along, and to prioritize comfort over conscience. But history tells us a reoccurring truth: nearly every generation faces a moment where silence equates to surrender; where comfort breeds complicity. The war that’s upon us to destroy our nation, our religious freedom, and even our churches,...