A call to a new Reformation in the teaching and life of Jesus' followers
I just wanted to point those of you who read my blog to a discussion I’ve been having with John Hobbins on his “Ancient Hebrew Poetry” blog. John and I most definitely do not agree about the appropriateness of Christians serving in the military, or on the justness of (at least some) military actions we’re now involved with in the U.S. But we both agree … Continue reading War and Peace – A Civil Discussion
Over a late lunch today I listened to a podcast of a sermon from a minister whose page I found through another blog, and I want to share it with you. Andy Croel, over at The Pulpiteer, preached a good sermon this past Easter on the notion that death is NOT part of God’s plan, that Easter shows it, and how we ought to respond. … Continue reading Easter Should Make Rebels of Us All – a sermon link
OK, so we’ve established that I was wrong in placing 2 Tim. 3:14-17 in a single sentence. But no translation I have EVER read portrays verses 16 and 17 as anything other than a single sentence, and this is important. Let’s look: 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that … Continue reading 2 Timothy 3:16-17 — Even Further Thoughts
I just came across an amazing article on Biblical inspiration that goes into much greater detail, and with much more scholarly foundation, than my series has so far. I haven’t had time to read the whole thing yet, but I will. I’ll probably highlight bits of it in future posts. The article is “Inerrancy, Inspiration, and Dictation” by Joel Stephen Williams, and it was published … Continue reading Important article on Biblical Inspiration
Those who have read my series on Biblical inspiration know that I took issue with the use of 2 Tim. 3:16 as a prooftext for the inerrancy of the entire Biblical canon. I stand by my objection, but I have to do a correction nonetheless. One of my suggestions in my prior post, was that perhaps 1 Tim 3:14-17 should be read as a single … Continue reading 2 Tim. 3:16 — Redux, Correction, and Further Thoughts
C.S. Lewis is a favorite author of mine, both for his fiction and his serious writing. Among my favorite of his works, and one that doesn’t get a lot of play, is “God in the Dock,” a collection of essays that in many cases summarize in a few pages each, thoughts that elsewhere he spends a whole book on (available at Amazon, also on Google … Continue reading The miracle of the vine . . . and the Lord’s Supper
I just came across two articles today that anyone who really cares about poverty, justice, and the gospel must read: http://www.humanitarianchronicle.com/2009/07/nairobi-my-introduction/http://www.humanitarianchronicle.com/2009/07/kibera-and-the-reality-of-the-gospel/ I love Nairobi. I used to go there a lot when I worked in Tanzania in the mid-80s. It seemed a somewhat safer place then, though even back then I suspected it was a bit of an illusion–there was such a disparity between wealth … Continue reading Lessons in the gospel from Nairobi
I’ve heard about Jesus walking on water twice in the past two weeks. Our pastor preached a sermon on how the disciples were underestimating Jesus, and a buddy of mine just shared with us the idea that the seas represent chaos in first-century mythology/cosmology, so that Jesus walking on water was symbolic of his trampling chaos/Satan underfoot. Both may be right, and I have no … Continue reading Walking on water – Can’t Jesus have a little fun?
And now, for something completely different, I want to highlight an article just published by Mike Heiser at Bible Study Magazine. Clash of the Manuscripts: Goliath & the Hebrew text of the Old Testament looks at the twin issues of Goliath’s height, and an apparent textual contradiction in 2 Samuel 21:19 about who actually killed him (see also Mike’s blog, The Naked Bible). I won’t … Continue reading David and Goliath Revisited – a textual analysis
Over at Nick’s Catholic Blog, Nick and I have gotten on a rabbit trail from a post he did about imputation of righteousness. The particular trail started when he commented about the possibility of the re-unification of the church, and I responded with the idea that while I’m all for believers to work, play, and worship in unity of spirit and behavior, I’m not so … Continue reading The Authority of the Catholic Church – A friendly debate