It might be argued that ardently clinging to beliefs that do not seemingly materialize serves nothing more than a means to ease the disorienting experience of cognitive dissonance, in which one becomes conflicted in his or her thoughts, like John or perhaps those listening to the false teachers mentioned in 2 Peter. So, in this light, are Christians merely playing the fool for maintaining hope in the realization of God’s purposes for the world? . . .
Read MoreClearly, this sort of exclusion has been deemed offensive to many, even among those who claim the Christian tradition as their own. And this, in turn, has motivated some Christian groups to actively work toward softening the boundaries of the tradition in order to make themselves more inclusive of others. . . .
Read MoreHowever, is this theme of reversal merely an expression of “fighting fire with fire”? In other words, are these texts reinforcing a problematic system that necessarily has some people on top and some on the bottom, and simply switching the groups around? . . .
Read MoreThe view presented in the book of Revelation offers a sobering reminder to the church that there are non-negotiable boundaries for who we are, or claim to be, as God’s people. . . .
Read MoreSo what should Christians do with biblical passages such as Ephesians 6:5, where the apostle Paul writes: “Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ” (NIV)? . . . .
Read MoreWell, the coming of Jesus Christ was actually the culmination of a long plan that God put together to rescue the creation. . . .
Read MoreSo is Paul really telling Christ followers that they must fully comply to the will of the Roman Empire, its Emperor and other governing officials, as an inherent part of their commitment to Jesus Christ and the God of Israel? Are Christians not to resist even the most evil and tyrannical leaders to whom they may find themselves subject? . . . .
Read MoreIt is for this reason that lies can often seem like truth even to the most knowledgeable and honorable people. The power of a deception is in many cases equivalent to the degree it can be shown to produce some apparent good. But one of the central features that differentiates lies from truth is that such seeming good they promise are ultimately only apparent rather than real. For whatever worth is found in a lie, evil is never far behind. . . .
Read MoreAs such, doubt is a perfectly normal response to authentic faith. Only a superficial kind, which is inconsequential to real life and thus not really an “ultimate concern,” can allow people to remain aloof to and be easily unaffected by the possibility that they may have misplaced their faith, aligning themselves with falsehood. . . .
Read MoreAfter years of study and accumulating more teaching experience, I have far greater confidence in both my understanding of the Bible and my ability to communicate that understanding. Nevertheless, as odd as this may sound, the thing that frightens me most now is the prospect of losing my fear of teaching. . . .
Read MoreSo what were the Gospel writers doing when they claimed that Isaiah was fulfilled not in Israel’s return some 500 years earlier, but in the events surrounding the coming of the Messiah? Was this an innocent mistake? Or were they perhaps trying to “pull a fast one” on those who would hear their Gospel accounts and might be impressed that the story of Jesus was foretold long ago by Israel’s prophets?
Read MoreIt would not, in my view, be mistaken to conclude that the lack of significant tribulation for most Christians in the modern Western world has provided a welcome home for an idea in which they could escape it altogether. As appealing as such an idea is, we must remember that things are not true simply because we want them to be so. . . .
Read MoreUnfortunately, this sort of superficial interpretive work has become quite popular to religious audiences, receiving sizable attention through reams of popular-level books written by self-proclaimed Bible experts and, in more recent times, on various internet platforms such as YouTube. . . .
Read MoreA chief orchestrator of this social chaos, Paul felt the brunt of displeasure from both the Jewish and greater civic communities. The former persecutor had become the persecuted. After planting churches throughout the eastern portion of the Empire, experiencing a good deal of opposition and hardship along the way, he eventually found himself in prison as result of his missionary efforts. . . .
Read MoreAccording to Jesus, the most defining characteristic of his disciples was to be their love for one another. Indeed, this mutual love was commanded by Jesus, and he also taught that if a person genuinely loves him, then they will do what he commands (John 14:15).
Unfortunately, it seems to me that the behavior of many of us Christians today gives full meaning to the old saying, “with friends like this, who needs enemies?”. . . .
Read MoreWhile in times past many of us would be much more hesitant to publicly voice a controversial opinion and generally had fewer opportunities to do so, with the advent of social media confrontation is the order of the day. . . .
Read MoreWhile the idea of God’s anger is for many unpalatable, it is for the apostle Paul a crucial part of the good news that Israel’s Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, is now Lord of the world. Accordingly, a coming “Day of the Lord” will mean not only the world’s salvation but also its judgment in which God’s wrath will be revealed. . . .
Read More“But if not.” In contexts like the story in chapter 3 of the book of Daniel, this is, at least to me, an alarming phrase. The book of Daniel is a tale about a group of Jews that were forced to serve in the royal court of the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, following his conquest of the kingdom of Judah in the early 6th century BCE. . . .
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In the 1979 comedy Meatballs, Bill Murray plays a children’s summer camp lead counselor named Tripper. A key subplot of the movie revolves around a competition—the annual “Olympiad”—between Tripper’s camp, “Camp North Star,” and a neighboring one called “Camp Mohawk.” Mohawk is portrayed as an elite camp for wealthy kids, while North Star is for the average Joe. . . .
Read More“So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to go away also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life” (John 6:67–68 NASB).
Let’s be honest: Jesus says some really unsettling things. One example of this can be found in chapter 6 of John’s gospel. In this story, Jesus tells a crowd listening to him that they must eat his flesh and drink his blood to have eternal life and be resurrected on the last day . . . .
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