Month: June 2012

Honor and Shame in the New Testament World

[The following article “Honor, Shame” is excerpted from Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible] Honor, Shame Among North Americans, honor and shame often refer to a psychological state—a person’s internal moral character or the actions that reflect that character. In the world of the Bible and in traditional Mediterranean societies, however, honor and shame are social…

Traitors To The Kingdom of Darkness!

No one admires a traitor. The very word brings feelings of disgust. A traitor is one who betrays an allegiance–one who betrays a trust. Who admires that? But the issue is not quite as simple as that line of reasoning makes it appear. In fact, I would suggest that there can be an admirable side…

Forgiveness: A Model In Leadership

Reading Paul’s letter to Philemon this morning, I was reminded again of Paul’s appeal for forgiveness on behalf of Onesimus, whom he refers to as his “spiritual son.” In addition to its value as an illustration of forgiveness, this letter is a masterful model of Christ-like leadership. Although Paul had the authority in the Lord…

“Wives, Submit!” (No Rotten Tomatoes, Please!)

“Wives, Submit Yourselves To Your Husbands!” Owing to our many preconceived and unfounded notions, God’s word often strikes us with surprise, and sometimes even shock. As a professor at a Christian university, I try to harness this feature to capture the attention of my students and direct it to a learning experience. Sometimes I try these…

God’s Unspeakable Gift!

For the past several mornings, I’ve been ruminating on Paul’s letter to the Colossians. In this letter, Paul shouts the supremacy of Christ. But he is not yelling at the Colossian Christians; he is yelling to them. Picture it like this: Paul is on a ship called the “H.M.S. Gospel,” and he sees a group…