You don’t read far into the theological history of humanity before seeing the fruit (pardon the pun) of the divine gift of human freedom. Succumbing to envy, greed, pride, and the like, Adam & Eve disobeyed God and ate of the forbidden fruit. Attacked by similar weaponry, Cain murdered his brother Able—undoubtedly giving rise to…
January 1st! A New Year has dawned! And, with it, new opportunities. Unfortunately these beautiful gifts from Above most often arrive in very slovenly wrapped packages that we euphemistically refer to as “challenges”—or, less diplomatically, as “problems” or “trouble.” I was rather taken aback when, in the midst of the New Year’s celebration on Times…
Below please find a few helpful downloadable resources for understanding the Scriptures: Dewey, Textuality in an Oral Culture DISCLAIMER: The opinions and positions adopted in these resources do not necessarily reflect my personal positions. They are offered for consideration and critical analysis. If this generates healthy dialogue, MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
[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…
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…
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 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…
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…
In the dedicatory ceremony for Gettysburg National Cemetery that came in the wake of the most well known battle of the American Civil War, Edward Everett delivered an eloquent oration that lasted well over two hours, and it died not long after it was spoken. Lincoln’s address, by contrast, lasted about two minutes, and it…