Would you do gladly for GOLD what you do grudgingly for GOD? [pause for reflection] Here’s a test! Everybody’s looking for a good offer, right? Well now suppose you heard that the ol’ First Church of the Righteous Reverse on the corner of Pious Avenue and Penniless Lane actually offered offerings instead of receiving them….
What if your car radio was stuck on the same radio station 24-7? Worse yet, what if it was stuck on the same song? Every time you get in the car—same station, same song. Even those with minimal mental faculties would find that . . . well . . . annoying. Truth be told, however, for most of…
I was reading in Acts 12 this morning and noticed something particularly “arresting,” if you’ll pardon the pun (this chapter shows Peter under arrest). Herod had just arrested James and had him gruesomely executed by sawing him in two. He arrested Peter likely with intentions to do the same. Peter was delivered miraculously; James was…
LEARNING THE BIBLICAL LANGUAGES: PERIL AND PROFIT CAUTION: Learning the Biblical Languages Can Be Hazardous to Your Health! As Professor of Greek and New Testament at a Christian university, I naturally champion the study of Biblical languages. That I would even hint of hazards, let alone showcase them in the title of this article may…
Odds are you did not pass over that title in apathetic disregard. Let’s face it; the statement reeks of blasphemy. But before you accuse me of being a “hairy tick,” or haul me before a tribunal for doctrinal purity, give ear to the following story. Early on in my teaching ministry, when I was doing…
Let me say at the outset that I have enormous respect for those scholars who have dedicated significant portions of their lives to the task of producing translations of the Bible. To understand just a few of the challenges that translators face, we need but consider that the original manuscripts of the New Testament were…
Loss comes in many varieties. First, there is the loss that occurs because of our own inattentiveness, where we simply misplace things—sometimes very important things. Then there is the loss that owes itself to distraction stemming from our busy-ness or our improper focus. “I could just kick myself for not . . . ” (ever…
In “marked” contrast to the adopted practice of most modern historiographers who are fond of supplying graphic details of heinous events (compare, for example, Bill O’Reilly’s magnificent KILLING LINCOLN), Mark’s account of the crucifixion is striking in its silence regarding the physical torture of the cross. Although this strikes us moderns as odd (and, for…
Have you ever noticed that many of Jesus’ parables seem to have a “dark edge.” By that I mean, the characters in them often exhibit behavior that is . . . well, less than stellar. In fact, at times their words or actions are downright reprehensible, and for that reason, they strike us as shocking….
Luke’s account of Christ’s birth is pregnant with theology. It emphasizes our Lord’s saving mission, but it also emphasizes God’s concern for the marginalized. When God “shows up” (that is, when He acts in unmistakeable ways), His actions are often not what humans would expect. As an exercise, trace the occurrence of the word “amen”…