70 Great Bible Passages for Group Prayer

For the past five years, I have been leading twice-a-week prayer times at The Berdhouse, a residential Christian discipleship community that Trudi and I lead for college students. We normally spend the first 15 minutes of each prayer time reading through a passage from the Bible and responding to that passage with dozens of short … Continue reading 70 Great Bible Passages for Group Prayer

Do Bible Readers Make Meaning?

What is the “locus” of meaning in a biblical text? In other words, where does meaning come from?—where should we look to find meaning? This is a foundational question for interpreting the Bible (or any text, for that matter). Three possibilities have been suggested: The author The text The reader Throughout most of history, people … Continue reading Do Bible Readers Make Meaning?

Was the Apostle Paul a Good Speaker?

Was the Apostle Paul effective as a public speaker or not? Was Paul's facility in rhetoric strong or weak? New Testament scholars disagree on how to answer this question. Here is a possible solution that I recently proposed in my book, Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem (pp. 135-137): The … Continue reading Was the Apostle Paul a Good Speaker?

14 Problems with Humility

There are multiple problems with humility. Here are 14, in no particular order: Problem #1: Humility is difficult to write and talk about because the moment someone starts talking (or writing…) about the need for humility, that person’s own pride begins to appear—like I’m facing right now as I write. I wonder if this is … Continue reading 14 Problems with Humility

Romans 8:28: The Spirit Works All Things Together for Good

There is third way to interpret (and translate) Romans 8:28 than is found in most English translations, but most people don’t know it. Some readers of this blog will know that English translations take two different routes when they come to Romans 8:28. The two approaches to translating this famous verse center on whether “all … Continue reading Romans 8:28: The Spirit Works All Things Together for Good

Psalm 119 as an English Acrostic

What would Psalm 119 sound like as an English acrostic? In Hebrew, an acrostic is precisely what Psalm 119 is. What is an acrostic? An acrostic is a poetic arrangement of letters in which (most commonly) the first letter of each line begins with the next letter in the alphabet. In the Hebrew text of … Continue reading Psalm 119 as an English Acrostic

What Does “I Can Do All Things through Christ who Strengthens Me” Mean? (Philippians 4:13)

It is one of the best-known verses in the Bible. It appears on wall art, bumper stickers, social media profiles, and even tattoos. But we usually misinterpret it. Philippians 4:13 is not about personal empowerment. It is not a promise that you can become anything you want when you grow up if you want it … Continue reading What Does “I Can Do All Things through Christ who Strengthens Me” Mean? (Philippians 4:13)

Should a Church Sing (American) Patriotic Songs During Its Worship Services?

I was serving as a part-time worship pastor in a church in one of New York City’s suburbs when the attacks of September 11, 2001 were launched. Soon after the attacks, a small contingent of vocal church members began to demand that we start to sing American patriotic songs during our worship services. That suggestion … Continue reading Should a Church Sing (American) Patriotic Songs During Its Worship Services?

Pray Like Polycarp

I was scheduled for part two of a root canal. (Woo hoo!) I realized I needed a better strategy entering round two than I had going into round one. I needed to be prepared to manage more than two hours of needles, whirling machines, grinding teeth (my teeth!), and a gag reflex akin to drowning. … Continue reading Pray Like Polycarp

Profound Skepticism: Has Modern Scholarship Impeded the Study of Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?

The topic of Paul’s thorn in the flesh (2 Cor 12:7) is, on the one hand, like a puzzle to be solved—what could have caused Paul such agony?—and, on the other hand, the source of a powerful spiritual lesson—“My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Perhaps … Continue reading Profound Skepticism: Has Modern Scholarship Impeded the Study of Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?