One popular but less-likely theory for why we celebrate Christmas on December 25 is that Christians piggy-backed their Christmas celebration on the Roman pagan Sol Invictus festival (the Unconquered Sun), which was established in A.D. 274 by the Emperor Aurelian. In some modern Christian circles, the claim that the date of Christmas was borrowed from … Continue reading Why December 25 for Christmas?
Category: Bible
One Mark of Christian Maturity
Most biblical indicators of Christian maturity involve a person’s developing character qualities. But I have observed another common quality among Christians who could be described as “mature”—by which I do not mean “older,” but people who have developed well as Christians, whatever their age. Here is one (less frequently discussed) mark of Christian maturity. Spiritually … Continue reading One Mark of Christian Maturity
The Limits of Idolatry: Can We View Greed and Lust like Idols of Wood and Stone?
I used to wonder whether the interpretive move from worship of wood and stone images to heart issues like greed, lust, and gluttony was hermeneutically proper. I mean, we don’t always—and we shouldn’t always—spiritualize things that are physical in their original contexts. Isn’t that what allegorizers do? No, such a move is not illegitimate. Let … Continue reading The Limits of Idolatry: Can We View Greed and Lust like Idols of Wood and Stone?
“Ask Jesus into Your Heart”: Only Your Heart?
Apart from the fact that the expression “ask Jesus into your heart” isn’t found anywhere in the Bible—the closest similar phrase being “that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith” (Eph 3:17), which is a verse directed to Christians—there is another problem with the idea of asking Jesus into your heart. In modern-day English, … Continue reading “Ask Jesus into Your Heart”: Only Your Heart?
Humble Sarcasm: 1 Corinthians 4:8-13
“Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit but the highest form of intelligence,” quipped Oscar Wilde.[1] If Wilde is correct, then the Apostle Paul must have been quite intelligent since Paul used sarcasm in 1 Corinthians 4:8-13 to move the Corinthians toward repentance. What? (…you might be thinking…) The Apostle Paul used sarcasm? Sarcasm is … Continue reading Humble Sarcasm: 1 Corinthians 4:8-13
Does “All” Always Mean “Every Single One” in the Bible? (Romans 11:26)
We recently discussed Romans 11:26 in my Romans class: “And in this way all Israel will be saved.” I told the class that even though this expression is disputed, the majority opinion among contemporary biblical interpreters—an assessment I tentatively support—is that Paul is predicting a mass turning to the Lord at the end of the … Continue reading Does “All” Always Mean “Every Single One” in the Bible? (Romans 11:26)
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
Kindle Afresh 