Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is one of my favorite Christmas carols. But almost three centuries have passed since it was composed, and the meaning of some of its lines may not be immediately obvious to everyone who sings this fine song. What do these words actually signify? Here is a line-by-line brief commentary on … Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: Explained Line-by-Line
Category: Culture
How a Band Called “Love Song” Did Apologetics
I grew up listening to a Christian rock group called Love Song. I listened to their music all the time. I even got to meet one of their founding members when I was in my youth. Love Song has sometimes been described as The Beatles of contemporary Christian music because of the oversized influence they … Continue reading How a Band Called “Love Song” Did Apologetics
“That’s Just Wrong!” Is it Wrong, or is it Unwise?
How many times have I heard someone say, “That’s just wrong!” when the action being discussed isn’t wrong in a moral sense, but is simply unwise from the perspective of the speaker? This got me thinking about the nexus between morality and wisdom, between an action being right or wrong, on the one hand, and … Continue reading “That’s Just Wrong!” Is it Wrong, or is it Unwise?
Some Things Shouldn’t Even Be Talked About (Ephesians 5:3,12)
Did you know that the Bible tells us that there are certain things we shouldn’t even talk about? The apostle Paul writes in Ephesians 5: “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints” (5:3). Nine verses later, Paul adds: “For it is shameful … Continue reading Some Things Shouldn’t Even Be Talked About (Ephesians 5:3,12)
The Unimportance of Cool
I’m not cool. Even the title of this post is uncool. At least I could have used a strong noun in my title like insignificance, or triviality, or inconsequentiality instead of unimportance! I’m really not cool. I frequently ask my college students to let me know if I’m acting in a truly uncool manner, mostly … Continue reading The Unimportance of Cool
10 Ways to Love Your Spouse When You’re Not Together
Happy Valentine's Day! A few years ago, Biola’s Center for Marriage and Relationships asked Trudi and me to come up with a list of ways to love our spouse when we’re not together. Yes! It is possible to love our husband or wife—not just feel love—even when we’re apart. I’ll start by listing ten ways … Continue reading 10 Ways to Love Your Spouse When You’re Not Together
Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Happy New Year to each of you! I hope that 2025 is a wonderful year for you, full of many moments when you experience God’s multifaceted grace. I also hope that 2025 is a year when you can read some good books. Here are seven of my favorites from 2024 (presented in the order I … Continue reading Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
It has become trendy in recent years to publicly proclaim that Joy to the World was not originally written as a song about Christ’s First Coming, but rather was composed as a forward-looking celebration of Christ’s future Second Coming. Have you encountered this assertion? See, for example, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE—a few examples among … Continue reading Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
I just finished reading Andrew Judd’s new book, Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies. Judd’s goal was to introduce advanced graduate students and biblical scholars (who are not genre specialists) to recent discussions about genre. Everyone who knows anything about studying the Bible knows that properly identifying what kind of literature you’re reading … Continue reading Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Let me invite you into a thought experiment. What if you became a Christian? What would change? I’m talking about an actual disciple of Jesus, not a Christian in name only. What would be different if you became a Christian?[1] If you became a Christian, you would automatically become a spiritual brother or sister with … Continue reading What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Kindle Afresh 