I recently led some students through a case study of Luke 16:1-13, the “notoriously difficult” Parable of the Unrighteous Manager. In Jesus’s parable, the manager gets sacked by his boss for dishonesty, finds a shrewd way around his dilemma, and for some reason receives praise by his former boss. After discussing verse 9 at length … Continue reading Why Would God Include a Verse in the Bible that We Cannot Understand?
Tag: Jesus
Something Important about Forgiveness
When Jesus hung on the cross, did he forgive those who crucified him? Technically, no. Jesus prayed that the Father would forgive his persecutors. He said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He asked God the Father to forgive his murderers, and thereby transferred the decision of … Continue reading Something Important about Forgiveness
Why December 25 for Christmas?
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?
Would You Believe If God Gave You a Miracle?
“If only God showed me an extraordinary miracle, I would believe.” Really? Are you sure that you would actually start believing in the existence of God and in what he has said about his Son Jesus Christ if you experienced a dramatic miracle? I think such an assumption is highly questionable. My skepticism is not … Continue reading Would You Believe If God Gave You a Miracle?
If Your Phone Causes You to Sin, Cut it Off
And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and … Continue reading If Your Phone Causes You to Sin, Cut it Off
Did Paul Invent Christianity?
Sometimes people skeptical of Christianity claim that the Apostle Paul, not Jesus, was the primary innovator of many things we think of as “Christian.” Some take it even further and claim that Paul so radically changed the teaching of Jesus that he, rather than Jesus, should be viewed as the true founder of Christianity. I’m … Continue reading Did Paul Invent Christianity?
Kindle Afresh 