Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all. Lee finds that both conservative and liberal Christians often have this type of attitude toward one another, and so he sets out not to propose a compromise, but to seek understanding. He writes as a liberal...
Can the Bible speak to people in this postmodern age? Are we doomed to a choice between rigid fundamentalism and complete rejection of this foundational source for Christianity? Bob Cornwall has found that he can take the Bible seriously in his ministry, and yet avoid such controversial labels as «inerrancy» or «infallibility.» Taking his vocabulary and direction from the work of Karl Barth, he charts a course toward a serious study and use of scripture that embraces historical-critical...
"What does it mean to render to Caesar what is his and render to God what is His? How a believer understands this text will, to a large degree, determine how they will approach matters of nationalism and politics as they follow Jesus." – Dr Chris Surber Matthew 22:15-22 is a passage usually seen as essentially about paying taxes. Author Chris Surber takes us deeper into Jesus' meaning as he includes the historical context and the crowd to whom Jesus was speaking.
A “chance” meeting with a thirsty little girl on a back street in Haiti and God’s plan is received by the author, forever changing his life and that of his family. “And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup and of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.” – Matthew 10:42 What “cup of water” is Jesus asking you to deliver? What is your mission in this world? Are you willing to obey? Will you spend your life fishing safely from...
¿Qué es la iglesia? ¿Cómo se ve? ¿Cómo debería ser? Para obtener respuestas a estas preguntas David Alan Black mira a la iglesia del primer siglo y nuestros documentos fundacionales en el Nuevo Testamento. ¿Cuáles eran las características de una asamblea cristiana en el primer siglo? En su estudio encuentra siete marcas que definieron a la iglesia: Predicación evangelística, bautismo cristiano, enseñanza apostólica, relaciones genuinas, reuniones centradas en Cristo, oración ferviente, y vida...
Have you ever seen a passage in the New Testament that was placed in brackets, or a footnote at the bottom of a page referring to “ancient authorities” or “manuscripts”? Most people scratch their heads and just keep reading, but these notes are very important. So is understanding why they’re even there. In this short introduction, Thomas W. Hudgins explains for the average reader the need for, criteria of, and some misconceptions associated with New Testament textual criticism.
The Christian believer routinely experiences periods in their life referred to as a dark night of the soul. In such times a person feels as if God has left him or her alone and God has distanced himself from the individual in this period of liminality. It is considered to be a time of trial and testing which only afterwards is viewed as a period of growth and maturing in Christ. In this book, Daniel McGregor explores the Biblical foundation for this concept, as well as providing a historical...
Where is a good starting point for reading the Bible? Five scrolls constitute the second section of the third major division of the Hebrew bible. These are the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Qohelet, and Esther. The Song, like the Psalms, is a key to our hearing of instruction. Ruth establishes the Moabite ancestry of David showing we must read about enemies more carefully. The music of the Lamentations moves us with four acrostic poems and a fifth poem of 22 verses of prayer to make new...
Many Christians have grown up with a very limited concept of «missions» and «missionaries.» In this view a missionary is a person who goes and preaches to lots of people, often in primitive lands, and explains the theology of the gospel. The natives are convinced and become Christians. Thus the gospel commission is fulfilled. Actual missions have not been carried out in this way very much. Missionaries are generally very aware of the personal aspect of their activities, and the importance of...
How can we discover the differing senses of Hebrew words in translation? The English to Hebrew section of this document shows in English alphabetical order which English word or words are associated with each Hebrew stem and the count of how many times this gloss is used. In the translator’s introduction, compromises, conundrums, and concord are discussed by example. Seven major domains have been chosen to help analyse the words of the text. The Names domain is assigned to all proper names....
How can we respond spiritually when a pandemic hits our nation? How can our faith help us to face our fears, going beyond panic and denial, to hopeful and courageous action? The Coronavirus is changing everything in our society. It can provoke isolation and self-interested individualism. It can also inspire kindness, generosity, patience, and compassion. Facing the pandemic with God as our companion will deepen our sense of agency as well as peace and move us from self-interest and...