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Sorrow Like My Sorrow – Lamentations 1:12
Can we really understand the suffering of another person or they ours?
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What Is Biblical Literacy?
We complain about it, write about it, claim it’s important or even critical, design programs to create it, but what is it? I don’t mean that none of us know what we mean when we say “biblically literate” or “biblically illiterate,” but do we all mean the same thing? I don’t think we do, and…
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Fences: Mending or Rending
The following is a sermon I presented at the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola on September 11,2005 and originally posted here on September 13, 2005. I’m reposting it because when I went to look for it, I found that the original post had somehow been truncated, and also because there is a one word at a…
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Experiencing the (Baptism of the) Holy Spirit
This is a topic where I tend to make just about everyone uncomfortable. Long time readers may recall a previous discussion of speaking in tongues, and my own experience of it. Those who expect me to be intellectually oriented and rational are uncomfortable with mystical experiences, and many who are comfortable with the mystical experiences…
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On Collective and Individual Responsibility
From the late Jacob Milgrom’s 3 volume Anchor Bible Commentary on Leviticus, specifically on Leviticus 4:1-35, Purification Offering: The Priestly doctrine of collective responsibility yields yet another corollary. The “good” people who perish with the evildoers are not innocent. For allowing the evildoers to flourish, to pollute the sanctuary beyond repair, they share the blame….
Beastly Attributes
Summarizing attributes of the assembly of dragons and beasts in Revelation 12 & 13.
Making an Image to the Beast
Are we making an image to the beast or being the image of Christ?
On Listening to One Another
We need to listen to people with different perspectives in a variety of different ways to improve our own understanding.
The Passion Translation: Content Review
An overview and rating of The Passion Translation (TPT)I don’t use generic labels but assess translations based on functional and formal criteria, including how much they reword the original language. Despite critics, I found TPT to be expectedly missionary in nature, combining a dynamic approach with considerable formal elements. While the translation’s charismatic roots and its translator’s claims generate controversy, I suggest that readers approach TPT like any other translation—by recognizing its biases and comparing it with others for a fuller understanding.
Review of The Passion Translation Part I – The Hype
The evaluation of a Bible translation hinges on various factors including theological perspectives and language familiarity. Controversy often arises over word choice, as seen in Romans 3:25’s varying translations of “propitiation.” Differing translation strategies result in diverse renderings, which can align with or challenge doctrinal positions. I encourage comparing translations and checking translator qualifications. Don’t assume “literal” means “accurate.” Instead, make use of multiple translations for a fuller understanding.
A Problem in Translation: Isaiah 3:12
Translation challenges Bible translators face, focusing on Isaiah 3:12’s varying interpretations. The passage’s meaning shifts depending on what textual choices one makes and whether one translates literally or figuratively, potentially impacting the modern reader’s understanding. Ultimately, translation choices reflect what translators deem most crucial to convey, with any decision risking some loss of the original message.
The Importance of Teaching Sanctification
Teachers and pastors frequently avoid talking about sanctification. Some of the reasons include: A Detour on Christian Perfection When I first joined a United Methodist congregation, I had the idea that Methodists would know a great deal about John Wesley. One Sunday night I discovered how wrong I was. I had been invited to teach…
I Am Not Ashamed
There might be many reasons why someone would be ashamed of the good news about God that is represented in what we call the “gospel.” Historically, the shame was in worshipping a convicted and executed criminal, calling him God and following his teachings. Very few people doubt that Jesus died, and that he was executed…
Ben Witherington III on the Rapture
Comments on some of the texts used to support the idea of the rapture. Ben Witherington is the author of what I consider to be the best commentary on Revelation suitable for use in preparing lessons/sermons (see below).
Look to Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)
The other day I was just waking up and realizing that I faced a challenging day. I decided to do a little scripture reading before even getting up. I chose to read a language I read only very slowly and with difficulty (Syriac), because that usually gives me more time to meditate. I have a…
Why I Still Like the Wesleyan Quadrilateral
Yes, I’ve heard the complaints, and those who say it isn’t actually Wesleyan or has deteriorated through the years, but I met it in the United Methodist Discipline before I first joined a Methodist church (though without the name) and I still like it. For those who may not be aware of the quadrilateral, it…
Christmas Is 12 Days
I should have posted something earlier, but stuff happens. Let me recommend some books for continued meditations, these from Energion Publications (and several other publishers!) Bruce Epperly. Links are to Amazon.com. I recommend Bruce as an author and teacher because he challenges me with unexpected views on so many subjects, always presented in a positive…
YouVersion Verse of the Year
I received an email from YouVersion (I use their app occasionally) with their 2023 “verse of the year.” This is the verse that has been shared, bookmarked, and highlighted most often through their community. It is Isaiah 41:10 (note that my links go to BibleGateway): [D]o not fear, for I am with you; do not be…
Limited by Expectations
Yesterday I was looking for some material a friend had asked me to print on 11×17 paper. How boring, eh? Well, I couldn’t find it. I searched through my email and various folders, and the material to be printed was nowhere to be found. Finally, I called my friend to ask him about it. He…
Agendas, Conversation, and Bible Reading
It’s not really a new thing, but in a number of conversations recently, both in person and online, I’ve been noticing agendas. Someone will make a comment or say something in a conversation that really doesn’t seem to make sense in context, but then if you consider a different context, you’ll suddenly see that the…
Signs That You Won’t Know!
It is critical to note that the signs Jesus’ gives his disciples are general and vague and always contemporary. War and suffering, famine and earthquakes, persecutions and false Messiahs have not only been prevalent throughout history; they are the also to be witnessed and experienced in the present, and they will be encountered in the…
What Is the Bible For?
No, this is not a long dissertation on scripture and its various uses, though I love to talk about that. For many, the purpose of scripture is to keep us on a doctrinally correct path. It tells us the things we are supposed to believe. Simply believing correctly is what’s important. For me, however, a…
Theodicy Interview with Rev. Steve Kindle
I posted the video from my interview with Steve Kindle in my theodicy video interview series. The video is embedded below, and you can find out information on this series at Theodicy Interview Series. The next interview to be posted is by Steve with me, asking me to answer the questions I’ve set up for…
On Teaching from Ezekiel 24
I’ve been working my way through Ezekiel with my Sunday School class, at their request, since I have frequently said that Leviticus, Ezekiel, and Hebrews are the books most formative of my own theology. When this is done, I will have been through all three books with this group. One major difficulty in teaching through…
Theodicy: Interview with Dr. Ron Higdon
This is the sixth interview in my series on theodicy (check the link for a full list). Ron Higdon has experienced and dealt with the issues of theodicy practically as a Christian believer, as a pastor, and as a father. His interview is distinguished by his immediate reference to where the Bible starts on this…
The Danger of Excessive Optimism
I have been called a pessimist. I prefer to think of myself as a realist. When I consider it seriously, however, I often find that I’m more optimistic about results than realism allows. From time to time, I’m told that if I was just more positive about everything, that “everything” would tend to go much…
After Teaching on the Sermon on the Mount
My Sunday School class just finished a several-week study on the Sermon on the Mount. We did not use any study guides as a class, though I consulted three books I publish, One World: The Lord’s Prayer from a Process Perspective, The Jesus Manifesto: A Participatory Study Guide to the Sermon on the Mount, and…
Thinking – The Only Solution
When I talk to computer customers about security I tell them that I can protect them from many things, but in the end, I can’t fully protect them from the user who won’t follow good security practices. I can try to force the user to follow certain procedures, but as the old saying goes, “The…