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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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Letting the Holy Spirit Teach
I’ve been meditating a bit on letting the Holy Spirit be the teacher. There’s an interesting corollary to letting the Holy Spirit teach—letting other people learn. You see, what we often want to do is to “let” the Holy Spirit teach other people what we already know, and what we think they need to learn….
Off to the Printer – The Authorship of Hebrews: The Case for Paul
Just sent another book to the printer, in this case The Authorship of Hebrews: The Case for Paul by David Alan Black. I’ve heard some comments about my motivations for publishing this little book (just 42 pages). Money was mentioned, along with a burning desire to uphold traditional views. Those who know me will probably…
I Know Less about Prayer than I Used To
Today I extracted a paragraph from David Alan Black’s blog (I have his blanket permission), just so I could comment on it. He notes: I often ask myself, How can I write anything about prayer? I’ve still got so much to learn about it! I am in sympathy with his comment. My wife and I…
Syria: To Intervene or Not
Religion News Service provides us with some comments by the experts on the ethics of intervening in Syria (HT: UM-Insight). Now I am neither a theologian nor an ethicist, so I wouldn’t claim to be able to parse all the issues in deciding whether an intervention is just. In fact, I find many of the…
Welcoming Visitors
Allan Bevere has some excellent notes. As someone who has visited many churches, and experienced just about all of what he describes, I can just say “Amen!” Don’t smother. Don’t ignore. Be helpful!
23 Signs I’m an Introvert
At Huffington Post. Well, about 21 of these apply to me.
Mark Alluding to Judges, and a New Blog
David Lincicum, “University Lecturer in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, and Caird Fellow in Theology at Mansfield College, Oxford” (About), has a new blog. Well, new to me. It’s been around for several months. It looks interesting. Today he posted on a possible allusion (my term) to Judges in Mark in his post Trees…
Aim It at Yourself First
One of the key things I say in teaching Bible study is: “Aim it at yourself first.” Now that’s a hard one to follow, and it doesn’t mean one can never discover what a text means for someone else. Rather, it’s a focus. I need to look at what I need to change. You need…
God and Human Suffering
Bruce Epperly challenges us to think more carefully about God and human suffering in his Adventurous Lectionary for the week. Takeaway: Adventurous theological reflection challenges images of God as unilateral punisher and bully. These images are unworthy of Jesus of Nazareth.
The Conclusion You Want
It was one of those great days in seminary, and I was in a small class studying prophets from the Hebrew text. The professor favored following the consonantal text as written. (For those unacquainted with the Massoretic text, there are occasions when something is specified “to be read” [Qere] that is not as it is…
Duped on Ekklesia?
On God Directed Deviations Miguel posts You’ve Been Duped! Ekklesia Does Not Mean “Called Out Ones.” He quite justifiably identifies the etymological fallacy. But in the comments, some folks are not so sure and don’t really see the issue. I can see why they don’t see it. As I’ve pointed out before, there’s a reason…
Cessation and Continuation
Dave Black posted some notes on the difference between being a cessationist and a continualist (his term). I agree with his comments. Most commonly when we talk about “cessationism” we are talking about the gifts of the Spirit. Do these gifts, particularly the more spectacular of them, continue to operate in the church today? (I…
Rhetorical Analysis of Hebrews 1:1-4
I found Hebrews 1:1-4: A Study in Discourse Analysis via Dave Black Online today. Many elements here are not new, but this is the best concise presentation of these four important verses that I’ve found. Some may think that 19 pages on four verses isn’t concise, but considering the possibilities, I find it quite compact!…
The Problem with Eschatology
I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which is very interested in eschatology. We didn’t learn the term all that early, but we were subjected constantly to sermons about it. SDA eschatology is one of the key reasons I’m not SDA any more, but when I first joined a United Methodist congregation, I was…
Losing Our Sense of Mission
When it rains it pours, so I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about mission lately, and here’s another one that raises some very interesting points. (HT: Kouyanet). Having served on and led short-term mission teams, grown up with long-term missionary parents, and served on mission committees, I find that a great deal of this…
Dave Black on Worship and Missional Theology
Some important thoughts.
How to Dig into a Bible Clause
… fully demonstrated by Jacob Cerone at ἐνθύμησις (Jonah 1:4c). Just the one clause! Bravo! Write more!
Of Resources and and Mission Priorities
I received two requests for help today. One was from a pastor overseas. He didn’t ask for money. He asked for prayer. I happen to know he needs money. But his most earnest desire is that Jody and I pray for him. I also got another request in the mail. It comes from an organization…
Let’s Get Critical
It’s amazing to me how frequently we are do biblical criticism, but are not sufficiently critical in evaluating the results. Now don’t take this as the complaint of someone who is afraid that biblical criticism will undermine the scriptures. I think the Bible can handle it. It’s not that I don’t think there will be…
Your Heart Messing with How You Read Scripture
There’s a thought provoking post by Morgan Guyton (Mercy not Sacrifice) discussing this issue. While I have some problems with the interpretations proposed when considered from an historical point of view, as Christian application of scripture, I think this is a good thing. We should not forget, however, that the scriptures came to violent people…
Depending on Others and Understanding
I frequently encounter people who are afraid of depending on scholars for their knowledge of the Bible. I understand this fear. One thing that got me into studying biblical languages was the desire to know for myself, without having someone else translate. But when I had learned the languages, I found that one had to…
60-year-old Baseball Rookie
As I move on inexorably toward 60, I am encouraged by this. Of course, I couldn’t play baseball at 20, and won’t be able to at 60, but there are other things!
Greek and Ministry
Thomas Hudgins is teaching Greek, and he thinks students should study with the intention of actually using their Greek in ministry (HT: Dave Black). I’m delighted to see more and more effort put into this type of teaching. I was very frustrated as a graduate student when I saw how students in the MDiv program…
Bruce Epperly on the Lectionary, Pentecost + 8 (C)
This is a very interesting Adventurous Lectionary.