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Fire – Lamentations 1:13
Discussing the symbolism of fire in scripture, highlighting its dual nature as both a sign of divine acceptance and judgment. It reflects on personal suffering and God’s sovereignty, emphasizing that while God’s fire can refine and cleanse, it often accompanies lament and discomfort, aligning with the broader pursuit of righteousness.
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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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Recognizing the Importance of Interpretation
Though I disagree with the term “inerrant,” in all other ways I think Keith Matthison is right on target. I would add that you can be just as firm regarding the basis for your interpretation and why you believe it is right and other interpretations are wrong, without saying that your opponent simply doesn’t believe…
A Prescriptive Grammarian Goofs
I enjoyed a post by Geoffrey Pullum at Language Log today for several reasons. (The post provides notes and links to reviews of Strictly English: The Correct Way to Write… and Why It Matters. You’ll see soon why I don’t include a purchase link for the book.) First, prescriptive grammarians get on my nerves and…
Review: The Girl Who Played with Fire
I read this book on the recommendation of a friend, and quite frankly at the start I was a bit unsure that I was entirely happy with the idea of reading it. It takes about a third of the book for the plot to get moving. I’m used to this from some British mysteries, which…
Unbinding What Rules?
A while back Dave Black linked to a review of Genesis Unbound by John Sailhammer. The review is by Andrew Kulikovsky and is on the Answers in Genesis site, titled Unbinding the Rules. The interesting thing for me about this review is that despite being very negative, it made me much more anxious to read…
1 Chronicles 10-12 in the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
I’m continuing with brief notes on the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary volume on 1 & 2 Chronicles by Mark J. Boda. I previously provided an overview and some notes on the coverage of 1 Chornicles 1-9. I have only a few comments on these three chapters, but I’m covering them in a separate post because I…
Another Political Quiz
I could have sworn I was a left-leaning libertarian, and certainly more moderate than this one makes me: My Political ViewsI am a right social libertarianRight: 3.77, Libertarian: 5.64Political Spectrum Quiz Though this part doesn’t surprise me a bit: My Foreign Policy ViewsScore: -7.02Political Spectrum Quiz And this was a bit further left than I’d…
Oktoberfest Biblical Studies Carnival Posted
… at ξἐνος. Lots of interesting stuff to peruse.
Biblioblog Top 50 Posted
… and I have clawed my way back onto the list, at a miserable #43. Ah well, it helps if one actually blogs!
1 Chronicles 1-9 in the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
I previously gave an overview of the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles, but I’ve been spending more time with it since, reading the Hebrew text along with the commentary. While I do appreciate the NLT text on which the commentary is based, I’m not reading this for the NLT text, but rather for the…
Review: Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on 1-2 Chronicles
I’ve posted a review on my Participatory Bible Study Blog.
Review – Cornerstone Biblical Commentary 1-2 Chronicles
I previously reviewed the Cornerstone Biblical Commentary on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy on my book blog and have posted a number of notes about it on this blog. So when I had an opportunity to review the volume in the same series on 1 & 2 Chronicles, I jumped at it. I would say many…
Common Ground on Genesis
On the Spectrum blog there’s quite a lot of discussion of the age of the earth and a search for common ground. The problem with the phrase “common ground” is that it can mean many different things. Two recent articles on the age of the earth had quotes that caught my attention. As far as…
Profitable Scriptures
It’s been about six weeks since my last post, and unfortunately that’s actually a fairly short gap for the way I’ve kept this blog up. But the two Old Testament passages this week (Jeremiah 31:27-34 and Psalm 19 or Psalm 119:94-107) as well as the epistle caught my attention. In the modern church we read…
John Meunier Provides a Hauerwas Two-fer
And a well worthwhile read it is (or they are).
From the Top of a Sidebar
Why a Missionary? Because God says so… This is from Michelle’s blog, And She Went Out …. It’s a good quote. Michelle is the host for this week’s Christian Carnival.
Dan Dick on Make-No-Wave Church
… at Make-No-Wave United Methodist Church. For what it’s worth, I think the young pastor was absolutely right to push. May his tribe increase! (HT: John Meunier)
Biblioblogger Carnival and Rankings
The carnival is up at You Can’t Mean That, and the Biblioblogger rankings, from which I have fallen in disgrace due to lack of blogging (I would guess-no blogging=no traffic!) are up at Free Old Testament Audio.
Quote of the Day – Greg Boyd
Responding to a quote from Mark Driscoll: I frankly have trouble understanding how a follower of Jesus could find himself unable to worship a guy he could “beat up” when he already crucified him. Read the whole article, Revelation and the Violent “Prize Fighting” Jesus.
Coloring Outside the Lines
I’m borrowing my title from Dave Black’s latest essay, because I’m talking about the same subject and I’m about to publish the second edition of his book, Why Four Gospels?. (I suggest reading Dave’s essay first. It’s short!) I just spent a weekend with Dave as he spoke at First United Methodist Church here in…
Quote of the Day – On Accurate Doctrine
From John Wesley, via John Meunier, where you can read more of the context: But still a man may judge as accurately as the devil, and yet be as wicked as he. Hmmm!
The Package They Carry
I found this image via the Vietnamese commerce web site Thuonggiaviet.com. I don’t read Vietnamese at all, but I occasionally read the site using Google Translator, a mildly challenging proposition. I tracked the image to the artist, John Strieder, on deviantart.com. I’m not posting it here, despite the fact that I found it on a…
Common English Bible: First Impressions
I did not react very favorably to the announcement of the Common English Bible, because I didn’t really see the benefit of this particular version and its placement. From a ministry point of view my question is just who will be reached by this Bible version, not just in evangelism and outreach but in discipleship…
Worship Song Rant
I loved this post by Jeremy. Enjoy!
August 2010 Biblical Studies Carnival Posted
… at Zwinglius Redivivus. It does not include me, but I can’t think of anything I wrote recently that I would have nominated, so I can’t complain. Also, I won’t be quoting John Calvin favorably, so this may not be remedied in the immediate future. (If you don’t get the Calvin thing, go and actually…