No, not those kinds of things. I’m seeing things in the Bible – things I had been taught should not be there! Some of you are probably saying, “What are you talking about?” That’s fair. Over the next few posts, … Continue reading →
Oh yes, Acts chapter 21 and we just discovered that first century believers were zealous for the Torah, that is, the law of Moses. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise I guess, because their rabbi had clearly told them … Continue reading →
You know who the apostles are, right? Andrew, Peter, James, John. These are the guys who stuck close to this Jesus of Nazareth for 3 years, or about 20,000 hours all together. Fishermen, for the most part, from towns along … Continue reading →
The early church was having some growing pains. (Acts 6) In fact, it appeared that some racial profiling was going on. People were being slighted. It really looked like a race issue. Things were going to get ugly. Day-to-day operations … Continue reading →
From Stephen’s accusation we are alerted that the religious leaders of Jesus day had somehow abandoned the Law of Moses. What happened? To answer that question we have to go back more than 150 years before the Messiah came. By … Continue reading →
At the beginning of Acts, yes, at the very beginning of the believing community in Jerusalem, we find the same clue mentioned in two places: One is in Acts 2:47 and the other in Acts 5:14. One passage says that … Continue reading →
Peter is a central figure in the context of Jesus’ ministry. Peter was both impulsive and direct. You always knew where you stood with Peter, because he would just say what he thought, without mincing words. He wasn’t always right … Continue reading →
In prior posts in this series, we looked at statements from the book of Acts. Have you thought about why these details are there? Consider who wrote this text. Dr. Luke is considered by many scholars to be the only … Continue reading →
It’s time to revisit this passage because we never looked at the last half of the chapter. Right after the elders in Jerusalem told Paul that thousands of Israelites now believed Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah and right after … Continue reading →
We Christians often refer to the 10 commandments. Indeed, some Christians see these commandments as the only ones in the “old” testament that still apply to them. However, there is one commandment out of these 10 that most never obey. … Continue reading →
Early in Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes the following: “For He (God the Father) chose us in him (Jesus) before the creation of the world to be ___________.” Now, without looking, can you fill in the blank? What … Continue reading →
Back when I was a college student (decades ago now), I heard something from apologist Josh McDowell that was a great “Ahaaa” moment for me. Referring to God’s commands he said, “Every command God has given is ultimately based on … Continue reading →
Have you heard of William Dembski? He is a noted mathematician and philosopher and a founding Senior Fellow with Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture – a strong proponent of intelligent design. He believes that the tenets of science … Continue reading →
In Exodus 24:23 we read these words, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, … Continue reading →
There are two laws, that to my mind, are tightly connected. Today, I visit these two laws. Why? In part, because I see them violated by some churches. I suspect that these violations occur more frequently because the commands are … Continue reading →
In an earlier post entitled “Subjecting our beliefs to severe scrutiny” I denounced the modern Evangelical system used to parse the law. Remember, the “civil, moral, ceremonial” filtering method taught by seminaries and bible schools? Today, we will think about … Continue reading →
Invariably, when I bring up “the law” among Christians, I get a very predictable response. In fact, it is so predictable that by now I could have amassed a sizeable fortune – had I been a betting man. It’s interesting … Continue reading →
Today I will discuss Paul’s letter to the believers in the province of Galatia. Will I address all the “law” issues raised in this letter? Yes! So, let’s get started by putting something into proper perspective. Can I be a … Continue reading →
The other day, a good friend made a passing comment that alerted me to something I failed to mention over the course of these musings on Acts and “the law” in general. It’s time to correct that oversight. Two Covenants … Continue reading →
It’s time to look at another “problem passage.” In a few weeks, my wife and I expect to begin a study of Ephesians in one of our small groups. During that study, we will no doubt discuss Ephesians 2:14-18. Those … Continue reading →
I get little satisfaction from trying to correct faulty interpretation. The only reason I do it, is because people ask me to. I would much rather dwell on topics I find more positive. In many cases, others have already addressed … Continue reading →
Do you remember the story of Saul’s trip to Damascus to find and imprison followers of “The Way” – where he encountered the bright light that blinded him and God changed his name from Saul to Paul after commissioning him … Continue reading →
There are things in Scripture (and obviously, outside) described from both the perspective of man and God. They are not the same. This should serve as a warning. Let’s look at some today. Man-made Labels Are Suspect Earlier, I discussed … Continue reading →
