I just finished reading this book, about which I had mixed (though mostly favorable) feelings, and wanted to highlight just two points. First, Dietrich Bonhoeffer is generally praised these days by all Christians, liberal and conservative, so it’s worth noting that he was pro-life (92-93; note that Eric Metaxas also recently wrote a biography of … [Read more…]
The Gospels read like unembellished eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life (per C.S. Lewis and Richard Bauckham, among others), and I’ve devoted other posts to the historicity of, and Luke’s reason for writing, Acts (see here and here). But what about the various New Testament epistles? [Footnote: The remaining New Testament book, Revelation, is also an … [Read more…]
I will say at the outset that, in answering this question, I’m defining “holy” not as we colloquially do now as basically “without sin” but in its earlier sense of “set apart.” That is, the question I’m asking is, To what extent does God want us to separate ourselves from the world? And by that … [Read more…]
Here’s Macbeth’s famous “tomorrow” soliloquy (5.5.19-28): Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, Creeps in this petty pace from day to day, To the last syllable of recorded time; And all our yesterdays have lighted fools The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle! Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets … [Read more…]
Love is a big deal to Christians, of course, and today starts a big month for love, with all those weddings and June-moon-tune-swoon-spoon rhyming. So here’s a couple of thoughts to begin the next thirty days: Love makes you feel good, makes you do good things, and is good not only for you but for … [Read more…]
Below is the text for a possible children’s book that would introduce them to the Bible. Of course, there would be illustrations, too, but I can’t draw, or at least not very well. Or a parent or grandparent could just read this text to his or her child or grandchild. WHAT IS THE BIBLE? What … [Read more…]
Happy Easter! He is risen! I had written during Advent last year about the sensicality of the way Jesus taught and died. And today is a good time to add that His great post-death event — the Resurrection — makes perfect sense, too. It made sense for Jesus to offer some proof for His divinity … [Read more…]
I should begin this post by acknowledging that the Bible is God’s Word on, especially, how He wants us to live, and it ought to be followed whether or not doing so makes us happy. Indeed, there’s no question but that sometimes following the Word will lead to short-term suffering, up to and including death. … [Read more…]
The just-completed sermon series in our church here was on Exodus, chapters 16-20, and I thought it worthwhile to collect a few thoughts prompted by it. So below I have one thought on each chapter — plus an opening and closing thought, not tied to any particular chapter. *** Opening thought: Our pastor noted in … [Read more…]
Here are four basic points that I think apologists should make: (1) There is a variety of strong evidence that a Supreme Being — that is, God — exists. (2) There is also strong evidence for the historicity of the Gospels, and in particular their core message that Jesus is God. (3) Pascal’s Wager makes … [Read more…]