I am eternally grateful for our English translations. On the 500th anniversary of the 95 Theses, we remember how the Reformational belief in the priesthood of all believers drove men like John Wycliffe, William Tyndale, and Martin Luther to translate the Bible into the language of common Christians. That being said, I am still occasionallyContinueContinue reading “Babel and Babylon Are the Same City”
Category Archives: Bible
Mt. Moriah: The Firm Foundation of Solomon’s Temple
The Bible is so meta–interconnected, self-referential, delicately woven together like the most beautiful spiderweb you’ve ever seen glistening in the early light of dawn. I came across one of those places in the Bible that connects all the dots in a single sentence yesterday in 2 Chronicles: “Then Solomon began to build the house of theContinueContinue reading “Mt. Moriah: The Firm Foundation of Solomon’s Temple”
Can’t I Just Skip the Boring Parts of the Bible?
Two Sundays ago, I preached Nehemiah 3. It’s a chapter that lists the various men and women who rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. Here’s a taste: “…Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite his house. And next to him Hattush the son of Hashabneiah repaired. Malchijah the son of Harim and HasshubContinueContinue reading “Can’t I Just Skip the Boring Parts of the Bible?”
A Multi-Layered Reading of Ruth 1:1-5
First off, the book of Ruth presents itself as the solution to Judges’s problem. The book of Judges sums itself up in its final sentence: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Turn the page, and Ruth 1:1, we find ourselves in same world: “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land.” However, in verse 2 we are introduced to a man named “Elimelech”, which translates “God is King.”
The Two Ways to Read the Old Testament
The same story can be a tragedy or triumph depending on who you are rooting for. I grew up in North Carolina in the heated NCAA basketball rivalry Duke v. UNC. Twice every winter, the two schools would meet on the court. Every game ended in cheers or tears. I won’t name names, but IContinueContinue reading “The Two Ways to Read the Old Testament”
Why Did Paul Winter in Nicopolis?
I’m in a wintry mood this morning. Christmas is just around the corner. Perhaps you are stuck inside looking at the snow falling, or maybe you live in South Carolina–like me–and are watching cold rain. You clutch your mug nice and warm in your hand, and a perfectly normal thought enters your mind, “I wonderContinueContinue reading “Why Did Paul Winter in Nicopolis?”
Abraham, Isaac, and the Servant: The Pactum Salutis
There is a reason we are enamored with The Shack. We have a longing to see God’s purposes played out in metaphor, in terms we can touch and taste and feel. We are feeble creatures, and we need spiritual realities to be depicted in physical terms. The Shack scratches an itch–albeit poorly, like when you reach your handContinueContinue reading “Abraham, Isaac, and the Servant: The Pactum Salutis”