When it comes to reading the Bible, it should be rather simple. I mean, they say that the NIV is written at a 7th grade reading level, the ESV at a 10th grade level, the HCSB at an 8th grade level, and the Message at a 4th grade level. If you know how to read,ContinueContinue reading “You Don’t Need Rob Bell or John Calvin to Read Your Bible”
Category Archives: Bible
Christians are an Expendable, Enraging Nuisance
The events surrounding the sermon subpoena [can we call it “Sermongate”?] in Houston reminded me and others of a particular incident involving John the Baptist, Herod, and his mistress (Matthew 14:1-13). The similarities are uncanny: a government official using political power to silence a man for speaking out against sexual sin. However, I do doubt that anyContinueContinue reading “Christians are an Expendable, Enraging Nuisance”
Noah: The Story You Missed
I think we have a dozen different children’s books telling the story of Noah’s Ark sitting in my sons’ bookshelves. The story of Noah is such a familiar tale, and it is usually treated in this way: a self-contained narrative, plucked out of its home in Genesis and plunked into a children’s book. It hasContinueContinue reading “Noah: The Story You Missed”
Why Isn’t the Bible More Black and White?
Why is the Bible so circuitous? Have you ever wondered, “Why doesn’t God just come out and say what he means?” Things are rarely black and white; the Bible is full of narratives that spell things out in 50 different shades of gray. Wouldn’t the Christian life be a lot easier if the whole BibleContinueContinue reading “Why Isn’t the Bible More Black and White?”
The Greatest Pain in Childbirth and Sorrow of the Ground
Recently my wife delivered our third son, but this time around, things were a little different. With the first two boys, we made it to the hospital in plenty of time, she got her epidural, and we sailed through delivery like it weren’t no thang. Somehow this time we missed all of the signs ofContinueContinue reading “The Greatest Pain in Childbirth and Sorrow of the Ground”
Is the Bible Really R-Rated?
I was reading last night in a book about movies and T.V., and I heard the argument again that we cannot necessarily criticize explicit content on the silver screen without also criticizing much of the Bible’s content. After all, doesn’t the Bible include all kinds of R-rated material? I mean the story of Cain and AbelContinueContinue reading “Is the Bible Really R-Rated?”
Bibliotheca, Bible Apps, and How Space Affects the Way We Read
If you thought this article was about reading the Bible in outer space, you have been brought here under false pretenses, and I sincerely apologize. I want to engage us on an issue that has been raised by the wildly popular Kickstarter project Bibliotheca. This entrepreneurial venture has been met with great enthusiasm from ChristiansContinueContinue reading “Bibliotheca, Bible Apps, and How Space Affects the Way We Read”