This might make your toes curl up inside your shoes, but the narratives of the Bible are ambiguous. Just to be clear, I am not saying that the Bible is false, untrue, misleading, or culturally confined. But its stories are ambiguous. Perhaps you remember being introduced to literary tools in your high school English class–simile, […]
Category Archives: Theology
What If I Miss the Rapture?
So, I did a bad thing this past week. I googled “what if I miss the rapture?” For those who are not familiar with what I’m talking about, “the rapture” is a central piece of a dispensational reading of Revelation. The idea goes that when Jesus returns, he will come back secretly first and take […]
The Proverbs 31 Woman at CT!
At Christianity Today, I had the pleasure of sharing some new (read “old–very old”) theological reflection on a famous passage: Proverbs 31. There’s a woman out there who needs to hear this chapter the most: In recent years, many faithful Christian women have internalized the words of Proverbs 31, but I can’t help wondering with […]
Throwing Andy Stanley a Bone: ‘What Does Jesus Teach?’
😬 pic.twitter.com/Jo2O4b5MyV — The Chocolate Knox (@Chocolate_Knox) June 9, 2018 “What does the Bible say about that…this is a really bad question we have to quit asking…Let me tell you a better question: What does the New Covenant teach? Or let’s be more specific, What does the New Testament teach? Or even better, What does […]
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 I […]
Then Moses Said, “Shut Up!”
Have you ever blamed God for your problems? Some of my greatest frustration comes when I know I am walking in obedience, but God is putting roadblocks in my path. A friend was telling about how excited he was that a co-worker was becoming receptive to the gospel after a long time of blaming God for a […]
Why Isn’t the Bible in Chronological Order?
Scholars and joe-church members have wrestled with the organization of the Bible’s stories for millennia. Already in 160 A.D., Tatian had written the Diatessaron (meaning “Through Four, One”)–an attempt to harmonize the events of the four different Gospels into one long, chronological story. Prominent churchmen like Augustine and John Calvin have also tried their hand at gospel harmonization, […]
