The Bible in Context
I recently heard a Christian talking about the war in Iran: You have to know who you are negotiating with. You can’t trust them. He continued, Didn’t God even say in the Old Testament to kill everyone—men, women, and children? It sounds bad but if we don’t wipe them out, what will they do to us? … Read more
There’s a dividing line that splits humanity into two groups. The line is not based on ethnicity, nationality, gender, economic status, education, or political persuasion. Peter says, Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and, “A stone … Read more
Here’s an exchange I’ve heard frequently: What did you do in class today? Nothing, we just reviewed. Review lessons or reminders are boring because we have already heard the content. But the Bible highlights the importance of reminders. Consider the following three examples. 1.) Moses left the people of Israel with a massive review lesson … Read more
I started reading the Old Testament and the New Testament backwards—not literally from the last page to the first, but book by book. So I began with Revelation and Malachi. So far, I have been struck by the repeated references to a future divine judgment. As Nahum says, “the LORD will not leave the guilty … Read more
Is the kingdom of God created or uncreated? The book of Hebrews says: At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what … Read more