Yes, you found me out. This was originally an idea for an essay, which I’ve taken and broken down into smaller, blog-sized morsels. Hopefully you’ve been enjoying this series? Feel free to leave a comment, like and/or subscribe. You’ll find links to all of these things at the bottom of each post, along with an …
Tag Archives: christianity
Context Clues – Polytheism Pt 5
Yes, that right. This is part 5 of the polytheism context clue. If you’re joining us for the first time, you may be terribly confused. I suggest going back to read parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 first. It will make a lot more sense of today’s discussion. In the previous posts, we’ve compiled a …
Context Clues – Polytheism Pt 2
Welcome to part 2 of the polytheism context clue. In the previous post, I made the claim that developing a clear understanding of Biblical and historical polytheism will help us to peel back some of the troublesome layers of ancient Israel’s history and literature. So what do I mean by that? Well, depending on your …
Context Clues – Polytheism Pt 1
Sometimes I find myself reading a passage of Scripture and wondering, “What was that about?” If I’m not careful, I can be tempted to scratch my head and walk away with a resigned shrug. Maybe you can relate? This certainly happens when I’m reading in the New Testament, but if I’m being honest, it happens …
He’s Already in the Next Storm
The boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea… Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You upon the water.” And He …
Wisdom and Mysteries
“I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” (Matt. 11:25b) Have you ever looked at one of those “Magic Eye” illustrations? There’s a complex, often repetitive pattern and it’s (quite frankly) hard to look at. At first …
A Radical Commission
I’ve been thinking a bit about the Great Commission recently – Jesus’ words to His disciples in Matthew 28:16-20. It’s a beautiful set of words and familiar to long-time church-goers, though we can miss some of its significance if we’re not careful, or if we read it with “too-familiar” eyes. “Go therefore and make disciples …
Laying Down our Offenses
I was thinking about a quote from Jackie Pullinger recently. She was being interviewed for the Alpha course some number of years back, and she made a comment that I’ve long-since misremembered. The original quote is that “God wants us to have soft hearts and hard feet.” And this is a good quote. A thought-provoking …
Reversing the Spiral
Shortly before Jesus’ ascension, we read his powerful words to the disciples: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you; and you shall be My witnesses in both Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) This immediately conjures up images of …
A Brief Cultural Survey
What’s the point in studying the Scriptures? Surely we can learn everything we need to know by simply reading our modern English translations of the text, right? Sure – as long as you are a first-century Palestinian Jew. But if not, we’ve got a ways to go before we can hope to understand even a …
Just for a Closer Walk 