For quite some time I have been observing a movement in evangelical Christianity that calls everything under the sun, besides the worship of God, idolatry. If the Trinitarian God of the Scriptures is not receiving glory, then idolatry is being committed. A verse such as 1 Corinthians 10:31 is a good example, “Whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.” We’re often told, in light of this verse that when we eat, drink, or do anything not to the glory of God, we are committing idolatry. But is this biblical? Is all sin idolatry? If so, how can the following verse make any sense whatsoever? Read more... (1117 words, estimated 4:28 mins reading time)
My buddy Tanner and I made this picture film in our first semester of seminary. We also had a website named www.tannerandandy.com. One of the funnier “did-you-know” parts of the site was that www.andyandtanner.com was a website for a homosexual couple who was getting married. I hope no one went there instead of our site and thought it was us – yikes!
In any case, if you’ve ever lost a cell phone, or spent 3 months starting at a seminary and did not hang out with any girls outside of church, then you might appreciate this work of art. 
Read more... (119 words, estimated 29 secs reading time)
I just visited the local Barnes and Noble to do some reading and was perusing the “Christianity” section when I noticed Brian McClaren’s new book. I had heard some fairly negative things about it, and from earlier reads of McClaren books I assumed, at the outset, that they were probably right. But, being the reader that I am, I decided to flip through it. As I did, I became rather intrigued with his first chapter. And, I will say, agreed in large part with much of what he said in that chapter. Essentially, McClaren argued that the typical understanding of the Bible’s grand narrative is corrupted by a Greco-Roman mindset. For him, looking at Jesus through the eyes of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, or Isaiah is different than looking at Jesus through the eyes of Augustine, Jerome, Calvin, or Luther. He argues that looking back at Jesus through Greco-Roman eyes leads to a different understanding of the Bible’s grand narrative than looking forward at it from Hebrew eyes. Generally, over the past several years studying Hebrew and the Hebrew Bible in-depth, I myself have begun to understand concepts such as righteousness and election in a more Hebrew mindset than the typical Roman mindset taught to us by many NT professors and pastors. Read more... (823 words, estimated 3:18 mins reading time)
This week’s study focused on how to read biblical prophecy:
- How do we get from the prophet’s original sermon to the book of the prophet’s sermons? And, what are the implications?
- What are some foundations for reading the Bible?
- What are some questions we can ask as we read a Bible passage?
Read more... (276 words, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)
I know this post is a turn from some of the normal theological posts, but I wanted to let you guys know what I’ve been doing with PhD applications. I’ve been working hard at them, and I’m currently sitting in a hotel room in Toronto writing this post as I visit the University of Toronto and the Toronto School of Theology (TST). I’ve never been to Toronto before, and am really enjoying my time in the town. The weather isn’t what I’ve dreamed about, but the weather’s not everything. Read more... (152 words, estimated 36 secs reading time)
Head over to http://meaningofpentateuch.blogspot.com
We started our online forum discussion today. Hope you can join the conversation.
I was browsing through some funny Facebook groups the other day and spent some time reading a discussion on the blessings and curses of Deuteronomy for the “New Testament community.” Essentially, one guy was arguing that believers in Christ fulfill the Law by believing in Christ and can no longer be cursed under the Law (since Jesus obeyed them, we are included in his obedience), and the other guy said that to still be considered part of the people of God you must have to obey the Ten Commandments. The debate included many posts full of Bible verses, little actual discussion, and a great deal of misinterpretation. Jewish people shoot themselves in the foot because their own Scriptures tell them that they need a better covenant with God than the one administered through Moses at Sinai (Dt 29-30; Jer 31; Ezek 36), while many Christians shoot themselves in the foot because they don’t know what to do with the Law. For them, the Law is good and holy, but it is also fulfilled – though it has authority as Scripture, they are not under it in the same way Israel was some 3500 years ago. So what’s a Bible reader to do? Read more... (811 words, estimated 3:15 mins reading time)
This one’s from a little over a month ago, and I had posted it on Facebook. I thought I might post it here for more people to see – that is, if anyone really reads these
One of the neat things about having a specific time of year dedicated to certain important events in Jesus’ life means really thinking about that particular aspect of Jesus’ life every year. For most of us, that means Easter and Christmas, the birth and resurrection. For sure, many of us think of these weekly as we go to Church, or even daily if we are able. But, for a whole group of others, these are the only two times per year that they might even give Christianity any thought – that’s if they aren’t distracted by the spectacle we’ve made of the holidays. Read more... (682 words, estimated 2:44 mins reading time)
I treasure those moments when God uses words of truth to get into my heart. One of those moments happened this morning when my pastor was teaching from Romans 13:11-14. The text reads:
“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality,not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
Read more... (714 words, estimated 2:51 mins reading time)
This morning I was asked to teach Sunday school at the church I attend for the college kids. We’ve been working through First Peter in the New Testament for the last few months. Today, I taught on 1 Peter 4:1-11. I thought it was an important lesson, and that it would be a good message to share on this blog.
Throughout the letter there are themes of suffering and patience, faith and the practice of good works, dying to the flesh and living for God. Peter touches on all these themes over and over again, often showing how they are interconnected. What I’d like to share is about how our unity as a Church is inextricably tied to the glory God receives from His Son, Jesus Christ. The passage I’ll be working from reads: Read more... (1447 words, estimated 5:47 mins reading time)
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