I recently felt heartbreak when my daughter, shortly after receiving her first Bible, stumbled onto Deuteronomy 20, which commands Israelites to kill all that breathes in Canaan (vv. 16–18). I’m a pacifist, and that chapter is probably the last one I would want her to read. It happened to be one of her first. “Dad,Continue reading “Daddy, Why Does the Bible Talk About Killing Children?”
Category Archives: Exposition
God and Chaos
Our God is a God of order, who does all things well. “God is not a God of disorder but of peace” (1 Corinthians 14:33). With God, disorder and chaos give way to order and peace. We see both order and chaos in the first book of the Bible, Genesis. In the beginning, God startedContinue reading “God and Chaos”
Is Your Elder Respectable?
But why would it be necessary for the elders, the pastors, in the church to be respectable? First, Christ not only calls for pastors to be “respectable” (1 Timothy 3:2) but for all Christians to live “godly and dignified in every way” (2:2). And one way Christ shows he’s serious about his followers as aContinue reading “Is Your Elder Respectable?”
Has ‘Homosexual’ Always Been in the Bible?
(A lengthy discourse but well worth the read.) Some time ago, I got an email from someone asking about an interview with Ed Oxford, published as a blog post on Forge titled “Has ‘Homosexual’ always been in the Bible?” Mr. Oxford argued that the idea behind our English word “homosexual” was not always in theContinue reading “Has ‘Homosexual’ Always Been in the Bible?”
The Hell You Say
In the age of Love Wins, we’ve relocated hell solely to earth and convinced ourselves there’s nothing worse than losing one’s body (Matthew 10:28). Hell, we reason, just doesn’t sound like a good God. Especially when we’ve redefined goodness. Some preachers won’t preach hell — not because they don’t believe in it, but because theyContinue reading “The Hell You Say”
Poisonous Tolerance
But I have this against you, that you tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess and is teaching and seducing my servants to practice sexual immorality and to eat food sacrificed to idols. I gave her time to repent, but she refuses to repent of her sexual immorality. Behold, I will throw herContinue reading “Poisonous Tolerance”
The Bible and Prejudice
Broadly speaking, prejudice is preferential bias, and it can be either favorable or unfavorable. But the term prejudice most often refers to a negative opinion, not based on fact or experience, formed without just grounds or sufficient knowledge. Prejudice targets groups or types of people rather than responding to people as individuals. Prejudice is usuallyContinue reading “The Bible and Prejudice”
For the Sake of Others
Sermons, formal classes, and small groups aren’t the only ways the church teaches us to read Scripture better. We’ll also become better Bible readers by simply investing in relationships with fellow members. Christian fellowship centers around our shared commitment to Jesus and the gospel. We are united in Christ even if we are separated byContinue reading “For the Sake of Others”
How Much of the Bible Is Prophecy?
Prophecy accounts for a major portion of the entire canon of Scripture. Numerous books in the Old Testament contain prophecy—some include short statements about the future, and others feature entire prophetic visions. In the New Testament, almost every book contains some prophecy, with Revelation being wholly devoted to a prophetic vision. By one count, aboutContinue reading “How Much of the Bible Is Prophecy?”
The Rider on the Second Horse
Listen to John’s description in Revelation of a rider on a white horse: “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war” (Revelation 19:11). In his revelation, John saw many awesome sights from Jesus. At first glance,Continue reading “The Rider on the Second Horse”
