The Old Testament is written primarily in Hebrew. It is commonly known as Biblical Hebrew because it is different from Modern Hebrew, just as Old English is different from Modern English. Because the time span from Genesis to Malachi is so great, there is even evidence of development within the language during that time span.Continue reading “The Languages of the Bible”
Category Archives: Relevant
Hospitality Is Not Martha Stewart
It was late spring, 2004, near the end of my first year teaching English in Southeast Asia. As I rode my electric motorbike away from the university campus where I worked, I hoped that a night at the seaside would refresh me for the end of the semester. Dusty gray streets soon gave way toContinue reading “Hospitality Is Not Martha Stewart”
By Invitation Only
I’ve long had a strange relationship with invitations. When I was young unless people specifically invited me to join them to hang out or play I would keep to myself. Even with family. As I grew older, I considered second-hand invitations to gatherings as good as non-invitations. I was unlikely to show up somewhere uninvitedContinue reading “By Invitation Only”
Wisdom for the Day
Trying to Hide His Death and Resurrection
Reference to the bodily resurrection of Jesus is also found in Roman sources written only decades after the crucifixion of Jesus. In a monumental historical work written by Josephus over many years and finished about AD 93, he recorded how disciples had reported that Jesus appeared to them alive three days after the crucifixion (Josephus, Antiquities). AlthoughContinue reading “Trying to Hide His Death and Resurrection”
When You Call a Prophet
How were Old Testament prophets appointed? When Isaiah was called, he “saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne.” Angels called to one another, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isa. 6:1–3). Similarly, when Ezekiel was called (Ezek. 1:1), “the heavens were opened andContinue reading “When You Call a Prophet”
Aren’t You Going to Say Something?
I don’t want to pretend that men who long to lead godly lives always find it easy to speak up whenever the moment and situation call for it. I think of great men of the Bible who earned descriptions such as “the friend of God,” “a man after God’s own heart,” and “the twelve.” EachContinue reading “Aren’t You Going to Say Something?”
Before I Sleep
Even though God is perfectly able to “keep you from stumbling” and cause you to persevere in the faith (Jude 24), He still calls you to play an active role in keeping going in the Christian life—that is, to keep yourself in His love. Pursuing God’s love ought to be a constant in our lives.Continue reading “Before I Sleep”
When the Church Becomes a Personality Cult
In the modern West the church has an issue with its public image. With the rise of digital media and heightened technophilia, the image we often present to the world is not Christ but ourselves. We build up mini-celebrities in Jesus’s name, calling for the world to follow along. At times, whether Jesus is actuallyContinue reading “When the Church Becomes a Personality Cult”
Intentional Faith 