Is a Christian a saint or sinner? Piper does a good job of analyzing scripture to show, by nature, that Christians are holy. On the basis of who we are then, we progressively reject acting differently. Sinners or Saints — How Should We Speak of Christians? — Desiring God Continue reading The Christian’s Paradox

The statue of Erasmus at the University Rotterdam is the oldest statue in the Netherlands. Photo from FlickrThe Greek New Testament published in Basel (Switzerland) in 1516 was the greatest achievement of the magnificent Dutch philosopher, philologist, and Catholic theologian Erasmus of Rotterdam (ca. 1466–1536). At that time in Western Europe, the Latin Bible was… Erasmus and the Search for the Original Text of the New … Continue reading Erasmus and His Texts

Summary: A new digital photography method confirms written records of biblical King David on Mesha Stele. Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheep breeder, and he had to deliver to the king of Israel 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. But when Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelled against the king… Debated King David Reference on Mesha Stele Solved — Patterns of … Continue reading Decoding the Mesha Stele

Jesus, in John 6.45, says the writings of the prophets (note the plural), teaches that the future New Covenant will be different from the Mosaic Covenant. A direct quotation could be Is. 54.13 where it says: All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be their peace (NIV). The first verse of Isaiah 54, Paul quotes in Galatians 4.27: Be glad, barren … Continue reading “They Will All Be Taught of God” (Jn. 6.45)

Jesus is the Christian’s hope: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope (1Tim. 1.1 NIV). Paul says the same when writing Titus: while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Tit. 2.13 NIV). Our hope is living, that is, we wait for … Continue reading Remember Your Nature and Destiny

Did Elohim Create Evil? | Hoshana Rabbah BlogHoshana Rabbah Blog Continue reading Whence Darkness?

Here is an article discussing Rachel’s burial place while also mentioning an area of Perat where Jeremiah was instructed to bury the linen belt. The Perat area (around Ramah), is more accessible to Jeremiah than the Euphrates area which would have taken several months to reach. Rachel was most likely buried in her son’s tribal area of Benjamin which was not established until hundreds of … Continue reading Rachel’s Tomb and “Perat” of Jer. 13.4-7

Summary: Silver pieces discovered demonstrate robust trade routes and use of currency in Israel and the surrounding areas, 500 years earlier than previously thought. Abraham listened to Ephron, and Abraham weighed out for Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the Hittites, four hundred shekels of silver, according to the weights… Silver Hoard Discovery Reveals Israel’s Oldest Currency — Patterns of Evidence Continue reading Hacksilber and Coinage Commerce in Antiquity

Should We Call God Mother? — CBMW Continue reading Burk Contra Peeler

A Westminster Divine and an Alexandrian Codex Continue reading Regard of the Textus Receptus by Its Early Scholars

Summary: The famous, biblical Pool of Siloam will finally be revealed for the first time in a full excavation and visitors are welcome to watch the process. “Go,” he [Jesus] told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam.” So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. – John 9:7 (NIV) Famous Pool of… Complete Excavation of Biblical Pool of Siloam Announced — Patterns of … Continue reading Complete Excavation of Biblical Pool of Siloam Announced

Here is an good article by Peter Leithart about how woman “perfects” man. In an aside, Leithart speaks of how original creation was “imperfect” and “inglorious:” Creation is a series of speeches and actions to perfect the original imperfection and to glorify the relatively inglorious. In Genesis 1, ‘elohim lights, forms, and fills to transform the original tohu-w’bohu into a brightly-lit, ordered, teeming cosmos. I must disagree with Leithart … Continue reading Does God Create Imperfection or Does He Merely Allow It?

9 Proofs You’re More Than Matter — The Gospel Coalition Continue reading Darwin’s and Dawkin’s Doubt

Here is an article by Michael J. Kruger showing that the initial impulse of Christians was to spread the Gospel. Indeed, one of the greatest truths I ever learned was that it was ordinary Christians who first spread the Good News, not the elites. This case is found in Acts 8. 1-4. After Stephen’s martyrdom, a fierce opposition developed against the Christians: And there arose … Continue reading The Nascent Christian Community were Actors not Spectators

Here is collection of posts by Jason Engwer along with links to issues in Isaiah 9: The first seven verses of Isaiah 9 are highly significant, but usually underestimated, in a lot of important contexts. They have implications for Jesus’ identity, how he viewed himself, who he claimed to be, how he was perceived early on, the continuity between the gospels’ accounts of his childhood … Continue reading Isaiah 9 Resources

Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Mt. 10.28 NIV). Jesus, in Mt. 10.28, gives the function of hell (Gehenna) as the destruction of the human wicked. This, obviously, is eternal punishment, annihilation. Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT) it seems is predicated upon … Continue reading Destroying Soul and Body in Hell

Leen (pronounced Lane) Ritmeyer has a fascinating history of how he got into architectural reconstruction at various digs in Israel. 50 years visualising the Bible — Ritmeyer Archaeological Design Continue reading Leen Ritmeyer’s 50 Year History of Archaeological Reconstruction

Here is an article by Craig Carter that I agree with according to his main point. Carter cites the “specific” reason for the incarnation as human redemption: “God decreed that he would take on flesh for a specific reason. The reason was that without taking on human flesh the eternal, impassible God could not suffer and die for our sins.” According to Eph. 1.7-10, the … Continue reading Redemption as a Sideshow

For many years now, I never resolve at a periodic point in time, such as New Year, to change for the better. Repentance should happen when we become aware of the problem. Under the New Covenant, His people know Him intimately, and therefore, they can adjust their heart in response to His promptings. Christians still face many challenges despite the New Covenant’s advantages. Sometimes our … Continue reading Finishing Last Year’s Resolutions Well

You Shall Call His Name Joshua – Theopolis Institute Continue reading You Shall Call His Name Joshua

Christmas Under the Sun — The Gospel Coalition Continue reading Christmas Under the Sun

The Hanukkah story is no fairytale. The evils Antiochus IV and his rule of terror are a matter of historical fact, as archaeology is now able to verify. The news has just broken that a treasure trove of coins has been discovered earlier this year in the Judean desert, near the Dead Sea. Coins are… Hanukkah Treasures Found By the Dead Sea — ONE FOR ISRAEL … Continue reading Hanukkah Treasures Found By the Dead Sea

When Nietzsche famously declared, “God is dead,” we often assume the atheist philosopher said it triumphally. Yet Nietzsche didn’t really pronounce the death of God—by which he meant the idea of God and religion had died following the triumph of reason and science—as a wholesale victory. While on the one hand, it was a triumph… How Comfort Culture and Hustle Ideology Fill the Meaning Gap — … Continue reading How Comfort Culture and Hustle Ideology Fill the Meaning Gap

Although most discussions about the development of the canon focus on the patristic period (second century and later), there is much canonical gold yet to mine from the pages of the New Testament itself.  Unfortunately, this step is often skipped. There are a number of possible reasons for why it is skipped.  But perhaps most… A Curious Clue about the Origins of the New Testament Canon … Continue reading Origins of the New Testament Canon

The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught” (Is. 29.13 NIV) The Christian life is not about finding out God’s requirements during this age and doing it. Rather, it results from the transformation by … Continue reading When Apparent Obedience to God is Actual Rebellion

Summary: After a decade of research, the first-of-its-kind “monumental” inscription about King Hezekiah has been deciphered, giving further credibility to the Bible and its historical accounts. Hezekiah “Monumental” Inscription Finally Deciphered — Patterns of Evidence Continue reading Hezekiah “Monumental” Inscription Finally Deciphered

Marshal your troops now, city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod. “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” Therefore Israel will be abandoned … Continue reading Was Jesus Born in a Grotto or a Stable?

Illustration by Jordan Daniel SingerMany Christians today read the Bible through revisions of original translations. We read the Revised Standard Version (RSV), the first major revision of the King James Version; English Standard Version, a revision of the RSV; the New King James Version, another revision of the King James and on and on. Translation… The Legacy of the First Revised Bible Translations — Text & … Continue reading The Legacy of the First Revised Bible Translations

In Hebrews 1, the writer cites various OT passages in which God speaks to his exalted Son in a way in which he has never spoken to angels.A number of these passages find partial fulfilments in OT Messianic figures. For instance, consider YHWH’s statement to David about his son, ‘I will be to him a… Hebrews 1 and its Use of Scripture — Thoughts on Scripture Continue reading Multiplicity of Divine Persons in O.T. and Hebrews

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them (Mk. 7.14-15 NIV) Here is an article, bolstered by strong evidence, of how the “War on Drugs” kills and imprisons. Cops Practicing Medicine | Cato Institute Continue reading The One Fact Jesus Wanted Everyone to Understand