A Failure to Communicate
For successful communication to take place, the one sending the message and the one receiving the message must be on the same page. It is a common occurrence, however, that communication fails to take place. Sometimes, the one sending the message is unclear and the receiver is justifiably unable to understand what is being said. […]
Biblical Rebus Puzzles
Here is a simple Rebus puzzle that conveys a Biblical theme: DICE DICE Do you see what the message is there? If not, see my endnote.i In this blog, I’m going to give you some evangelistic and discipleship word puzzles. If you are stumped, you can find the answers in the endnotes. I like Rebus […]
Tell the Janitor to Come Up Here (Luke 14:7-11)
When I was in college, I attended one of our nation’s military service academies. Naturally, we studied our nation’s heroes. All the buildings on campus were named after such men. These men had shown extraordinary courage in the face of danger during our country’s wars. As cadets, we were incredibly busy. We went to class, […]
Why and How Did God Wrestle with Jacob? (Genesis 32:22-33)
Jacob was returning to the Promised Land after twenty-one years in Padan Aram. He left single. He returned with two wives, two concubines, eleven sons, and many flocks and herds. Moses doesn’t give any precise details about the fight. We are not told about leglocks, takedowns, or half nelsons. But we are told this was […]
Judging Motives: A New Twist
In 1 Cor 4:5, Paul tells us not to judge the motives of other believers. Every time I have heard this verse discussed, it has been said that if we see a Christian doing a good work, we should not question their motive. We don’t know their motive. Perhaps somebody is doing a Christian work […]
Giving Up Our Traditions (Titus 1:1-2)
Like many people who read this blog, I have spent a large part of my life attending Evangelical churches. Most people in these churches see the Bible as a book telling us how to make it to heaven. This is unfortunate, because most of the NT was written to believers who already have eternal life. […]
Dr. Roger Olson: Many Who Claim to Believe in Inerrancy Do Not
In a 2016 article entitled, “Am I Neo-Orthodox?” (see here), Baptist scholar Dr. Roger Olson, professor at Baylor’s Truett Seminary, told about the time “some years ago” when the president-elect of the Evangelical Theological Society invited him to give a plenary message. ETS was founded in 1949 to defend the inerrancy of the Bible. Olson […]
Beware of Translators
We deal with translators all the time. Unless we use a Greek text when we read the NT, we use a translation. If you go to other countries, a translator is often needed when you speak. If you are teaching the Bible in such an environment, a translator is obviously extremely important. Sometimes I am […]
Does Hebrews 11:29-30 Prove the Nation of Israel Was Saved?
William asks a question I’d never heard, and commentaries do not address. It is an excellent question: In yesterday’s blog, “Was Tanakh Written to Believers?” [see here] you indicate that only a remnant of Israel was born again, and I tend to agree. But Heb 11:29-30 appears to say that Israel passed through the Red […]
A Witness at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15)
In Rev 20:11-15, John describes the judgment of all the unbelievers of all time. It is a terrifying scene. John says that heaven and earth “fled away.” Whatever that means, it is clear that this judgment will be something never seen before. It concludes with every unbeliever—every person who does not have eternal life by […]