Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
The title of this post may surprise you. You may assume that there is nothing within Buddhism that Christians can learn from. I disagree. There is one thing in particular that I think that Christians can learn from Buddhists. There is a teaching within Buddhism that speaks of the three treasures of Buddhism. These are … Read More “What Christians Can Learn From Buddhists” »
There is a lot about the church that I get discouraged about and it would be normal to question why I would want to be a part of it. I have seen Christian leaders fall, not just into sin but into abuse. And not “slimy” leaders that you might suspect were up to no good, … Read More “2 Reasons I’m Still in the Church” »
I have been involved in Christian apologetics for as long as I have been a Christian. I still believe in apologetics, despite all of the suggestions that the time for apologetics is over. However, there has been a shift in how I go about apologetics. This is not meant to condemn others with different convictions … Read More “Jesus-Centred Apologetics” »
Christians, including myself, have all sorts of interests and are willing to fight for numerous causes. And yet when it comes down to it, Christians need more of a focus on Jesus. That’s where Tom Gilson’s Too Good to Be False comes in. But do we really need another book about Jesus? We actually never … Read More “Too Good to Be False – Review” »
In our current time of racial tension, some are calling upon white Christians to repent of our racist heritage. But what about white Christians who are not in the least bit racist? Should they repent? I would suggest that many of us have been guilty of racial prejudice at some point, even if we were … Read More “Should Christians Repent of Sins They Did Not Directly Commit?” »
Christians believe that Jesus’ death was more than just a terrible miscarriage of justice. The death of Jesus is the means by which we receive salvation. But how exactly does that work? What does his death on the cross do? In theological terms, what is the correct atonement theory? There are those who would suggest … Read More “What Atonement Theory Should We Hold?” »
I recently did two separate but related Twitter polls that provided some interesting results. They were designed to test a hypothesis I had about inerrancy. My interest was in a comparison between Jesus and the Bible. Most evangelicals see both as being both human and divine. The incarnation of Jesus can inform our doctrine of … Read More “The Bible, Jesus and Inerrancy” »
I have been interested in the Jehovah’s Witnesses for a long time. They have a lot of unique beliefs. But as I argue in my book, The Watchtower and the Word, we should focus our discussions on the most important doctrines. It doesn’t get anymore important than Jesus. Not surprisingly, they have some unorthodox beliefs … Read More “4 Things That the Jehovah’s Witnesses Get Wrong About Jesus” »
I once more had a conversation with a Jehovah’s Witness (and a new partner) focused largely (but not completely) on the kingdom of God. After numerous conversations on the kingdom of God, it is clear that we just don’t agree. I believe the kingdom has always been in heaven, began to appear on earth during … Read More “Conversations With Jehovah’s Witnesses – Part Five” »
Two of the biggest interests in my life are biblical studies and disability theology. Disability and the Way of Jesus by Bethany McKinney Fox satisfied both those needs. This is a very important book for developing a biblical theology of disability. There are a lot of helpful passages in the Bible about disabilities but some of … Read More “Disability and the Way of Jesus – Review” »
As I write this, it is the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings at Normandy. I have great interest in this as a student of military history. But this is not my Second World War blog, so why am I talking about this here? I actually find a helpful image in this for understanding the … Read More “D-Day and the Kingdom of God” »
The purpose of my personal blog is to talk about things such as my family, my health and my regular experiences. I usually talk about matters of faith elsewhere. However, my faith is an extremely important part of me. I have studied theology for a long time but there is much that I don’t know. … Read More “Good News: Jesus is Alive” »
Christians focus on the events of Good Friday and Easter Sunday: the death and resurrection of Jesus. But where was Jesus between those two events? The easy answer is the grave. However, when people ask this question, they are thinking more of his spirit/soul than his physical body. His body was in the tomb, but … Read More “Where Was Jesus Between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?” »
One of the most powerful moments in the passion narrative is when Jesus on the cross calls out to his Father. Matthew records it this way: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lemasabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Matthew 27:46) The way this passage was … Read More “Did God Abandon Jesus on the Cross?” »
The cross (along with the resurrection) is the central theme of Christianity. There is a reason that Christians use a cross as our symbol. But is the cross a good or bad thing? Some skeptics describe the gospel in this way: “God was so angry with humans that in his rage, he killed his own … Read More “The Cross and Cosmic Child Abuse” »
Although the Kingdom of God is not often talked about in churches today, it was the main topic of Jesus’ preaching. I believe that an understanding of the Kingdom is essential for Christians. Some people think the kingdom just doing good things now or heaven when we die or something Jesus will start when he … Read More “What is the Kingdom of God?” »
Jesus Mythicists frequently comment on Paul’s lack of description of aspects of Jesus’ life, including the virgin birth. Does Paul omission of this event mean that Paul was unaware of it or rejected it? It is unlikely that Paul was unaware of the virgin birth. Luke, who wrote one of the two Gospels that mention … Read More “Why Didn’t Paul Mention the Virgin Birth of Jesus?” »
Although I agree that Jesus is God (John 1:1), I have something specific in mind when I ask if Jesus is like God or God like Jesus. Traditionally, people have looked at Jesus and identified divine attributes and used this as ways to demonstrated that Jesus is God. But some theologians sees this as a … Read More “Is Jesus Like God or is God Like Jesus?” »
One of the current conversations even among evangelicals, is the historicity of Adam and Eve.While young earth creations might never question the existence, many theistic evolutions (or evolutionary creationists) would question that Adam was a specific individual in history. This conversation goes deeper than the means of God’s creation but actually touches on issues of … Read More “Does a Non-Historical Adam Remove the Need For Jesus?” »
I regularly hear skeptics claim that Nazareth was not inhabited during the first century, thus creating a major problem for the Gospel accounts about Jesus. This claim has been repeated so many times that people believe it without checking out more recent research. It is true that for a long time that there was not … Read More “Was Nazareth Inhabited During the Time of Jesus?” »
The Bible is scripture for Christians and the Qur’an is scripture for Muslims. There are things that they have in common but there are also some significant differences. Here are seven differences between the Bible and the Qur’an. The Qur’an is only considered to be authoritative in the original Arabic. Muslims do not even refer … Read More “7 Differences Between the Bible and the Qur’an” »
People with disabilities have not always felt valuable. This includes the context of the church. Are disabilities just a reminder of all that is not right in the world? But what if Jesus had a disability? I’m not suggesting that he had autism or was lame. But consider this passage: In your relationships with one … Read More “Did Jesus Have a Disability?” »
Awhile back, I got into a conversation with someone on Twitter about apologetics. This person, who had a seminary education and was involved in ministry, was pushing back on a tweet I wrote about the importance of apologetics. One of the things that she said was that we should emulate Jesus, and what he did … Read More “Did Jesus Ever Do Apologetics?” »
A sermon based on Luke 9:18-20 and preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. You can find the audio here. Introduction I have been fortunate to have had a number of jobs and roles. Second only to my role as a pastor, has been the times I have been able to teach the Bible at a number … Read More “Who is Jesus?” »
Was Jesus divine? Was the divinity of Jesus a later invention of the church? What did Paul, our earliest Christian writer, say about Jesus? I can think of no better resource to answer these questions than Gordon Fee’s Pauline Christology. I have read Fee’s earlier book, God’s Empowering Presence, where Fee looked at every mention … Read More “Pauline Christology” »
The foundation of the Christian faith is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As important as the crucifixion is, the reason we know that was something more than a senseless death is that Jesus rose from the dead. The Apostle Paul tells us that if Jesus did not rise, our faith is in vain. One of … Read More “William Lane Craig on the Historicity of Jesus’ Resurrection” »
This is the Easter sermon that I preached at Queen Street Baptist Church. Easter Sunday is by far my favourite Sunday of the entire year. Christmas is wonderful with all of the carols and nativities and everything else that goes with it. But it is Easter that really fills me with joy and gets me … Read More “4 Things You Need to Know About the Resurrection” »
I will confess that when I preach on the triumphal entry of Jesus, I usually preach from either Mark’s or Luke’s version. The reason I avoid Matthew’s account is that it looks at first glance that Matthew is saying that Jesus is sitting on two donkeys at the same time. That is too much to … Read More “Did Jesus Ride Two Donkeys into Jerusalem?” »
Certain forms of the Jesus Myth Theory make a big deal out of the dying and rising theme where the experience of a god represents what is taking place in nature with regard to seasons and the harvest. Some of this emerges from James Frazier’s The Golden Bough. While I see many of the supposed … Read More “C.S. Lewis Challenges the Jesus Myth” »
Mark L. Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007. 559 pp. Bible college and seminary students need to learn many things, but near the top of that list is a good understanding of Jesus and the Gospels. Although there are many books that fall under that … Read More “Four Portraits, One Jesus” »
Last words are extremely important. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus gives his disciples his standing orders. We call this the Great Commission. “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the … Read More “8 Things We Learn From the Great Commission” »
The Myth Master, who in this video proved that Jesus never existed, is back. Now the Myth Master demonstrates beyond a shadow of a doubt that the story of Jesus was borrowed from the pagans. If you are interested in this topic, please visit my Jesus Myth page for a heap of responses to this … Read More “Jesus from the Pagans” »
Some versions of the Jesus Myth Theory attempt to argue that Jesus was a sun god and that he was derived from other sun gods. But other than a desire to connect Jesus with Horus and other sun gods, is there any evidence that Jesus was originally conceived as a sun god? Later Christian artwork … Read More “Is Jesus a Sun God?” »
If you have encountered the Jesus Myth Theory (JMT), you may be confused. They claim that the stories of pagan god-men are almost exactly the same as the story of Jesus. But when you read the Gospels and then read the myths, the connections are not so clear. I will attempt to help by translating … Read More “Translating the Jesus Myth For You” »
I recently had an interesting conversation about the foundation of Christianity. It began with a response to a pastor’s statement that the foundation of Christianity is not the Bible but is Jesus. Some people were deeply concerned about this statement. What is the foundation of Christianity? Jesus or the Bible? In terms of the Bible, … Read More “What is the Foundation of Christianity?” »
Among those who promote the Jesus Myth, one of the favourite pagan gods is that of Horus. It is claimed that much of what we read in the Gospels about Jesus is found in the story of Horus, including the virgin birth. Is this true? Let us begin by looking at how the virgin birth in … Read More “Was Horus Born of a Virgin?” »
Easter Sunday is the most important day for Christians. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Does this have anything to say about disabilities? When we think of the afterlife, we think about becoming perfect according to popular understandings of normal. All the things that we think make us stand out … Read More “Jesus’ Resurrection and Disabilities” »
The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of Christianity There are a lot of topics that I have no interest in arguing about. There are certain biblical stories and events, while interesting and having something to say to us, that in the end will not make much difference to us. On our death bed, we will … Read More “5 Reasons Why the Resurrection of Jesus is Important” »
A devotion based on Hebrews 4:15. The author of Hebrews is writing to Christians, probably of Jewish origin, who are struggling with their faith. Should they remain Christians or should they return to their former Judaism? The author has a very carefully crafted response that focuses on the identity of Jesus. Loyalty to Christianity stands or … Read More “Devotions: Hebrews” »
In the Old Testament, there is a mysterious figure known as the Angel of the LORD. What is mysterious about the Angel of the LORD is the identity of this figure. In one way, this being seems to be an angel. In another way, this being is so important that he seems to speak with … Read More “Is Jesus the Angel of the LORD?” »
Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But what does that mean? Does that mean that Jesus has always been the Son of God or that God really liked Jesus and adopted him as the Son of God? One of the key verses in this discussion is: “[Jesus] was declared to be the … Read More “Was Jesus Adopted as the Son of God?” »
A devotion based on Luke 19:9. One of the most popular stories in the Gospels is the story of Zacchaeus. There is a reason why children are able to enjoy it. It is incredibly visual. We can picture this short tax-collector perched in a tree, listening to Jesus. We can imagine the surprise on his … Read More “Devotions: Luke” »
A devotion based on Mark 8:33. The Apostle Peter is known for saying and doing the wrong thing but one of the worst experiences was that which resulted in Jesus calling him Satan. Not even the denying of Jesus resulted in such a harsh rebuke. After calling him this name, Jesus went on to explain that … Read More “Devotions: Mark” »
The point at which a movement usually moves from orthodoxy to heresy is its understanding of Jesus. If we get Jesus wrong, we get everything wrong. 1. Jesus is not a created being. The Arian heresy (similar to the Jehovah’s Witnesses) almost took over the Church. The reason the Nicene Council was called was to … Read More “7 Things You Need to Know About Jesus” »
The story of the prodigal son from Luke 15:11-31 is one of the most famous stories in the Bible. In fact the phrase, ‘the prodigal son,’ has entered into our every day vocabulary. When someone who has been away for some time and comes back we say, “The prodigal son returns.” The only problem is … Read More “The Prodigal Definition Returns” »
“New Testament textual criticism suffers from an ’embarrassment of riches’ unparalleled by any other piece of ancient literature. The manuscript copies of the New Testament are far more plentiful and earlier than any other Greek or Latin texts. In terms of manuscript data, any skepticism about the Jesus of the Gospels should be multiplied many … Read More “Embarrassment of Riches” »
When we think of Christmas, we think of the manger and the shepherds and many other images. How many of us think of the cross? The word Christmas actually comes from Christ’s Mass. If you know anything about the Catholic concept of Mass, you will know that is a celebration of the crucifixion of Jesus. … Read More “Advent Three: The Cross” »
I love this quote by John Stackhouse, taken from his fantastic book Humble Apologetics. This rings true to me and it is the desire of my heart for my apologetics ministry. “Since the heart of God’s revelation of himself is the figure of Jesus Christ, and since the heart of the Christian story of salvation … Read More “It’s All About Jesus” »
I believe strongly in defending the Christian faith and putting forth the strongest argument possible. At the same time, I am a firm believer in not overstating our case or presenting claims not supported by the data. One example is this familiar passage that is often read at Christmas: “For to us a child is … Read More “A Child and a Son” »
Siddhartha Gautama’s path to becoming the Buddha began with observing four sights. I take the wording from this site, from which you can get some more information on Buddhism. One day, as Siddhartha was touring a park area of the kingdom, he saw four things that changed his life. First, he saw a sick person. … Read More “The Difference Between Buddha and Jesus” »
Romans 5:12-21 Introduction Why do things happen to us? Why do we experience some good things and some bad things? In our society, we pride ourselves in personal autonomy. We want to believe that things are within our control. Do you want to get ahead in life? Roll up your sleeves and get to work. … Read More “Two Men and a Sin Baby” »
Romans 1:1-7 Introduction What is it that is essential for us to get right? Do we need to get the style of our worship music right? Do we need to get the balance of liturgy and spontaneity exact? What about the architecture of our churches or the translation of our Bibles or the length of … Read More “Miracle of the Incarnation” »
As we approach Easter, we are drawn to the New Testament accounts of the crucifixion and the Old Testament texts that seem to point to the passion. One of the most frequent is Psalm 22, the first part of which Jesus quotes while on the cross (Mark 15:34). Many Christians look at Psalm 22 as … Read More “Psalm 22, Christ and Humanity” »
James 3:13-18 Introduction If you could have any of the God-given abilities of people in the Old Testament, who would you want to be like? You could be like Abraham and Sarah and be able to have children at a very old age. That does not sound good. You could be like Moses and part … Read More “So You Want to Be a Wise Guy?” »
The man Jesus of Nazareth is not the true Son of God because He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. On the contrary, because He is the true Son of God and because this is an inconceivable mystery intended to be acknowledged as such, therefore He is conceived by … Read More “Karl Barth on the Virgin Birth” »
Mark 14:32-42 Introduction What has been the hardest moment in your life? It may have been the death of a loved one. It may have been your own struggle with illness and the uncertainty about the outcome. It may have been a long period of unemployment in which you could not support your family. Think … Read More “Christ in Crisis” »
John 17:1-26 Introduction When we want to learn how to pray, it is natural for us to look to Jesus. But this has both good and challenging elements. The good thing is that we are followers of Jesus. We want to do what Jesus did. The Lord’s Prayer was taught because the disciples saw Jesus … Read More “The Other Lord’s Prayer” »
Matthew 6:9-15 Introduction When it comes to learning how to do something, there are different kinds of people. Some people need everything spelled out for them. They don’t want to think, they want each step described in detail with no room for variation or error. There are others who find that far too constricting. They … Read More “The Lord’s Prayer” »
In a recent discussion in the comments section of one of my blog posts, a person who doubts the historicity of Jesus suggested that an appropriate comparison of ancient figures would be that with Socrates, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar. These three have solid contemporary witnesses, whereas there is none for Jesus. While I … Read More “Jesus, Socrates and Alexander the Great” »
There seems to be quite a bit of labeling of people as heretics in recent years. It is easy to discount people with a label, but have people really thought through what this means? The word heretic or heresy does not technically mean something bad or even false. It literally means sect, opinion or sentiment. … Read More “What is Heresy?” »
One of the criticisms of Christianity is the belief in miracles. Miracles by definition are impossible. The laws of nature cannot be broken. There have even been forms of Christianity that have denied miracles as they are a bit of an embarrassment in a rational world. I would like to suggest another way to look … Read More “Impossibility of Miracles?” »
I am very interested in the Jehovah’s Witnesses’ claim that Jesus is the archangel Michael. In my reading, I came across something interesting. Papias was an early Christian father, a companion of Polycarp and someone who had met and heard the Apostle John. He is an important witness for understanding what the early church believed. … Read More “Papias on Christ and Michael” »
As you may know, Jehovah’s Witnesses do not believe that Jesus is co-eternal with the Father. Instead of God incarnate, they see Jesus as the archangel Michael. One of the first problems that they have to deal with is that the first couple of chapters of Hebrews make it very clear that Jesus is not … Read More “Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Problem of the Archangel Michael” »
I just finished reading Euripides play The Bacchae. This is a very important ancient writing as it is one of our best texts for understanding the Dionysus cult. This is of importance to me as Dionysus is one of the most frequent gods presented as an inspiration for the Jesus story by proponents of the … Read More “The Bacchae” »
Let me put my cards on the table: I believe Jesus to be the Son of God and that his human father was Joseph, the husband of Mary. Why do I believe that Jesus is the Son of God when only Matthew and Luke record the virgin birth and Paul never mentions it? Although the … Read More “Who is the Father of Jesus Christ?” »
1 Corinthians 2:1-2, 15:12-17 Introduction Have you ever been in some sort of sales transaction or contract? All sorts of details are being presented and the other person goes on and on and on. As you are listening to all the talking, you begin lose patience. What is the bottom line? Whether that is price … Read More “Did Jesus Die on the Cross and Rise Again?” »
A fellow blogger recently posted his reasons for walking away from Christianity. The last I checked, there were almost a thousand responses to his post. He obviously struck a nerve with both believers and unbelievers. You see his post here. I do not presume to tell him or anyone else what to believe. However, I … Read More “Losing His Religion” »
One of the arguments that I have heard against the virgin birth is that it is impossible for a complex being to be born without the genetic material from both the male and female. Science is demonstrating that it is indeed possible. For the second time in recent years it has been demonstrated that a … Read More “Virgin Birth and Biology” »
One of the distinctives of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is their belief that Jesus is not God but is rather the archangel Michael. They derive this from the following passage. “For the Lord himself, with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call and with the sound of God’s trumpet, will descend from heaven, and the … Read More “Is Jesus the Archangel Michael?” »
Dr. John Dickson has an interesting article on the resurrection that you can find here. I like what he says even if it might not be far enough for many Christians. Dickson attempts to find a balance between apologists who attempt to prove every minute detail of the biblical accounts and skeptics that deny pretty … Read More “Resurrection and History” »
There seems to be no lack of Jesus movies but a new one has come out that should capture some attention. It is called the Messiah and it was made by Iranian filmmaker Nader Talebzadeh. You can get some more information on this film and read an interview with Talebzadeh here. This film attempts to … Read More “The Muslim Jesus” »
My post on Christian Science seemed to gather a lot of interest, so I thought I would dig a little deeper. Since my previous post relied on the writings of an author critical of sectarian groups, in this post I would like to rely on Christian Science texts and the Bible. Their web-site (www.Christianscience.com) has … Read More “Christian Science and Jesus Christ” »
