The Bible in Context
I’ve been working on a book on the Trinity, the most complex and wonderful concept in the Christian faith. Below is the first chapter as it currently stands. ————————————————————- This is a book about God—the most pure, most powerful, most enduring, most transcendent, most lofty, most lowly, most joyful, most loving being in or outside … Read more
Controversy about Jesus’ identity has been raging since the first century. The Gospels record the following opinions about Jesus: A good man A deceiver A Samaritan and demon-possessed John the Baptist Elijah One of the prophets The Messiah Church History Within the church, intense debate about Jesus’ identity continued for centuries. Although Christians agreed that … Read more
First century Jews were expecting something big to happen. We see this in Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth: Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. (Lk 2:25 NIV) There was also a prophet, Anna, … Read more
After 2,000 years scholars are still uncovering biblical treasures. For example, in Rethinking the Atonement, David Moffitt conveys important insights on the concept of atonement in Scripture. What is atonement? An atoning sacrifice is an offering that restores our broken relationship with God. In brief, atonement means reconciliation between God and humans. The Sacrificial Process … Read more
*The text below has been revised and included in Suprised by Hell. I hope this journey has not given you the wrong impression. We have spent a lot of time on one topic, but that doesn’t mean it is central to the Christian faith. Karl Barth (1886–1968), who some consider to be the greatest theologian … Read more