One of the apocryphal books I think is particularly interesting is the book called “The Wisdom of Jesus Ben Sirach.” It has also gone by a couple of other names, such as simply Sirach, Ben Sira, or Ecclesiasticus. It is… Read More ›
Bible study
The Apocrypha in a Nutshell
Recently I’ve been working my way through the Apocrypha. If you aren’t familiar with these, they are a collection of Jewish writings composed during the time between the Old and New Testaments (400 BC to the first century AD). The… Read More ›
The Bible’s Purpose, According to the Bible
Does the Bible come with a thesis statement? Turns out it has several. Here’s what we can learn from examining them all.
What Was the Bible Designed to Do?
We are exploring two related questions: what is the Bible, and what is it for? In my previous post (which you’ll want to read before continuing, if you missed it), I suggested that two common answers fall short of the… Read More ›
What IS the Bible? How We Answer Affects Everything
This past Sunday I had the pleasure of teaching a session at our church on the purpose and authority of Scripture. It is amazing to me to see the myriad ways in which people approach the questions of “What is… Read More ›
Everything is Vanity but I Guess I’ll Blog Some More Anyway
To anyone who’s been keeping up with my blog regularly, I apologize for not posting as frequently lately. I’d love to just blame it on life being busy with work, with acclimating to a new church, and with raising two… Read More ›
Why Does Paul Say He’s Just Giving His Own Opinion in 1 Corinthians 7:25?
I’ve seen a lot of folks get hung up on Paul’s choice of words in 1 Corinthians 7:25. In the context of giving instructions regarding marriage and singleness, he says, “Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord,… Read More ›
Who Is Melchizedek?
Several people have recently asked me about the mysterious figure of Melchizedek and why the book of Hebrews makes such a big deal out of him, even though he’s only mentioned in 4 verses in the whole Old Testament! So… Read More ›
How We Store Up Treasure in Heaven (Matthew 6)
Every time I read Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), it speaks to me in a new way. This latest time around was no different. But while I usually just latch on to a part of the Sermon… Read More ›
The Sixth Seal: Cosmic Disruption (Revelation 6:12-17)
The sixth seal (Rev 6:12-17) brings us all the way up to the onslaught of God’s final judgment. But there’s a lot more to the story.
