A lot of people are terrified of the number 666. For many folks, just looking at the number can send chills down the spine. Sadly, ours is an age when fear of this sort is on the rise. I continue to meet people, for example, who are deeply frightened they will accidentally receive the mark…
In his book, Reversed Thunder, the late Eugene Peterson offers a simple strategy for reading the last book of the New Testament: Before you read Revelation, read all the books that come before it first. He says, “. . . no one has any business reading the last book who has not read the previous…
In this video, I chat with Matthew J. Thomas (DPhil, University of Oxford). His book Paul’s “Works of the Law” in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception has received high acclaim and continues to generate discussion among those working in Pauline studies. My conversation with Dr. Thomas centers around the doctrine of justification and how thinkers…
I was recently invited by Neil Boron to come on his radio show to talk about the so-called “mark of the beast.” We talked about a range of things related to that topic–including the historical context of Revelation, as well as the various rumors floating around that the mark has something to do with Covid-19…
I have read many books in my life, and many of them have had a tremendous impact on me. But none of them compare with this fascinating collection of texts that we call “the Bible.” Many people from all walks of life have found within its pages comfort, peace, and wisdom. From “In the beginning”…
This video offers a brief introduction to hermeneutics with special attention given to biblical hermeneutics. I talk about a host of things: What is hermeneutics? What causes misunderstandings of the Bible? How should we read the Bible? I pray this video is encouraging to you!
Below is part 2 of a series of videos I recorded on Isaiah. This video explores one of the major themes in the book of Isaiah. I pray it’s encouraging to you!
As part of my video series on Old Testament prophetic literature, below is an introduction to the prophet Isaiah. In this video, I introduce Isaiah’s life, ministry, and important themes. I also chat briefly about the importance of placing Old Testament prophets (like Isaiah) within the larger story of Israel. Enjoy!
My Doktorvater, Thorsten Moritz, posted a fun video today. To say the least, he offers thoughts worth considering! Here is the video, followed by its description: The most widespread method taught in seminaries to move from Bible text/Jesus story to Sunday sermon is called principlizing. You gain an anemic principle with clickbait potential at the…
In this video, I continue my introduction to the prophetic books of the Old Testament. You can find the first two videos here and here. In the third installment below, I offer personal reflections about how studying the prophets has helped me in my ministry and deepened my personal faith. I chat specifically about Isaiah,…