Below is the fourth installment of my ongoing series with Dr. Michael Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. Throughout this series, we have been discussing the “messianic profile” that is constructed in the Old Testament. Both Mike and I have said this profile cannot be reduced down to just those instances in the Old Testament…
One purpose of the Psalms is to liberate us from the lie that says we, as people of faith, can never ask God the tough questions. The truth is that faith-filled prayer isn’t characterized by ignoring the reality of our pains, fears, questions, and doubts. On the contrary, true faith acknowledges them and pours them…
Here’s the third installment of my ongoing series with Dr. Michael Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast. This was a fun episode. As we continue to discuss the Old Testament’s messianic profile, we start by recognizing key motifs that occur throughout the Old Testament itself. In this episode, we talk about the “offspring” motif, which…
I’ve been honored to chat with the well-known biblical scholar Mike Heiser at The Naked Bible Podcast these past two weeks. Mike is a hero of mine, and it’s a real blessing to be on his show. We are currently in the middle of doing an extended series on Paul’s use of the Old Testament.…
If you’re interested in biblical interpretation and hermeneutic theory, check out this great conversation between Ian Paul and Andrew Judd. Andrew recently finished his doctoral thesis on Hans-Georg Gadamer, genre theory, and biblical interpretation. His work looks fascinating. Below is a snippet from the interview. Commenting on the value of Gadamer’s hermeneutics for interpreting Scripture…
What is a common mistake people make when they read the Bible—particularly the creation stories in Genesis? They forget that it is an ancient text. Why does this matter? Because ancient literature, like modern literature, is embedded with the assumptions of its own time. If we read ancient texts merely from the perspective of our…
In my last post, I mentioned Michael Gorman’s Reading Revelation Responsibly. That book is definitely one you need to own. Another book on Revelation that I highly recommend is J. Nelson Kraybill’s Apocalypse and Allegiance: Worship, Politics, and Devotion in the Book of Revelation. It’s been a while since I’ve read it, but it left…
If you’re looking for good, accessible resources for understanding Revelation, Michael Gorman’s book would be among them. Its title captures our calling as Christians: We are to be responsible interpreters of the Bible. This is especially true for Revelation. Through the years, Revelation has often been subject to careless and irresponsible interpretations. (Some of the…
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 the Halsted house, we like to read. A lot. We especially value reading out loud to our kids. Whether it’s the Bible or Lewis or whatever, there’s something about hearing the spoken word that is so captivating—and relaxing, especially at the end of the day (the Bible is the best book to read out…