Don’t be afraid to ask questions
Category: Theology
Does God still speak through dreams and visions?
Would ET existence undermine Christianity?
I just published a new article at Premier Christianity on the topic of UFOs and ET. A lot of people are talking about UFOs, now known as UAPs (Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena). And with the recent public hearing in the U.S. Congress, a lot of people will continue to do so. At the congressional hearing, testimony…
Science and Religion
Here is a conversation between Nick Spencer and Philip Ball on science and religion. Their discussion touches on a variety of topics: artificial intelligence, aliens, meaning, other minds, and even those aliens closer to home — namely, octopuses. Here’s the description, followed by the video: It’s a widely held view that science and religion are…
Bono and Franklin Graham talk about Jesus
In this article, Bono recounts a conversation he once had with Franklin Graham. It’s kind of funny and reminds me of a couple things: (1) some sectors of evangelicalism don’t quite understand the evangel (the gospel) or how to share it; (2) thank God for the renegade poets who do. Graham: “You … you really…
The Gospel of Beautiful Truth
Here’s what you don’t say when counseling someone who’s come face to face with evil and trauma: “God is in control” or “This was God’s will” or “God did this so you will learn something” or “We shouldn’t ask why ‘bad things happen to good people’ because there are no ‘good people’; we are all sinful,…
The Resurrection Story
*This is a slightly-altered version of an article I posted on social media this past Easter Sunday (2022). When Jesus rose from the dead, God-in-flesh looked death and evil in the face on our behalf and said, “No!” As a result, the empty tomb marks a decisive turn for humanity. The resurrection can’t be detached…
Don’t Make this Mistake When you Read the Bible
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…
Advice for Reading Revelation
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…
C. S. Lewis and Making Contact with Aliens
I have always been a fan of C. S. Lewis. His punchy lines and pensive reflections are something to be admired. My favorite book, by the way, is his Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold. It should be required reading, especially for those who have loved-ones (i.e., all of us). At any rate, I…
A Conversation with Dr. Matthew J. Thomas
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…
“How Preaching is Usually Taught in Seminary”
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…
What does Paul mean by “Works of the Law”? An interview with Matthew J. Thomas
I am delighted to post a fun interview I recently conducted with Matthew J. Thomas (DPhil, University of Oxford). Matthew is the author of the highly-acclaimed Paul’s “Works of the Law” in the Perspective of Second-Century Reception. I read this book over the Christmas break, and I found it to be a fantastic treat. Matthew’s…
Why Should We Give Thanks?
Here is another installment of Practical Theology, an ongoing series of videos that addresses common questions and topics. Because it is Thanksgiving this week, we thought we would chat about what it means to give thanks. What are we really doing when we give thanks to God? What are we really doing when we fail…
Do You Doubt God?
I have long considered Jeremiah 20 to be one of the most transparent passages in all of Scripture. It is a chapter that contains the heart and soul of the prophet’s true self. Having been physically beaten by the priest Pashur and subsequently jailed, Jeremiah utters a prayer to God that is full of doubt…
John MacArthur on the Mark of the Beast
Currently, I am in the throes of writing a book on the end times. When it comes to this topic, the “mark of the beast” tends to get a lot of attention. In some corners, sadly, much of that attention is fueled by needless fear and anxiety. As I discuss below, I think a lot…
Another reason to love Eternity Bible College
I am blessed to be part of Eternity Bible College (EBC). It’s an incredible ministry in so many ways. Since the beginning, EBC has worked hard to provide in-depth biblical/theological education in a way that was financially accessible and debt-free. To this day, that is still very much our goal. It is, in fact, one…
Is the Bible Sexist?
This is a question that comes up a lot. Some of Paul’s writings on gender relations, for example, cause a bit of consternation in folks. Take his letter to the Ephesians. There Paul uses the language of submission to describe a wife’s posture toward her husband. He says, for example, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as…
Here’s How I Think You Should Vote
As you might have heard, Americans have an election today. Voters everywhere will be rooting for their candidate to take home the prize. The big win, they say, will be the Oval Office. Not only are we deciding on the next Congress and a variety of local offices, we are also voting on the next…
Video Resource on the Study of Job
The story of Job is an intriguing one. It’s a story about a godly, kind man who encounters an immense amount of suffering. The evil inflicted upon Job takes him by surprise–a multi-layered blow to his soul. The pain that he experienced was, at the same time, physical, emotional, and spiritual. In this vein, Job’s…
The Gospel of Caesar?
Christians are familiar with terms like god, savior, and gospel. They are part of our liturgical lingo. We use them in every Sunday service to refer to the person and work of Jesus of Nazareth. But what Christians may not know is that these terms were part of the stock vocabulary of pagans living in…
“Before your face questions die away”
If you need a good book to read (not least in light of our curious times), I recommend C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold. It’s a risky little book on many fronts. Lewis offers a multi-layered invitation that, among other things, bids us to see the unseen, to embrace true love, and…
About that “Mark of the Beast”
Over at theLAB, I have written a follow-up piece to COVID-19 and The Mark of the Beast. In this new article, I offer reflections on the historical context surrounding “the beast” of Revelation, the number “666,” and a few other related items. One characteristic of many modern (popular) readings of Revelation is the tendency to…
What Does Covid-19 Have to do with the “Mark of the Beast”?
I am thankful to the folks at The LAB (Logos Academic Blog) for sharing my post “COVID-19 and The Mark of the Beast.” With the host of rumors and odd theories floating around the internet (not least on social media platforms), many sincere Christians are becoming increasingly concerned that “the mark of the beast” is…
Musing on Gregory and Plato
For all you philosophical-theological-Greek nerds out there, here’s something fun. As some have observed, Gregory of Nyssa’s On the Soul and the Resurrection is written in a way that mirrors Plato’s Phaedo.[1] A close reading of both show that this is correct. For example, Gregory utilizes the format so familiar to readers of Plato, namely, the dialogue. Gregory…
Of Marketing and Ministry
Some fifteen-ish years ago, I found myself racking my brain about what degree major to declare. It was a bit of a struggle. Sitting in my academic advisor’s office, I told him I wanted to “go into a ministry of some sort.” His immediate response was that I should go into marketing. After all, he…
Mike Bird on the Lord’s Supper
Over at his blog, Mike Bird offers his thoughts on the Lord’s Supper. Here’s a snippet: Francis Chan recently preached a sermon where he said that we’ve replaced the Lord’s Supper with “one guy and his pulpit” and he also decried the mere memorialism of such evangelical practice of the Lord’s Supper and the marginalization of the…
Interview on Pastoral Theology
Chandler Warren, a graduate student at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland), recently interviewed me on the subject of pastoral theology. We touch on a number of things–defining pastoral theology, the role of Scripture in the life of the church, prayer, etc. It was a fun conversation. You can check it out here: Interview on…
Thinking About Genesis 1-2, Part 3
Part 3: The Days in Genesis 1 Do Not Have a Literal Function, but a Literary Function In my my last post, I argued that a literalistic reading of the creation story in Gen 1 contradicts the creation story of Gen 2. To alleviate the tension between these two creation stories, I suggested in that…
Thinking About Genesis 1-2, Part 2
Part 2: When Genesis 1 is read as a literal, historical sequence of events, then it contradicts Genesis 2. In my last post, I argued that it is not necessary to understand “day” as a literal, 24-hour day. I showed that it is possible to understand the “days” of Genesis 1 in a non-literal way.…
Thinking About Genesis 1-2, Part 1
Part 1: It is not necessary to interpret “days” as literal, 24-hour days. As I said in the introduction, I don’t have all the answers to questions about Genesis 1-2. I have much to learn, for sure. And so, I have decided to take a journey of sorts through these opening chapters of the Bible.…
Thinking About Genesis 1-2: Introduction
In today’s ideological climate, some sectors of both modern science and evangelicalism commune with each other about like oil and water. In other words, they don’t. When it comes to substantive issues, scientists and evangelicals have been known to disagree (to put the matter gently). Because both sides tend to have certain adherents who choose…
Near-Death Experiences: An Interview with Dr. Gary Habermas
This video is part of a larger project that my colleague, Dr. Alan Bandy, and I are working on. The aim behind these interviews is to compile research on various sub-topics that relate to the paranormal genre and supernatural experiences that people claim to have had. Our goal is to help folks understand these things…
Interview with Dr. Craig Keener
The video below is part of a larger project that my colleague, Dr. Alan Bandy, and I are working on. The aim behind these interviews is to compile research on various sub-topics that relate to the paranormal genre and supernatural experiences that people claim to have had. Our goal is to help folks understand and…
Theology Matters Because Love Matters
When it comes to your relationship with God, “head knowledge” is so important. The whole “just-love-God-with-your-heart” motif won’t work. After all, you can’t possibly love God with your heart without knowing something about God in your head. To attempt to do so is nothing short of insulting, unloving, and nonsense. Let me explain. Suppose that,…