ecclesiology, ethics, grace, gratitude, philosophy, politics, theology, worldview
“Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains.” Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that people started out inherently good, but through conventions of society they became ensnared (and thus, were in chains). In his view, people are free at first, but enslaved in the...
eschatology, ethics, Jesus, teachings of, politics, social justice, worldview
A long time ago, in a galaxy not far away, Jesus tells a man, “Follow me.” The man responds with hesitation – but for good reason. “Lord, permit me first to go and bury my father.” Noble request right? Before the man could be totally committed to following Jesus, he...
ethics, Jesus, teachings of, leadership, prayer
Imprecatory is from the Latin imprecari, meaning to invoke or to pray for, and usually has the connotation of invoking or praying for evil or a curse on someone. When the Psalmist asks God to “shatter their teeth in their mouth” (Ps 58:6), or “as wax melts before the...
ecclesiology, ethics, philosophy, politics, worldview
Beginning on March 1, 1692, Sarah Good, of Salem, Massachusetts, was examined on charges of witchcraft. Witnesses would later testify that she had engaged in witchcraft, ridden on brooms and poles, appeared as an apparition and tormented children, and otherwise...
diversity, ethics, exegesis/exposition, hermeneutics
In most contexts, diversity is a beautiful thing. Creation reflects an incredible array of diverse kinds of beauty. As I watch the sun begin to rise over the Atlantic Ocean, I see wispy clouds high above, with a thick puff of clouds just above the horizon. There is...
ecclesiology, economics, ethics, Jesus, teachings of, politics, social justice
“Nothing is easier than to give Christian asceticism a socialist tinge. Has not Christianity declaimed against private property, against marriage, against the State? Has it not preached in place of these, charity and poverty, celibacy and mortification of the flesh,...
ethics, holiday, Jesus, teachings of
For many of us, holidays like Memorial Day are little more than sanctioned excuses to get a little rest or perhaps spend some time with family – and those are wonderful things. But I am reminded (pun intended) that the Biblical writers had something else in mind when...
conscience, ecclesiology, ethics, excerpts
The Bible describes with clarity many responsibilities of believers in the contexts of government and society. Still in some areas believers are not given specific instructions, and instead must rely on applying general Biblical principles to contemporary challenges....
eschatology, ethics, excerpts, philosophy, politics
“If you believe that you’re going to leave and evacuate to somewhere else, then why do anything about this world?”[1] This question is not a new one. It is a very common indictment against interpreting the Bible in a literal way. After all, if we take the Bible...
