Over the years, I have written quite a bit about the various things that pertain to Christmas. Sometimes, it is about smashing myths. But mostly, they are about a deeper knowledge of the Scriptures. The Virgin Birth 1. Introduction 2. Miraculous Conception 3. Virginity 4. Silence of the Apostles 5. Some Questions Other Christmas Questions… Read More »
That Flirtation with Monotheism in Egypt Djhutmose was the perfect son and heir. He was a priest of Ptah and a philanthropist who even had a limestone sarcophagus made for the body of his embalmed cat Ta-miu.When he died suddenly, his father Amāna-ḥāpta (Amenhotep III) had his sarcophagus inscribed with the phrase mꜣꜥ ḫrw (maa-kheru – literally “the true… Read More »
O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? (Daniel 6:12) It is one of the most familiar stories of the Old Testament. Daniel the Jew refuses to stop worshiping… Read More »
A couple of weeks ago, we started a series called “Is That Really What It Says?” at Bedford Road. The series is basically a romp through the Old Testament (and possibly the new) dealing with some of biblical narratives that have been popularized through retelling over the years. These pop versions of the stories generally… Read More »
On Sunday, I mentioned that one of the ways I read the first portion of Genesis is through something I called The Creation Cycles. Here is a basic summary of the structure: The Earth Cycle (1-4) Opening Summary (1:1) Earth as Creation: The Annals (toledeth) of the Earth (1:2-2:4) Earth as Creature: The Annals of Adam (2:5-5:2) The… Read More »
In a recent sermon, I mentioned the work of Francis of Assisi and referenced an episode in which he traveled to Egypt during the Fifth Crusade solely to share the gospel with the sultan, Al-Kamil. (His full name was al-Malik al-Kamil Naser ad-Din Abu al-Ma’ali Muhammad; and the crusaders just called him Meledin.) There is… Read More »
Recently, I saw a video of a supposed Messianic Jewish rabbi talking about Luke 2:12. After declaring Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem, the angelic host tells the shepherds: And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. This rabbi goes on to say… Read More »
Herod the Great It is important to understand that Herod was not just “a king.” He had been declared the “King of the Jews” by the Roman Senate, a title which had been confirmed by Octavius Caesar when he became the First Man of Rome. Herod was an Idumean convert to Judaism who had ruled over… Read More »
The United States has fifty states, right? We tend to think of the United States only in terms of these states. And if we’re being honest, a lot of Americans even forget about Alaska and Hawaii because they are not contiguous with the other forty-eight. But there is far more to the United States than… Read More »
Why does the teacher of the Scriptures need to know history? Why should we invest the time to not just be acquainted with the languages and cultures of the biblical authors? In the post-Protestant Reformation era, the idea of using just the Bible (sola scriptura in Latin) has become the battle cry of many independent interpreters of the… Read More »
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