(A mini-"best of the blogs") This past week, two Pauline scholar bloggers posted surveys of "the best of" books.  Paul's letters used to be my beat, until God "sidetracked" me into biblical theology fifteen years ago. At Euangelion, Michael F. Bird has listed the ten most important books on Paul in the past five years.  … Continue reading Two Posts about Books about Paul

Does the Bible promote only one view of marriage?  A survey of marriage as presented in the pages of the Bible. What we have here is a normative pattern for marriage, upheld by Jesus himself in the Gospels (Matthew 19:3-6, Mark 10:2-9), that sees marriage as a freely chosen, permanent and exclusive sexual relationship that … Continue reading Best of the Blogs (7 June)

Biblijski institut (The Biblical Institute) of Zagreb, in partnership with the Central European Christian Education Foundation is one of a handful of publishers who are producing Christian books in the Croatian language. We are asking for your help to put quality resources into the hands of pastors, leaders, and believers here in Eastern Europe IN … Continue reading Help Publish Christian Books for Croatia

Beth and I have been watching the Chernobyl miniseries on HBO; what a mesmerizing, disturbing show. After watching one of the episodes, she said to me, "It makes me angry that the communist leaders don't care about the people." I replied: "I think we think that because the leaders don't care about the individual lives.  … Continue reading Cultural Dynamics in CHERNOBYL

The first reason I am not a Calvinist is that Calvinists read Romans 8.29-30 incorrectly: "Those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his son."  They collapse God's foreknowledge into his choosing/predestining, based on their misunderstanding of covenant. The second reason I am not a Calvinist is that the god … Continue reading Why I Am Not a Calvinist, pt 3: Romans 9 – 11

Here are the lyrics and the video for "As You Find Me," my favorite song on the new Hillsong United album, People.  This song packs the same theological heft as "So Will I", from a couple of years ago. VERSE 1 I’ve been strong and I’ve been broken within a moment I’ve been faithful and … Continue reading “As You Find Me”–Lyrics and Video

This is one of the great songs from the new Hillsong United album, People.  I've linked the YouTube video at the bottom, check it out. VERSE 1 Hold me now in the hands that created the heavens Find me now where the grace runs as deep as Your scars You pulled me from the clay … Continue reading “Whole Heart” (Hold Me Now)–Lyrics and Video

I'll probably regret posting this.  (Isn't that a great opening line?) I've been working on a sermon about the Holy Spirit, which I will preach next Sunday (on Pentecost).  One of the things that I keep coming back to is how the Holy Spirit should make Christians "militant". He doesn't make us militant in the … Continue reading The Holy Spirit pt 4: The Spirit and Militancy