Most worship is false precisely because it is relevant.
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Old Testament Manuscripts and 18 Tiqqune Sopherim
To analyze and explore a passage of the Old Testament, one must first establish the particular text (i.e., identify exactly what it is they are translating and exploring). To that end, one must know where to find the most relevant manuscripts. This article catalogs various Old Testament manuscripts with emphasis on online sources (for free …
The Cross as an Instrument of Joy
A Christian does not simply have Christ as savior — as if we can reduce his life to this: Jesus gave his life and therefore we don’t have to go to hell. His life includes that, but it is more than that. We participate in more than the winning benefits of Christ, starting with the …
Fives Stages of the Kingdom of God
Meredith G. Kline, the late professor of Old Testament at Gordon Conwell and Westminster Seminary, is well known for his work on big-picture biblical theology. Lee Irons, one of his students, has handily summarized one of Kline’s key teachings about the Kingdom of God (click on the image to the left). To understand this chart, …
Most Influential Books
I was asked: Name five books that have influenced the way you read scripture. Of course the Bible itself is the most influential book on how I read scripture (scripture interprets scripture), but the question was about non-Biblical books. Still, the scriptural books that most impact how I read the Bible are roughly as follows: …
Why do we make mistakes in interpreting the Bible?
Do you remember that part of the Gospel of John where the Jews took palm branches and went out to meet Jesus and called him King? That episode is recorded in John 12. It made me wonder: Why palm branches? What do palm branches signify?
Efficiently Using Greek, Hebrew and English Fonts
In American Biblical studies, one often needs to switch between the basic three languages of Greek, Hebrew and English. What concerns me here is how to communicate electronically in those languages with Windows-based software, such as MS-Word, without resorting to Latin transliterations. I assure you, the task has been made routine by fonts and keyboard …
Ancient Facts vs. Traditional Interpretations
There is an instinctive and healthy expectation that our Biblical knowledge is stable. We are suspicious of new interpretations of old texts. There are exceptions to this rule. If we discover something new, like the Dead Sea Scrolls, then our view of Israel and the scriptures adjust. Historical and archaeological research builds upon previous data, …