The blog complements the podcast by providing articles on various topics related to the Bible, church and culture, and Christian living.
Bible Reading: Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
Many Christians struggle to read the Bible consistently, and many Christians struggle to read all of the Bible. If I were to ask an average Christian if they’ve ever read the entire Bible, chances are, they’d say no. That’s not…
Fear is a Terrible Decision Maker
But hatred is best combined with Fear. Cowardice, alone of all the vices, is purely painful—horrible to anticipate, horrible to feel, horrible to remember; Hatred has its pleasures. It is therefore often the compensation by which a frightened man reimburses…
Upcoming Writing Projects
It has been a while since I’ve written here, about eight years! Lots have happened since then (Trump is still running for office, I finished my PhD, and there was a pandemic), but instead of boring you with a recap…
New Book: Paul and Gnosis
A new book published by Brill in the Pauline Studies series edited by Stanley E. Porter (my doctoral advisor) has come out. It is a co-edited volume (9) by Porter and myself, called Paul and Gnosis. Paul and Gnosis is a…
Thoughts on Koine Greek pronunciation
I recently posted at D33 regarding Koine Greek pronunciation. Check it out here.
Tullian’s Recent Resignation and the Mega-Church Pastor: Have We Learned Anything?
The story came out not too long ago, but news has spread that Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, has resigned due to “moral failure.” He claims, in the article, that his wife had been involved in adultery,…
Celebrity Christianity and Modern Culture: 1 Corinthians 3 Applied Today
I’d be tempted to say “our culture today,” but it seems as if the ancients were not too different than us “moderns,” at least when it comes to socio-cultural issues. For instance, “our culture today” is obsessed with the celebrity…
The Role of Greek in Sermon Preparation (Part 2): Verbal Aspect
I heard of a seminary professor somewhat recently who said (paraphrased) that verbal aspect was something interesting in the 1990s and early 2000s, but that trend (not sure if this was the word he used) has now kind of faded. This was…
The Role of Greek in Sermon Preparation (Part 1): Introduction
I’m beginning a new series of posts geared towards seminary students and preachers in using their Greek New Testament in preparing sermons. I’m assuming here that knowing the original languages is important to proper sermon preparation. But it seems to…
Love Really Does Make a Difference: A Reflection on a Bus Ride
Last week, I took the bus to downtown Hamilton and back to campus. I rarely take the bus, but it was cheaper and faster than trying to find and pay for parking downtown. On the way back to campus, there was a…
Desiring God in the Midst of Suffering: Doing the Impossible
Have you ever wanted something so bad that there was absolutely no price that was too high for it? Perhaps, you’ve even sold your soul for it. Maybe it’s resulted in broken relationships, loss of trust, or whatever else is deemed…
“All Religions are Essentially the Same”: The Golden Rule and the Gospel
A current maxim of today’s post-post-modern culture is to say that “all religions are essentially the same.” What is usually meant by that statement is that, while many religions may differ in their particulars, they all essentially teach the same…
Annihilationism and Atheism: An Interesting Correlation
For the past week or so, I’ve been privately debating (via email, with some “listeners”) an advocate of annihilationism, an alternate belief to traditional views of hell and eternal punishment, contending that unbelievers are “annihilated” or extinct upon judgment. Hell…
Religion vs Relationship: Revisiting an Unnecessary Bifurcation of Categories
In recent times, the construct of “religion vs relationship” has been widely and commonly accepted among evangelical Christians. A good example of this is the YouTube video by Jefferson Bethke that went completely viral about a year ago, called “Why I Hate…
“Abba” Means “Daddy” in Aramaic: Preaching Point or Possible Projection?
I’ve often heard from well-meaning preachers that the Aramaic word “abba” is equivalent to the English word “daddy,” because it conveys an intimate, child-like relationship when used. So when Jesus prays to the Father, “Abba, Father, all things are possible…
Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge: Fine Distinctions or False Dichotomies?
It is commonly assumed that there are two kinds of knowledge when it comes to the Christian faith: head knowledge and heart knowledge. “Head knowledge” is often associated with knowledge limited to the level of information, without any practical implications…
Trials as Tests: Why God Allows Suffering Sometimes
Job is one of the most intriguing books in the Bible. Think about it: Job was this super-righteous man whom God was able to brag to Satan about. Do you think your life is such that God would brag to Satan about how…
Reading as a Primary Weapon for Spiritual Warfare
Last time, I wrote briefly on what spiritual warfare really entails: our minds. To clarify, I’m referring to our minds as the instrument we use to think, discern, evaluate, ponder, contemplate, believe, and even know. It is the vehicle which…
Spiritual Warfare and 2 Cor 10:4-6: Weapons of Destruction
Recently I was asked a question regarding spiritual warfare, specifically about something someone said and what the Bible says about it (can I be any more vague?). Specifically, this person was told to pray over various rooms in the house to…
Should I Give Money to the Homeless Guy so He Could Buy Booze and Drugs?
I was walking around Venice Beach years ago on a Saturday afternoon, where the strand was busy with all sorts of “interesting” people. If you’ve ever been there, you know what I mean. I noticed one guy particularly on this…
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