Many pastors and preachers see nothing wrong with the fact that today’s church doesn’t believe exactly the same thing as the primitive Christian church believed and taught. They place no small amount of weight upon …
Christian Origins #48 - Romans
I am surprised at how often Christian people are conflicted on ethical and moral principles. I am not surprised that we struggle over some of the choices we have to make, but that people don’t …
Christian Origins #47 - Romans
Do you think you would ever be willing to die in someone else’s place? Can you imagine a really good person whose life and lifestyle was so worthy, that you would say “No, let them …
Christian Origins #46 - Romans
Why on earth would anyone be happy about being in trouble? Why would you take satisfaction, even pride, in severe affliction? You read people in the Bible who talk this way a lot, but does …
Christian Origins #45 - Romans
The Christian faith is constantly at war with itself over questions of grace versus obedience. There is nothing new in this, because the discussion was going on right from the start. I think the problem …
On Death and Resurrection #1
If you have been blessed with a good Bible teacher, or some good books about the Bible, you already know that a lot has been said about the influence of Greek philosophy on the Christian …
Christian Origins #44 - Romans
I would have to conclude that there was a lot of tension between some of the Jews and Gentiles in the early Christian church. Paul is at such pains to chastise both Jew and Gentile …
Christian Origins #43 - Romans
There’s a lot of fatuous nonsense out there today masquerading as serious theology. It happens because of the doctrinal and theological disputes going on between sects and churches. In the discussion of proof texts and …
Christian Origins #42 - Romans
Is there any English-speaking person in the world who hasn’t heard of the Garden of Eden? That’s the garden that God planted, and the presumption is that the garden was fabulously beautiful and rich in …
Christian Origins #41 - Romans
When you are reading someone else’s mail, it’s really easy to get confused. You don’t know the players, the history of the arguments, the attitudes, or the story behind the punch lines. When we read …
About Heaven
What did the first Christians believe about heaven? When they spoke of heaven, when they thought of it, what did they visualize? Was their concept of heaven the same as our own? I don’t think …
Christian Origins #40 - Corinthians
The Apostle Paul was steamed. He may have been a minister—gentle and kind—but don’t kid yourself, Paul got steamed. You can only take so much nitpicking, so much scratching around in your past, so much …
Christian Origins #39 - Corinthians
Looking back through 2,000 years at the apostle Paul, the man looks like a giant. He’s certainly a legend, but there’s no evidence from the New Testament that Paul was looked at that way by …
Christian Origins #38 - Corinthians
When the time comes to give, how much is enough? When someone is taking up a collection to help poor refugees, and they have shown you heart-rending pictures of starving children, how much should you …
Christian Origins #37 - Corinthians
How does it feel to walk up to someone, put out your hand and say, Hi, my name is Bob, only to have the other person simply turn his shoulder and walk away? It is …
On Predestination
What did the first Christians believe about predestination? Did the first Christians believe that a persons life is completely mapped out before they are born? Did they believe that one person is born destined to …
Christian Origins #36 - Corinthians
Surely, no one would ever manipulate the Bible to his own ends, would he? Well, yes, I am afraid some do. I have heard some egregious manipulation of the scriptures by preachers who were trying …
Christian Origins #35 - Corinthians
Just how good do you have to be to avoid criticism? Do you have to be a saint? Is it even good enough to be a saint? Regrettably, no. The Apostle Paul, whom we affectionately …
Christian Origins #34 - Corinthians
Take a look at your shoes. A little worn, are they? If they aren’t, they will be. And your favorite sweater—how long before the elbows come out? Shoes, clothes—all this stuff—wears out if we use …
Christian Origins #33 - Corinthians
Okay, so you already believe in the resurrection. You believe that man will be raised from the dead. That raises the most interesting question of all: What for? When man has finished out his miserable …