Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Optimism is “an inclination to put the most favorable construction upon actions and events or to anticipate the best possible outcome.” 1 On the other hand, pessimism is “an inclination to emphasize adverse aspects, conditions, and possibilities or to expect the worst possible outcome.” We can see that optimism and…
If we wish to understand the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, we must begin with seeing them as a part of the creational order. Trees, along with plants and seed-bearing things, come to life by the word of God as part of…
“I chant slips and irreversible disasters, wiltings, failures, scars, the little disappointments and the large, blue streaks down a world that wishes it was only suncolors.” Paul J. Pastor from Kintsugi Song I recently lost something very valuable. Something I’d had for years and used every day. But, it wasn’t…
In his eponymous book, Jonah follows an exodus pattern. He travels through the waves and east of the city into the wilderness. On a first reading, it looks like another use of this common literary shape in the Old Testament: salvation through the waters of death and the wilderness of…
“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” The unknowing master of ceremonies didn’t know how right he was. We see this play out in John’s apocalypse. The end is like the beginning,…
Read in isolation, The Test of Adultery (Num 5:11-31) presents the reader with a seemingly bizarre ritual, conjuring up ideas bordering on the Salem Witch Trials. Beyond this, pressing questions linger—such as, “Why is the woman in particular singled out, while no test is provided for the husband of a…
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INTRODUCTION Elisha has been introduced earlier as Elijah?s successor (1 Kings 19), one of Yahweh?s instruments of judgment against the house of Omri. As Joshua succeeded Moses, and as the Spirit working with the apostles succeeded Jesus, so Elisha carries on the work of Elijah. THE TEXT ?And it came…
And it was in Yahweh’s causing-to-ascend ‘Eliyyahu in a windstorm to the heavens. And walked ‘Eliyyahu and ‘Eliysha’ from the Gilgal. And said ‘Eliyyahu to ‘Eliysha’, “Dwell here please, for Yahweh sends me unto Beyt-‘El.” And said ‘Eliysha’, “Life of Yahweh and life of your soul, if I forsake you.”…
Joseph Epstein writing on the MLA in a recent issue of The Weekly Standard: “At these meetings, in and out the room the women come and go, speaking of fellatio . . . .”
Matthew 28:18-20: ?Go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all that I command you. And, behold, I am with you always, even to the…
This builds on the thoughts in an earlier post entitled “Ups and Downs.” Elijah has power to ascend and descend. When Ahaziah sends his troops to capture Elijah, he is high up, exalted like Yahweh on a mountain. But He does come down to deliver a message, but only on…
A week and a half ago, Newsweek published a story alleging that U.S. interrogators at Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, desecrated the Koran by flushing pages down the toilet. The report touched off riots throughout the Middle East that killed 15 and left many injured. This past week, Newsweek retracted…
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