God is Lord of light. Everyone says that. But that’s not much help to me, since I’m lost in the dark. If God is going to be my Lord, He has to be Lord of light and dark, death and life. It’s not enough for Him to have first place in creation. He has to be . . . . Continue Reading »
Jim Rogers of Texas A&M writes: “I’m not as certain as you are that it’s generally true that ‘If there’s one thing that Americans want, it is to be rich.’ This is, presumably, an empirical question, and so my armchair observations are certainly not to . . . . Continue Reading »
Christoph Luxenberg (a pseudonym) has argued that “In its origin the Quran is a Syro-Aramaic liturgical book, with hymns and extracts from Scriptures which might have been used in sacred Christian services.” Philip Jenkins summarizes some of the evidence: “The very name . . . . Continue Reading »
“Do all in moderation” can sound ascetic, life-denying. Me genoito ! Moderation is an aesthetic term, and as an ethical standard combines aesthetic and moral criteria. It’s a musical ideal. Moderatus is linked to modus , measure, limit, rhythm, song. Epieikes . . . . Continue Reading »
In his response to Faustus’ theories about the relation of hyle and God, Augustine launches into several lyrical passages in praise of the harmony and order of creation. Some selections (from Book 21): “the divine art does not create the universe by simply making its individual . . . . Continue Reading »
Paul ends 1 Timothy with some quite striking warnings about the dangers of wealth. Godliness involves contentment, contentment with food and clothing; Paul reminds Timothy that wealth neither came with us nor goes with us when we die (6:6-8). Ungodliness is discontent with God’s . . . . Continue Reading »
Did Adam “fall” into sin? If we follow the strict language of Scripture, it would seem not. So far as I can find, Adam is never said to have “fallen.” Adam sinners, transgressed, committed an act of transgression, and by his action sin and death entered the . . . . Continue Reading »
In answer to a reader’s question about the chronology of Solomon’s writings in the OT, I suggested this: 1. Proverbs is instruction to a son during his boyhood/adolescence/young adulthood. That seems to put it early-ish in Solomon’s life. He became king around 30 . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 7:20-21: All the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink from the Nile. As Pastor Sumpter has pointed out, when Moses turns the Nile to blood, it only makes visible what was . . . . Continue Reading »
Exodus 7:19: Then Yahweh said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of . . . . Continue Reading »
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