Can You Have Christian Ethics without Christianity? A Response to Bart Ehrman
As you might have noticed, Bart Ehrman has been making the rounds again this recent Easter season regarding his new book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West. Most notable was his appearance on the podcast of New York Time’s columnist, Ross Douthat.
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In this new book, Ehrman argues that Christian teachings about helping others in need—especially those we don’t know—was genuinely distinctive in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Altruism was not a value of the polytheistic religions nor the philosophical systems of the time. It was ultimately the influence of Christianity that led to the building of hospitals and orphanages and systems …
Parenting Lesson #1: God Works Through Families
In a prior blog post, I announced the forthcoming release of the new book I co-authored with my wife Melissa, entitled: The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark.
This book is designed to fill a gap in family devotionals because it is written by both a mom and a dad, and also designed to reach both the parent and the child. It releases on May 5th so keep an eye out!
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In light of this forthcoming book, I am doing a short 3-part blog series in the month of April designed to highlight a number of key lessons on parenting we have …
Our Exciting New Book for Christian Parents
Every parent feels it. They know they should be studying the Bible with their children and just don’t know how to take the next step. So, the years tick away and the guilt piles up.
And it’s not just the problem of being too busy. For many parents, they just don’t know where to begin. Should parents just start in Genesis? Should they read a chapter a day? And how do they communicate the lesson to their children?
Of course, there are plenty of devotionals out there. But most of them are for either the parents or their children. The former is often too heavy for the kids. And the … Continue reading...
Should Christians Read Apocryphal Books?
As I indicated in a prior post, I am in the midst of a new 10-part video series on big questions related to the faith, and particularly the origins and reliability of the New Testament.
So, here’s the next installment in the series: “Should Christians Read Apocryphal Books?”… Continue reading...
Here’s Why This Gospel Is My Favorite
“What’s your favorite Gospel?”
As a New Testament scholar, I get this question all the time. Sometimes people are just curious about what I think. Sometimes they are wanting to study a Gospel themselves and don’t know where to start. And sometimes they are trying to reach a non-Christian friend and want to know which Gospel is most effective.
Before I answer, we should begin by acknowledging all four Gospels are wonderful. They all tell the same overall story of redemption through Christ, they all are fully inspired by God, and they all have been loved by the church for generations.
The Gospels are Different
At the same time, we … Continue reading...