“Detheologizing Christianity”: My Review of Rob Bell’s New Book
In 1941, Rudolph Bultmann published a very famous essay on “demythologizing” the New Testament. For Bultmann, the New Testament was filled with myths of miracles that no modern person could accept. Thus, in an effort to save Christianity, he attempted to strip it of all its supernatural elements. After all, we don’t want the concept of “God” to become out of date.
Rob Bell’s recent book, What We Talk About When We Talk About God (HarperOne, 2013), brings up many memories of Bultmann. While Bell is not trying to take away the supernatural elements of the faith, he is trying to purge it of elements that he thinks will make … Continue reading...
Lessons from the Life of Eric Liddell: #4: “Truth is More Important than Popularity”
The complete series on Eric Liddell can be found here.
Whether we realize it or not, and whether we are willing to admit it or not, there is a core value that has been ingrained in us from our very earliest days which teaches us that the most important thing in life is that we are well liked. If we are honest, we have to admit that a substantial portion (if not most) of our energies and our strivings and our efforts are designed to procure a “well done” from our friends, family, and co-workers.
This desire for approval is so ingrained in us (and our culture), that … Continue reading...
The “Mother” Sin We Have Forgotten
The last of the ten commandments seems a bit out of place, doesn’t it? “Do not covet.” While the heinousness of the other commandments is relatively obvious to us, the tenth commandment stands out, in our own minds, as relatively benign. How serious can it be?
But, when you probe deeper into this commandment, something very different emerges. It is much more serious than we think. For one, aspects of coveting are mentioning in a number of key places in the Bible. It is the “love of money,” a form of coveting, that is the “root of all kinds of evils” (1 Tim 6:10). And when Paul is looking for … Continue reading...
Looking for a Good Devotional for You and Your Spouse? Remember the Puritans
How’s your devotional life? That is a question few of us want to hear (or answer). We not only struggle to have a consistent devotional life ourselves, but particularly when it comes to devotional time with our spouses.
To be sure, part of the problem is time. We all live busy lives and quiet moments are hard to come by. But, a bigger challenge for many of us is what to do during this devotional time, particularly with our spouses. Do we just read a passage of Scripture? There is certainly nothing wrong with that. But, often we find ourselves lacking the next step beyond hearing the word, and that … Continue reading...
Why Do (Modern) Christians Rarely Talk about Rewards in Heaven?
When is the last time you heard a sermon that suggested that a motive for our obedience should be the rewards we receive in heaven? I imagine for most of us it has been a long time, maybe even never. Whenever a sermon (or book) provides a motive for obedience, it is almost always thankfulness for what Christ has done. And certainly that is a wonderful and foundational motivation. But is it the only motivation?
The New Testament writings suggest it is not. For those who faithfully endure persecution, Jesus makes it clear, “Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven” (Luke … Continue reading...