Did Jesus Even Exist? Responding to 5 Objections Raised by @rawstory
Well, it’s that time of year. Christmas is almost a week away and we are already seeing various media channels releasing stories, articles, and documentaries on Jesus. And when the dust settles, they all make the same point: the real Jesus is a lot different than you think.
As some might recall, this same sort of thing happened last Christmas with Kurt Eichenwald’s Newsweek article, “The Bible: So Misunderstood It’s a Sin.” You can read my two part response here and here.
This Christmas it is happening again with an article by Valerie Tarico, “Here are Five Reasons to Suspect Jesus Never Existed.” But she … Continue reading...
My Review of “How the Bible Became Holy”
This past week, my review of Michael Satlow, How the Bible Became Holy (Yale, 2014) appeared in the latest volume of Themelios.
As the title suggests, this is yet another book (in a long list of predecessors) that insists that the idea of an authoritative Scripture is a late invention of Christians.
According to Satlow, the Bible was not originally holy. It became holy. And that didn’t even happen until well into the third century or later.
Although Satlow’s volume covers both OT and NT issues, my review addressed some weaknesses on the NT side of things:
…As for the development of the New Testament canon, Satlow provides a
Continue reading...
How Can Seminary Students Keep Their Devotional Life Strong?
RTS has started a new video series called Wisdom Wednesday where our faculty share their advice on a number of important practical and theological issues. Keep an eye out for it on Twitter in weeks to come (@ReformTheoSem #WisdomWednesday).
Below is my video from yesterday’s installment on how seminary students can keep their devotional life strong in the midst of their studies. Although it is directed to a seminary context, I hope it would be helpful for any Christian who wants to go deeper in their devotional life. Enjoy!
[div class=”videocontainer”]
[iframe src=”https://player.vimeo.com/video/143157198?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0″ class=”vimeovideo” frameborder=”0″ webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen allowfullscreen></iframe></div]
One of the Most Unique Books on the Authority of Scripture in Generations
We certainly have no shortage of books defending and upholding the authority of Scripture. In fact, I recently posted my list of top ten books on this subject.
And the reason we have so many of these books is not hard to find. The world continues to attack the Bible. And many Christians continue to doubt the Bible.
But one thing we do have a shortage of is certain kinds of books on the authority of Scripture. Most books on the authority of Scripture are either providing a theological explanation of our doctrine of Scripture, or are providing historical evidence for how the Bible was put together. Or maybe both.… Continue reading...
Should You Preach from a Full Manuscript?
When it comes to the question of how to preach, there is no shortage of books, articles, and blog posts offering advice and guidance. And once you start sifting through these materials, it becomes apparent that there is no shortage of disagreement about the particulars of the preaching task.
With that broader context in mind, I am hesitant to jump into the fray over preaching methodology. But, there is one question that my students keep asking me, so I thought it would be worth addressing. And that question is, “Should I preach from a full manuscript?”
By “full manuscript” they mean they write out their sermon exactly how they would … Continue reading...