Who is the grand “HE” in Isaiah 44:18.[1] Of Idol makers and Idol worshipers, Isaiah says, “They do not know; they do not understand because he plastered over their eyes so they cannot see, their hearts so they cannot understand.” Calvinists usually identify the “HE” as YHWH/God, and...
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July 29, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Language Issues, Biblical Theology, Old Testament Studies
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Isaiah 28:10 is one of those verses that people love to use as a tagline to add a feeling of dedicated, diligent, and trustworthy study of Scripture in their endeavors, especially if that endeavor is supposed to be some form of inductive study. It is usually shortened, and...
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July 27, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, Old Testament Studies
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Samuel’s speech to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:28-29 contains an important theological message for both Saul and the reader. It’s meaning, however, has been concealed within rather strange cultural practices regarding hems and herem slaughter, which have often been overshadowed themselves by other statements that seem more powerful—”To...
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July 25, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, HAGALAH, Inductive Study Methods, Old Testament Studies, Theology
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I like to think of myself as a nice guy. I think most people who know me would say that I am gregarious, helpful, flexible, self-sacrificing… I go out of my way to help those around me no matter how inconvenient or demanding their needs, and strive to...
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July 22, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society
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There is a Facebook poster going around that says something akin to “How to start an argument on Facebook. Step #1: Express an opinion. Step #2: Wait.” Civility in social media, whether that entails Facebook, Twitter, or Blogs in general, seems a tad sparse. The faceless nature of...
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July 20, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society
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In a place like the world of the Bible where people were given names like “Festive” (2 Samuel 3:4~ Haggith), “Hot” (Genesis 10:1 Ham), and “Wild Goat” (Nehemiah 7:58~Jaala), you might imagine that the names of their gods might also have some descriptive quality. Of particular interest is...
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July 18, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Language Issues, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, Old Testament Studies
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It seems to me that hate sells. That often unidentified mass of souls known as the media love hate. They should write a book, Haters Who Love to Hate Hate. Every time anyone does anything, people from the media are on the air live within seconds to report...
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July 15, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society
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The problem with most race conversations is that, at the core, the message is wrong. It’s the same wrong message that we preach as a society to everyone who feels they’ve gotten a raw deal in life. We are encouraged to believe (meaning demanded to believe) that the...
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July 14, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society
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Nothing surprises me more than when I make a basic true statement and end up with a meltdown, accusation, or insult. If the word modesty shows up in any conversation with a female under the age of, say 70, they have been trained, not unlike a few Rottweilers...
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July 13, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society
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