I have a lot of respect for Nelson Mandela on a personal level.[1] He came back from years of imprisonment over his resistance to institutionalized racism and, yet, took an official position of forgiveness and healing over revenge after his release.[2] He said, “As I walked out the...
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May 30, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Society
To the Hebrews context mattered a good deal. Our own struggles to understand the use to which some New Testament writers put certain Old Testament texts may make us doubt that they cared about the Historical Grammatical and Literary context of a passage but we would be wrong....
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May 28, 2018 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, HAGALAH, Inductive Study Methods, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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There are many bingo phrases that Christian’s throw around at church that I am convinced they barely understand. If you ask them what their favorite terms mean, you will, more than likely, get a rather short answer which misses the mark if, for nothing else, its very brevity....
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May 25, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Language Issues, Biblical Studies, Inductive Study Methods, Meeting the Jesus of Mark, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT
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Today we have a guest post from Darrel Cox, Ph.D. Professor of Biblical Studies at Patrick Henry College in Purcellville, VA. He has a Ph.D. in Theological Studies from Trinity International University, an M.A. in Christian Doctrine & History & an M.A. in Public Policy from Regent University and...
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May 23, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Society, Systematic & Historical Theology
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I had a professor once, gifted in languages, but not in relationships. He could not only read more than his fair share of languages even for a scholar, but he was also a fluent conversationalist in several. He decided that he wanted his wife to learn to speak...
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May 21, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, Inductive Study Methods, Meeting the Jesus of Mark, New Testament Studies, NT's Use of the OT
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Let me say for starters that I don’t watch Duck Dynasty, don’t agree or disagree with anything about their statements for absolute sure (having no real context for it) save in the important right in our society to speak freely about issues. Were the network producers horrified to...
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May 18, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Society
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The late questionably great comedian Andy Kaufman, apart from his iconic role as Latka on Taxi, spent his days devising comedy routines that played the audience for fools. His manager once asked him, (I paraphrase) “Who are you trying to entertain, the audience or yourself?” This might describe...
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May 16, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Bible Backgrounds, New Testament Studies, Old Testament Studies, Uncategorized
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Today is a guest post by Scott A. Woodlee, pastor of Franklin Alliance Church (in Franklin, PA) and a contributor with Biblical Literacy Ministries. In the movie The Princess Bride the Sicilian mastermind Vizzini decries, “Inconceivable” after every foiled attempt to outwit others. For him, to have someone be able to match...
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May 14, 2018 Scott Woodlee
Bible Backgrounds, Communication, Society
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In my post, “Confessions of a Troglodyte,” I attempted to share my frustrations as a biblical scholar trying to teach or dialogue with those who are quintessential Millennials, those who represent in mind and attitude all that has come to characterize those born around 1980-2000 as they are...
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May 11, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Communication, Society
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Technology has done many wonderful things for human existence. The power of our infrastructure has made survival likely (though none of us are getting out of this world alive till Jesus comes); it has added years to our days; it has allowed us the luxury of leisure, self-expression,...
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May 9, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Society
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I remember a heated discussion I had in the 90’s with an African American friend of mine over race, culture and prejudice. I often contended genetic innocence for American slavery every time he tried to tar me with that brush because during those years my ancestors were in...
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May 9, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Communication, Society
Christianity is by its nature both fatalistic and utopian. Those dedicated to a Biblical Christianity tend to hold out little hope for this world, marching as we are to a climactic end of history. They also, however, have hearts full of a vision of what will be when Christ comes...
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May 4, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Society
Though appearing over 1000x in Scripture, HOLY is a tricky notion to express in modern secular communities. Few raised in the modern western tradition today have the proper mental and emotional categories to contain its full weight and meaning, even when accurately defined through extended description; and we...
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May 2, 2018 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Language Issues, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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