I don’t read Christian fiction. As an Old Testament scholar, I have an affinity with message in story and, like many of the investigators in my favorite novels, I enjoy the Sherlock Holmes-iness of reaching back through the ages to discern the intention of those masters who wrote...
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August 15, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Ethics, Society
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In Genesis 1:26, we find, “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” Genesis 3:22 reads, “Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil.” These are two of the most profound, yet debated,...
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August 12, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Language Issues, NT's Use of the OT, Old Testament Studies
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Living, as Americans, in a culture of divorce makes any dialogue on divorce and the Christian difficult. Indeed, any teaching set forward on divorce and remarriage will no longer be a marginal issue affecting only a small fraction of the Church, but will be tested in every conceivable...
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August 10, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Ethics, Society
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“You are attempting the impossible,” the Dean said to me in 1992. “You can’t get a PhD, be a husband, father, and employee. If you manage to get the degree, you will not be human when it’s over.” That was the best advice I ever ignored. I got...
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August 8, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Society, Theology
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We’ve been considering the identity of the grand “HE” in Isaiah 44:18. Speaking of those who make and worship idols, 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.” While Calvinists...
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August 8, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Language Issues, Old Testament Studies
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I’ve been asked to preach Psalm 82 in a couple weeks. I was a bit wary at first. The text is rife with scholarly controversy and I was uncertain that I had the time to disentangle the text’s mysteries. Then, a tad embarrassed by my own cowardice, I...
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August 5, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Biblical Theology, Old Testament Studies, Society
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In our last post on Isaiah 44:18, “Why Is It So Hard to Translate Isaiah 44:18?” we posited the translation “They do not know; they do not understand because he plastered over their eyes so they cannot see, their hearts so they cannot understand.” The all important question...
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August 5, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Language Issues, HAGALAH, Old Testament Studies
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Yes, you read that title correctly, but don’t throw stones, yet. There are things to be discovered in this event that our modern gender issues, word meanings and culture may have concealed from us. Let me explain and you might even be sorry you thought to punish me....
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August 3, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Bible Backgrounds, Biblical Studies, Biblical Theology, Inductive Study Methods, Old Testament Studies, Theology
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I will never understand why it is so hard to get a good translation of Isaiah 44:18. (Actually, I do understand, but that wouldn’t have made such a catchy first line.) Let’s start with these two: (NIV) They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over...
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August 1, 2016 Andrew Sargent
101 Most Misunderstood Verses, Biblical Language Issues
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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
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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The painful lessons of life make the deepest impact on our delicate, and yet ever so dull, minds when we are children. Indeed, I’ve come to refer to pain as “The Great Teacher,” which, given the growing trend of parenting techniques as I reached marriageable age caused me...
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June 24, 2016 Andrew Sargent
New Testament Studies, Society
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In Fatal Addiction, James Dobson interviews serial killer Ted Bundy only a few hours before his execution. Oddly enough, the main topic of conversation is not his pending death. Rather, in his last hour, a seemingly sorrowful Bundy warns against the destructive influences of pornography. In light of...
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June 22, 2016 Andrew Sargent
Ethics
