Getting out the Pagan Within Part 1: A Biblical Theology of I Samuel 15:27-31
Even a brief scan of 1 Samuel 15 should be enough to perplex the average reader. Here YHWH commands Samuel to command Saul to utterly destroy a people called the…
A Baptism in Confusion: 3 Baptisms in Mark 1:2-13
In our last episode, we introduced the bare bones essence of water baptism as an ancient covenant ratification act saturated with typical death imagery and corresponding OT interests in ordeal…
A Baptism in Baptism
So you read the whole Old Testament. You read it several times. Having immersed yourself in the literature that your Bible, by its basic structure, seems to promise as the…
Name that Quote: Exodus 23:20, Malachi 3:1, and Isaiah 40:3 in Mark 1:2
I will never forget my first Master’s paper at Regent University. I called it, “How They Got This Out of That.” I worked hard in my undergraduate programs (Yes, programs…
Historical History & the Little Scholar Who Could
One of the benefits of a being raised in a blue collar environment and receiving academic training is that I tend to experience the full force of learning. This means…
So, a Donkey and an Ox Wander into a Parallel: Exodus 23:3-6
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…
Technical Terms We Only Think We Understand: Gospel in Mark 1:1
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…
Lordy, Lordy, Look What’s Forty
Maybe it’s just me, but a lot of uber-Evangelicals seem kind of nervous. Maybe its from watching too many horror movies, but I tend to doubt it. Now, I am…
One is the Loneliest Isaian Authorship theory that You’ll Ever Do: A Great Reason to Read Isaiah as the Work of One Prophet
Years ago, during my first Master’s degree, I spent on-again off-again bouts of time considering the relationship of the two stories in the middle of Isaiah to the material that…
How Many Hats Can One Prophet Wear?āA 2nd Reason to Reconsider Multiple Isaiah Theories
I always wanted a mentor when I was young. I was hungry for truth and hungry for the Scriptures, but had the misfortune to find myself in a church that…
1 Reason I Think the Double Isaiah Vision Needs Corrective Lenses
One of the things I’ve learned about debate is that you can present powerful, yet, utterly false arguments for almost any position you choose to take. Debate is not about…
A Handy Dandy Summary of the Major Reasons for Supporting the Incorrect Two Isaiah Theory
Have you ever heard about the 2 Isaiah theory? If not you won’t have heard of the 3 Isaiah theory or the 4 Isaiah theory… so we’ll just generalize with…
Saul Loses the Girl and Gains a Doomed Throne
In recent posts, Iāve been considering biblical variations on the type-scene, āForeigner at the Well.ā Perhaps you are tired of reading about itā¦ you have been reading about it havenāt…
Whatās Good for the Gander is Good for the Goose: āThe Foreigner at the Wellā in Ruth
In recent blogs, Iāve been considering the alluring and powerfully theological type-scene āForeigner at the Well.ā It is common for people to develop in their entertainment of any form typical…
Iāll Have One āForeigner at the Wellā with a Twist
In my recent post, āWells: The Singlesā Bars of the Ancient Near East,āāI just call āem like I see āem Folks! Donāt judge meāI discussed the beauty of the ancient…
Wells: The Singles’ Bars of the Ancient Near East
One of my great-uncles, a true good-ol’boy from west Texas, once said to my great-grandmother, “Mamma, it’s hard to find a good woman like you out there.” She replied, “There…
An Additional 3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
If you still aren’t convinced that learning biblical languages is worth the effort and time it will take to learn them (which is not as much as you imagine), I’ll…
Yet 3 More Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
I don’t know about you, but I am constantly bombarded by “helpful” suggestions about all the things I ought to be doing about my health, my work, my family, my…
Passion and Awe in Psalm 8
When reading biblical poetry, one must learn to connect with the poem on more than one level. While it is important to carefully define the Hebrew words being employed in…