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…
Learning How Communication Works, So You Can Work it Better
A centipede was happy – quite!Until a toad in funSaid, “Pray, which leg moves after which?”This raised her doubts to such a pitch,She fell exhausted in the ditchNot knowing how…
Another 3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
Don’t allow self-defensive thoughts like, “So, everything I’ve done for X years was a misguided waste?” “So, I’m not good enough?” “So! You think I can’t properly interpret the Scriptures…
A Biblical Theologian in a Systematic Theology World
When I passed inspection for receiving my ministerial license, the individual responsible for my review spread out, like a row of piano keys, the many pages of answers I gave…
10 Things You Need to Know About Hebrew Poetry
Poetry, by definition, is usually regarded as distinct from another category of writing called Prose. To express it simply, Prose is normal writing. It reflects the speech patterns of typical…
3 Reasons Every Christian Leader Should Learn Biblical Languages
I realize that the second someone makes a statement like, “Every Christian leader should learn biblical languages,” feelings of condemnation erupt. “So, everything I’ve done for X years was a…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
Bible Backgrounds
Biblical Studies
Biblical Theology
HAGALAH
New Testament Studies
NT's Use of the OT
Old Testament Studies
Nazarenes, Rednecks, and Other Well-meaning Slurs
I love puzzles, always have. Growing up, I saw puzzles of all kinds as a natural exercise of my desire to be a detective someday, tracing out subtle clues to…
Bible Study as Conversation: The Interdependence of Ages
I’ve been sharing my thoughts of late on the subject of reading Scripture in translation and the common discomfort that Evangelicals usually feel when scholars suggest that there is some…
Don’t Know Greek & Hebrew? Read Several Different Translations
Growing up it was not uncommon for the leaders in my church to claim that Scripture, being inspired, was easy to understand. Why would God speak to his people in…
Bible Translations are Both a Blessing and a Curse
I hardly need to recount the blessings of translating the Bible. It is the most basic sense of preaching… translations seek to present the word of God, the Gospel of…
Can You Trust Translations of the Bible?
I was asked once to deliver a lecture titled, “Is the Bible Reliable?” I asked, “Reliable for what?” One asks, “Can you trust translations of the Bible?” I counter ask,…
An Argument for Flexible Interpretation in Isaiah 44:18
The identity of “HE” in Isaiah 44:18 is in the end a mystery, but the question itself and the journey that results from the pursuit of an answer is invaluable.…
Who Put the Us in Genesis?
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…
Becoming Like our Idols in Isaiah 44:18
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…
God, Idols and the Human Heart in Isaiah 44:18
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…
Why Is It So Hard to Translate Isaiah 44:18?
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…
The Great HE in Isaiah 44:18: Does God Keep People from Repenting?
Who is the grand “HE” in Isaiah 44:18. Of Idol makers and Idol worshipers, Isaiah says, “They do not know; they do not understand because he plastered over their eyes…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
Bible Backgrounds
Biblical Studies
Biblical Theology
HAGALAH
Inductive Study Methods
Old Testament Studies
Theology
Getting out the Pagan Within Part 5: The Significance of the Central Saying—A Biblical Theology of I Samuel 15:27-31
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…
101 Most Misunderstood Verses
Bible Backgrounds
Biblical Language Issues
HAGALAH
Inductive Study Methods
New Testament Studies
Body Parts, Wives and Other Stuff in 1st Thessalonians 4:4
Let’s consider three different translations for 1 Thessalonians 4:4 in context. Paul uses a figure of speech that has many people scratching their heads. The King James takes a rather…
A Crash Course in Covenant Cutting: The Types
Covenant is a Genre based on the concept that the Holy is actively involved in the affairs of Man, Holding Men to their oaths. Men call upon the gods to…