Indoctrination or exploration?
(October 5, 2017)I was looking today at the notes prepared by a church for their Bible study groups, and I had a minor epiphany. Really minor, but I thought worth sharing.
Tag: Bible
Book review: The Jesus Legend
(February 5, 2017)Some books on Jesus and the New Testament are clearly apologetic in nature, seeking to argue or defend a certain viewpoint, whether it be sceptical or believing. Other books clearly aim at being academic, impartial, seeking to advance academic opinion. This book, which is almost a decade old, is kind of both. I have only […]
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord’?
(June 17, 2015)I was reading an article today by a christian minister who I respect, and he said: “Christians gather in order to listen to the Scriptures being read, and to the gospel being proclaimed.” It made me think ….. Why?
Should we believe in Jesus because we believe in the Bible, or the other way around?
(November 6, 2014)Have you ever thought which came first – your belief in Jesus or your belief in the Bible? Do you think it matters?
A great light
(December 25, 2013)Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. …. in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has […]
Christianity is changing
(May 8, 2013)Christianity is changing. Of course it has always been changing – I read once that christianity owes a lot of its success to its adaptability to circumstances and culture. But like most other things, it seems to be changing faster these days. So is it good or bad?
I'm a guest blogger
(January 4, 2013)Since I’ve been writing this blog, I’ve visited many other blogs and met people, believers and unbelievers, who have been variously friendly, encouraging, challenging or critical. Tim is one of those people (friendly and encouraging mainly), and he invited me to write a guest post at his blog, “Just one train wreck after another”. (You’ve […]
Archaeological evidence for Bethlehem
(May 27, 2012)Just a week ago I commented on the lack of archaeological evidence for Bethlehem at the time of Jesus – it was known only from about the fourth century on. I said: “Archaeologists have found little that could identify the town of Bethlehem in the first century, leading a few to argue that it didn’t […]
Has the New Testament been changed?
(April 27, 2012)Another common argument used against christian belief is that the New Testament has been significantly changed since it was first written, so we cannot have any confidence in we are reading. Who knows if it is an accurate reflection of what the original authors wrote? Eminent scholar Bart Ehrman’s 2005 book Misquoting Jesus outlines his […]
Arguing the resurrection
(March 6, 2012)The resurrection of Jesus is obviously one of the central teachings of christianity, and is also under attack from sceptics. Disciples need to know why they believe it in the first place, how to defend their belief, and even perhaps how to use the resurrection as a challenge to non-believers.