Throughout the scriptures, God has woven themes of truth that can inform and even transform our lives. The characters in the Bible represent us on many levels, exposing us both to our possibilities and our failures. Hopefully, the following articles about Bible stories can begin to capture a few of these thematic truths in a relevant way.
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Articles about the Bible
The Bible is a collection of stories, compiled over centuries, even millennia. Why, however, is this book special? Why do we believe that it tells God’s Story unlike any other book?
How do we know that the Bible is God’s Word?
A college student once asked me this question: Should we accept the scriptures as God’s word, just because they say so? In other words, did early leaders of the church subjectively decide what writings to include in the authorized version of the scriptures?
Which Books belong in the Old Testament?
In this article about the Bible stories of the Old Testament, we discuss the process by which these books found their way into the scriptures.
Why Only Four Gospels?
Many in our culture maintain a critical perspective of the New Testament Gospels. This critical view assumes that many versions of the Jesus story circulated within the early church. Then, at some point, well after the death of Jesus, a collection of powerful leaders selected the four works that ended up in our New Testament, consciously setting aside other accounts that that did not meet their subjective criteria. Let’s look at the evidence. Do the facts support this critical theory?
Articles about the Bible Stories of Creation
For centuries our culture has debated the creation account in Genesis, and, in the process, has stranded many people within an intellectual fog. Hopefully we can help to clear up some of that fog.
Should we Read the Creation Story “Literally”? Part 1
Our post-modern culture is much different than the culture in which the Genesis account was written. We have learned many things about our cosmos that these ancient learners had yet to discover. They had not yet learned, for example, that the earth revolves around the sun, that the “heavens” contain other galaxies, that time is relative, a measurement of things moving around other things. We cannot therefore expect this ancient account to speak in today’s “scientific” language.
In this 4-part series of articles about the Biblical stories of creation, we address some general lines of interpretation.
Should we Read the Creation Story “Literally”? Part 2
In Part 1 of this series, we argued that the opening verses in Genesis use figures of speech to convey truth. Through these figures of speech, God is telling a true story that makes sense both in both ancient cultures and in our culture. Now we want to extend this argument into the following few verses. In this post, we will explore the image of God speaking.
Should we Read the Creation Story “Literally”? Part 3
When interpreting the creation story in Genesis in our scientific age, we immediately face a challenge. How do we view the “days” that shape the story?
Should we Read the Creation Story “Literally”? Part 4
In our previous post, we discussed the “days” of creation in Genesis 1 and in the first few verses of Genesis 2. On the “sixth day”, God creates human beings as the culmination of His work. In this article, we follow this image of “days” into the following verses.
Articles about the Biblical Story of Grace
Grace – An Introduction
Grace is the answer to suffering. It is the potency of love in a broken world. Grace turns enemies into lovers, victims into free people. It responds to the loudest complaint and the most anguished cries. Grace bridges the chasm between heaven and earth, between God and humanity. It heals the past, inspires the present and guarantees the future.
Grace from the Beginning
The LORD’s decision to enter the garden reveals His gracious nature. He will not allow disobedience to end His story. Temptation and failure will not be the last word. The LORD God who created His children is the Father who continues to love them, even when they fail.
Grace and Peace
Peace, we understand. Peace with others, peace within ourselves. Outwardly, we desire the end of hostility, the absence of harm, freedom from attack. Peace treaties promise the end of fighting about things upon which we have now reached a compromise. This outward peace, however, cannot truly be accomplished without inner peace. We must be “at peace” with whatever compromises we accept. If we regret our compromise, our lack of inner peace will eventually spill into our interaction with others. Peace treaties will be broken and hostilities, renewed.
Grace and Promise
Gracious people believe in promises. They acknowledge that the present is broken, but they believe that brokenness is not the end of the story. They believe that things can and will get better.
Because of this belief in promises, gracious people are often dismissed. They seem naïve, innocent and blind to the facts. Gracious people may appear oblivious to ‘real life’ in which people routinely make and break their promises. They remain vulnerable to a harsh world that preys on childish optimism.
But real grace, biblical grace is not dissuaded by broken human promises.
Articles about other Biblical Stories
The Commands of Christ: A Summary List
We have compiled a list of 68 commands that Jesus gave to His followers, as documented in the New Testament. Sounds like a lot of guidance for those who are truly interested in His teachings!
Two Realities, One Future: When John the Baptist Experiences Injustice
John the Baptist experiences injustice, while Jesus brings a new kingdom that promises justice. How can we live in the tension that exists between these two realities?