Category Archives: passage interpretation

what eved-melek means to me

When I was a little boy I had a little Bible book of cartoon pictures, a far more complete Bible than many children’s Bibles–if I remember right it even included the book of Hosea.  Serious children’s Bible.  Everyone did, however, look suspiciously European in skin tone. Except for Eved Melek.  Eved Melek was black, and [...]
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was creationism recently invented?

Christianity always has been and always must be influenced to some extent by traditionalism–the goal of preserving the traditions handed down from the past.  Even if the excessive traditionalism which attaches far too much significance to human development is drastically cut back and the Bible is (as it rightly should be) considered the final standard [...]
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communism, the free market, and the early church

In a conversation between myself and the legendary Joel Watts, we were discussing socialism versus free market economics.  And brother Joel said the following: And what exactly are ’socialist motives’? You mean live feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and having all things common in a community so that everyone is equal? Now, Joel did [...]
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is adam israel? maybe, but peter enns of biologos doesn’t do a favor to the theory

Or if I may spell it out in more clearly, is the story of Adam in the beginnings of Genesis a story of the beginning of mankind, or of Israel?  Though I still think of it as a story of mankind, the BioLogos foundation is back to its job of making theology and modern scientific [...]
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you won’t find this in your bible, but maybe you should

Samuel 28:18 reads, in most Bibles, something along the lines of, Now Absalom in his life had taken and erected himself the pillar which is in the King’s Valley.  For he said, I have no son for my name to be remembered by.  And he named the pillar after himself.  And it is called Absalom’s [...]
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on dialogue and contradiction

Somewhere I have read that the Talmud tells us two contradictory opinions can both be the living Word of God. Now, I really don’t like the way that’s worded, but I think there’s a certain truth in this, whether it’s in the Talmud or not.
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on biblical historicity

Here‘s an argument for Adam being a real historical figure.  It goes at it not from an angle that focuses on the meaning of particular Hebrew or Greek words or phrases, but rather from the doctrine of the fall and its centrality to our understanding of who Jesus is and what he did for us.  [...]
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some thoughts on prayer for the dead in 2 maccabees

Joel Watts has mentioned the on-going dispute between Protestants and Catholics as to which books are legitimately a part of Scripture.  In the interests of full disclosure, let it be known that I come down wholly on the Protestant side of that dispute.  However, my goal here isn’t to argue whether or not certain books [...]
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romans 12, text and a few thoughts

Romans 12:1-7 1Therefore I encourage you, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may examine what [...]
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a look at genesis 6:3

I love talking about Genesis.  And now Jeff has asked a question for “Hebrew people.”  I’m pretty sure I’m not a Hebrew person, but I’m going to try to lay out exactly what’s going on in the Hebrew of Genesis 6:3.  The Hebrew reads as follows וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לֹא־יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגַּם הוּא בָשָׂר [...]
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