Equipping curious minds to think critically about religion.
I was about to post a Tweet claiming “perfectionism is a sin” and “scripture doesn’t command us to be perfect”. I thought that sounded very reassuring, wise, and thought-provoking. Well, it turns out, the Bible commands us to be perfect! I thought, “what in the world is that supposed to mean?”
Does the Bible condemn homosexuality? Is it a sin to be gay? Here’s every Bible passage that is directly relevant to these questions.
Jim mentioned to me recently that he’s been looking into Bible study software to aid in the efficiency of his ministry. Logos Bible Software seems to be the superior tool for his needs. I know the cost of that resource would be a burden to him and his wife, both of whom are retired. I want to heed the Apostle Paul’s admonish in his letter to the Galatians that “The one who is taught the Word is to share all good things with the one who teaches him.”
My brother and I went through Surprised by Hope by N.T. Wright to celebrate Easter last year. The book is essentially a reminder (to some, a surprising revelation) that God’s plan for His people is not for us to float around as disembodied souls playing harps for eternity. His plan is to change everything, to make the physical and the spiritual world new, uniting the two.
I looked at every use of the word “spirit” in the New Testament to doe examine every instance in which someone received the Holy Spirit and tally which of these additional elements above were present. I also examined every passage which taught about the Holy Spirit, especially looking for any passage teaching on what elements must be present for the receipt thereof.
The apostle Paul commands his readers to “be anxious for nothing”. Whoa. Is that what he really means? The topic of this sermon is hermeneutics, which is a fancy word for “how to understand and apply a text”. The term is most often used in the context of the Christian Bible; however, you can apply hermeneutics to any text. There are LOTS of commands (in other words, direct instructions) in scripture. How can Christians know which commands apply to them and which don’t?
How do Christians live in and respond to the world they live in but aren’t a part of spiritually? It’s God who puts governments and rulers in power, right? Does this mean President Joe Biden is in power because God gave him that power? If we disagree with the way our government is doing things, what should the Christian response be?
Name the Unknown 