Theological Fragments

Reading the Bible is simple, isn’t it? “The Bible says it, I believe it.” It’s a simple as that, isn’t it? Of course, if it is that simple, then why are there so many interpretations of the Bible? And not just small disagreements, but perspectives that are completely opposite of each other? The founders of the Christian Church movement believed that the Bible is accessible to each and every Christian, not just pastors or scholars—and I agree whole-heartedly. But just because the Bible is accessible to everyone does not mean that the Bible is simple. In fact, I believe that many of the theological problems we get into come from the fact that we assume the Bible is simple and easy to read. In reality, there are several obstacles that we have to hurdle in order to understand the Bible: Language: Quick: can you recite Genesis 1:1? If you started with “For God so loved the world…” then you’re… wrong! Well, in a way. That’s an English translation of John 3:16. The actual test of Joh...

The word "Gospel" comes from an Old English word that means "Good News"--which, of course, is the meaning of the Greek word that "gospel" replaces. When Jesus came to preach his message, it was described as "Good News." So what exactly was that good news? I have preached/taught on this topic many times, and whenever I ask the audience to summarize the Gospel in one verse, they always pick the same one. You know which verse I'm talking about: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ​(John 3:16, ESV) In the Western Church, John 3:16 is considered the most important verse in the Bible. It is so central to the message of the Bible that it has become shorthand for the entire Gospel--hence why people write it on signs and in their greasepaint at sporting events. The idea seems to be that if a person got curious enough to look that verse up, they would fin...

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In this post I intend to discuss the recent controversy surrounding the reality show Duck Dynasty . Before I get there, though, I want to first discuss the season of Advent and its message of penitence. So please, if you're here for the Duck Dynasty bit, bear with me for a few paragraphs.