Posts Tagged ‘Bible Study’
Why December 25?
No doubt you’ve heard the widely repeated story that the Christian celebration of Christmas is a form of syncretism, where the church decided to accommodate the celebration of Christ’s birth to the pre-existing pagan holidays. Commonly cited precedents are either the feast of Saturnalia or the celebration of Sol Invictus. The theory goes that by…
Read MorePopular Misconceptions about the Birth of Jesus
At the perfect time in history, God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of a virgin to save us from our sins (Gal. 4:4). But not everything we say about this crucial moment in history is true. Here are six such fast facts (or “un-facts”) about the birth of Christ. Did Mary ride…
Read MoreWhy Study Doctrine?
Why should you study Bible doctrine? Maybe you’re a student, stay-at-home mom, or professional in the business world. Why take time out of your busy schedule to learn the major teachings of the Christian faith? Some dismiss doctrine as uninteresting, irrelevant, or just plain boring. “Don’t give me doctrine. Just give me Jesus! Doctrine may…
Read MoreLogos 10: A pastoral review
Thanksgiving Day in Canada dawned with the news that Logos 10 was released! I rushed to my computer and got the download started. Alas, I was one of a few afflicted by some kind of bug and had issues. Logos technical support quickly identified the problem, issued a fix, and in a few hours, I…
Read MoreThree Battles to Fight for Personal Bible Study
We often see products — toothpaste, bandages, vitamins — labeled for “double” or “triple protection.” This claim, even if it seems gimmicky, is founded on the truth that damage can come from multiple sources. In fact, the most deceptive forms of decay come from multiple sources, incrementally and simultaneously engaged. Spiritual disciplines similarly suffer when…
Read MoreMore than Doing: Categories for Applying God’s Word
What am I Supposed to Do with This? “Why is our time in God’s Word not as life-transformative as it should be?” After a few moments of silence, a couple of folks in my Bible study class replied. “I’m too easily distracted… My mind wanders… I’m not consistent… My kids wake up early and they…
Read MoreBook Review: The Voyage And Shipwreck Of St. Paul
One of the best books I’ve read in a long time comes to us as a reprint of an 1880 revision of a book first published in 1848. Smith, James. The Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul: With Dissertations on the Life and Writings of St. Luke, and the Ships and Navigation of the Ancients.…
Read MoreA Purposeful Church Schedule including Inductive Journaling
“What shall I cry? (Isaiah 40:6). That is the question which comes before every preacher’s mind as he prepares the sermons he is to deliver each Sunday. What am I supposed to talk about? How am I ever going to get a message together? Maybe you have heard about the pastor who never prepared his…
Read MoreThat’s Just Your Interpretation, Part 2
In our previous article on this topic, we saw that the mistaken impression that the Bible’s meaning is beyond our grasp arises in part because we fail to apply the same rules of interpretation to Scripture that we do to every other communication. The result is an array of interpretive approaches with few objective parameters…
Read MoreThat’s Just Your Interpretation, Part I
Many mistakenly believe the Bible to be a hopelessly obscure book, the meaning of which can never be understood due to its antiquity. However, the primary reason varying interpretations of the Bible’s message exist is that all do not play by the same rules. The consistent application of the principles of normal interpretation will yield…
Read More