Tag Archives: Bible

Brief Comments on the Old Testament as Canon

I was asked by a student if the early Jews (of the second Temple period) held to a canon of the likes of the later Church. Here is my brief response: No. There was considerable debate. For instance, the Sadducees … Continue reading

Posted in canon | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Re-Examining Pentecostal Readings of Female Characters in the Bible – SPS Symposium

I received the following great news yesterday that a symposium on “Re-Examining Pentecostal Readings of Female Characters in the Bible” has been approved for the 2019 Society for Pentecostal Studies annual meeting. Here are the details of the symposium: I … Continue reading

Posted in Biblical Studies, Society for Pentecostal Studies, women | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Read More

For the last several years I’ve provided my congregation with several potential Bible reading plans included in our Sunday bulletin the first of the year: M’Cheyne Reading Plan (with several variables) and For Shirkers and Slackers. The former offers an … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Do We Really Need the Old Testament?

As someone who serves as an Instructor in Old Testament at one college (Providence University College and Theological Seminary) and an Assistant Professor whose primary focus is in Old Testament at another college (Trinity Bible College), this question has significant … Continue reading

Posted in Old Testament, Providence Theological Seminary, Trinity Bible College | Tagged , , | 5 Comments

On Hebrew Poetics (A Brief Introduction and Refutation)

Suffice it to say that one spends several years learning basic skills in reading and interpreting the Hebrew Bible, but then after all the “rules” one learns (whether those passed down from Medieval Masoretes or ancient scholastics schooled in Greek … Continue reading

Posted in Hebrew, Hebrew Poetry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Seven Leadership Principles From Ezra-Nehemiah

Here are my “Seven Leadership Principles (Hopefully No One Has Ever Taught) From Ezra-Nehemiah” (I’m still waiting on the book deal): (7) Demand that all members divorce any foreigners (Ezra 9-10) (6) Remove from membership anyone missing a special business … Continue reading

Posted in Ezra, humor, Nehemiah | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

First Things First – The Doctrine of God or the Bible?

What are your thoughts on the foundational grounds of a doctrinal statement? This is where doctrinal statements (and creeds) begin. Is the Church better served by a statement which flows from the doctrine of God as foundational (exemplified by the … Continue reading

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

The Beauty of the Bible

The more I study the Scriptures, the more I am overwhelmed by the beauty of the Scriptures…and by the God who has inspired writers in their own day and culture to write with beauty. The deeper I dig, the more … Continue reading

Posted in Literary Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

When the Bible Comes Alive

The first assignment of the semester for my Former Prophets class was to read Joshua, Judges, 1-2 Samuel, and 1-2 Kings in two different translations and give me several pages of questions, comments, and insights about the texts. They could … Continue reading

Posted in Former Prophets, preaching, translation | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment