Are the Gospels Legends? C.S. Lewis’ Reply
“Another point is that on that view you would have to regard the accounts of the Man as being legends. Now, as a literary historian, I am perfectly convinced that whatever else the Gospels are they are not legends. I have read a great deal of legend and I am quite clear that they are not the…
Is This The Best of All Possible Worlds?
The Argument1. God is all powerful2. God is all knowing–including all possible realities (1 Sam 23:11-12; Matt 11:21)3. God is perfectly good∴ We live in the best of all possible worldsWhen we take God’s omnipotence and omniscience together, it means that the current version of reality we now inhabit has come about precisely the way in which God has…
Homosexuality and Friendship: Jonathan and David
In reading of the relationship between Jonathan and David, one is struck by their depth of affection and commitment to one another: As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…Then Jonathan made a covenant with…
Why the OT Genocide Commands Are Likely Hyperbole
1 Samuel 15:3: “Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” This command (and others like it) is jarring to read. It seems to authorize God’s people to slaughter non-combatants indiscriminately,…
A Brief Note on Knowing and Humility
Epistemic humility is not the same thing as epistemic relativism. Epistemology is the theory of knowledge. To have “epistemic humility’ is to admit that our knowledge is limited because our perspective is limited. Paul says, “We know in part…we see through a glass darkly” (1 Cor 13:12). We really do know (true knowledge), even if…
40 Questions for Pro-Lifers Who Lament the SCOTUS Decision
Perhaps you have seen posts on Facebook since the Supreme Court decision, Dobbs v. Jackson, that run something like this: “I am not pro-choice myself, but this is a tragedy for women’s rights.” I have personally seen a number of people who would identify as “pro-life” but who have gone out of their way to…
Consider What Your Children Are Watching
The issue: The LGBTQIA+ movement has become ubiquitous in America, even in communities that are overwhelmingly conservative, rural, and far removed from urban centers. Technology and social media has made the distance between Nebraska and LA virtually meaningless (especially when LA makes all the TV shows people in Nebraska watch). Now, the companies responsible for…
Good Diversity, Bad Diversity
God has decided that He would display His creativity through making many different kinds of people: gender, ethnicity, age, etc. Image bearers are a diverse people. But God’s image is not the only source of diversity in humanity. Sin also affects us all uniquely leading to a diversity of depravity. Some people’s sins look different…
The Power of “Science” in Forming Our Beliefs
In Carl R. Trueman’s seminal work, The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, he details how various thinkers over the last four hundred years have shaped how we currently form our identities. In one chapter titled, “The Emergence of Plastic People” he examines how the works of Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Charles Darwin…
Review: 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
How will the church help Gen Z believe, understand, and defend the faith? How will they be able to make winsome apologetic arguments to an age group that has been shaped more by Instagram and TikTok than books or syllogisms, who find personal experience to be more persuasive than just about anything? Rebecca McLaughlin has…
Justice Needs a Foundation
In 2009, a thirteen story building in Shanghai was about to open up to the 500 residents who had already rented out each apartment. The builders, however, had poured a shoddy foundation and began to dig a large pit right next to the building for a parking garage. After a rainy day eroded much of…
D.A. Carson On Persuasion and Abortion
Most who will read these chapters live under some form or other of democracy. That means, in the end, that we must persuade a lot of people on a lot of points. In a democracy, if you cannot do that, you lose. Suppose…that by powerful manipulation of electoral forces you manage to win sufficient strength…
The Violence of the Bible
I have been virtually absent from my blog since I began seminary. I have toyed around with the idea of posting some of my papers I have written on here, but have always been certain that no one would probably want to read them. However, below is a paper I wrote for my Ethics class…
Christianity vs. New Age Spirituality
Part 3 of my series on the New Age Movement In my previous post I highlighted some of the fundamental beliefs of the New Age Movement (NAM). In this post I will briefly catalog some of the differences between Christianity and the NAM. I originally intended to launch into a critique of the NAM following…
What is New-Age Spirituality?
Part 2 of my series on the New Age Movement In this blog, I will be giving a brief survey of the New Age Movement, or metaphysical religion. I will by no means intend to be comprehensive or exhaustive. I will try to lay out a few fundamental tenants of the movement just to give…
A Pillar of Truth
If you were born in a slum in India would you have the same worldview you have today? Would your definition of “right”, “wrong”, “truth”, and “beauty” be different? Would your religious beliefs be different? Most likely. But does this mean that all our beliefs about the most important things in life are merely a…
The “New Age” of American Religion
“Can you be spiritual and not religious?” “Yes. Yes you can.” “So it’s possible to be both and? You don’t have to separate them?” “No, no you do not. Look, there are plenty of people who experience God on the back of a horse every Sunday who just won’t ever come to church. And that’s…
Slippery Words
Imagine with me that the outcome of WWII was reversed. Nazi Germany wins and extends its dark empire across the globe. But also imagine that in time the dictatorship slowly evolves into a half-way form of democracy, allowing the people to vote to install cabinet members and defense secretaries and so on. Friedrich, a promising…
When Unity Hurts the Church
One night, a matter of a few hours, was all that separated Christ from the brutality of the Cross. The pain of His closest friends abandoning Him, the horror of the Father’s wrath towards sin. What did Jesus do to prepare Himself, to steel His courage for Good Friday? How did He emotionally and psychologically calm Himself…
Does the Bible Actually Condemn Abortion?
The internet is a strange place. A friend of mine forwarded a blog post from a website that I have never been to before, asking if I would consider writing a response to it. The blog had the (all too common nowadays) provocative title “Hey Conservatives, The Bible Says When A Fetus is Alive -…
Breaking Saruman’s Spell with Laughter
Should Christian’s ever make fun of someone else’s beliefs? How should we use satire? Should we?
“Nietzsche is Dead.” – God
Friedrich Nietzsche, God’s alleged murderer/coroner, seemed to lack any fear of the chaos that God’s death would bring, but rather passionately plunged himself into the oncoming torrent of darkness.
Cultural Christians
How should Christians be engaging culture? How can we best present the gospel to a culture that has grown more and more distrustful of religion?
The Good and Bad of the LGBT Movement
For Christians, could there be good things that come from the recent LGBT movement? What are the bad?
The Bible and Homosexuality
At Sola, we recently discussed the topic of the Bible and Homosexuality. I spoke to a room full of students between 6th and 12th grade, along with their parents – below is the audio for the lesson, as well as the follow up Q&A session. Because of time restraints, I simply was not able to cover…
How is that Loving?
This is the third part of my transcript of my talk on the Bible and Homosexuality – you can find the audio and the other parts here. “Okay, I see that is true – but man, doesn’t that sound harsh?” That is a common sentiment among young people when they encounter the Bible’s teaching on…
God’s Design for Sexuality
This is the second part of my transcript of my talk on the Bible and Homosexuality – you can find the audio and the other parts here. The Bible tells us that in the beginning God created everything, and He created it “good”. Hebrew scholars often refer to God’s design for creation with the word shalom.…
The Ugly Dance
This is the first part of my transcript of my talk on the Bible and Homosexuality – you can find the audio and the other parts here. With the recent surge of LGBT activism that has swept our nation, I have seen many people interact with and dialogue about the good and the bad things that…
Bono, Grace and Karma
This is an excerpt from U2’s lead frontman, Bono’s self-titled book, Bono: In Conversation With Michka Assayas. The two are in the middle of discussing the spectrum of different religions, and Bono notes the main difference: Assayas: I think I am beginning to understand religion because I have started acting and thinking like a father. What do you…
The Hurricane Has Become Human
Many people say, “Sure, I believe that Jesus is a great teacher, but I can’t believe what they say about him being God.” That creates a problem, because his teaching is based on his identity claim…Here is how historian N.T. Wright puts it: “How can you live with the terrifying thought that the hurricane has…
No More Good Guys
What does the Bible tell us about Walter White and Tony Soprano? Are they accurate representations of real humanity? Well, kind-of.
Challenging Your Faith
I spend a lot of time speaking with young people, most of whom are in college, and a conversation I have found myself having often involves them slowly putting into words unspoken doubts, questioning whether or not their faith is genuine or if Christianity is even worth believing in. I love being able to have these conversations…
Alone With God – C.S. Lewis
An impersonal God? Well and good. A subjective God of beauty, truth and goodness inside our own head? Better still. A formless life force surging through everyone – a vast power we can all tap? Best of all. But a living God – pulling at the other end of the cord approaching at infinite speed,…
Freedom & Predestination: C.S. Lewis and Perelandra
This is an excerpt from the second book of C.S. Lewis’ space trilogy, Perelandra. The book follows Dr. Ransom, an inhabitant from Earth who is whisked away to another planet, where He comes into contact with several other alien species. All of these species, however, submit to the great Creator over all, Maleldil. Ransom quickly discovers that…
The Gaping Hole in Self-Discovery
I am currently reading a book by pastor, theologian and author, Kevin Deyoung, and stumbled across a fantastic quote on the plight and logical inconsistency of “staying true to yourself” and never conforming to an outward standard: In our secular Western society the truly good person is the one who has learned to be true…
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Marc Sims 