Bible, theology, culture, etc.
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, … Continue reading Why the OT Genocide Commands Are Likely Hyperbole
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 … Continue reading 40 Questions for Pro-Lifers Who Lament the SCOTUS Decision
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 … Continue reading Consider What Your Children Are Watching
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 … Continue reading Good Diversity, Bad Diversity
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 … Continue reading The Power of “Science” in Forming Our Beliefs
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 … Continue reading Review: 10 Questions Every Teen Should Ask (and Answer) about Christianity
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 … Continue reading Justice Needs a Foundation
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 … Continue reading D.A. Carson On Persuasion and Abortion
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 … Continue reading The Violence of the Bible
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 … Continue reading Christianity vs. New Age Spirituality
Marc Sims 