Phinheas was a hero in the Old Testament. There are only two figures in Israel’s Scriptures about whom it is said that something was “reckoned to him as righteousness”: Abraham and Phinehas. What made Phinheas a hero? He saved the Israelites from God’s wrath. How? In his zeal for God, he killed an Israelite man who had taken a Midianite woman, with his spear (Num 25:8). This act of killing stopped an epidemic that God had brought on the Israelites for their disobedience. Why is this story important? What does it have to do with Paul and with us?
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Understanding the Book of Revelation
What comes to mind when “The Book of Revelation” is mentioned? Here are some words and phrases that are often heard in association with it: the end . . . the rapture . . . 7 . . . four horsemen . . . the antichrist . . . 666 . . . judgment . . . vengeance . . . the second coming . . . heaven. Interestingly, two of the words in this list most associated with Revelation—rapture and antichrist—do not even appear in Revelation. Some of the most important words in Revelation, such as witness, throne, and lamb, do not come to mind as quickly, yet they are central to Revelation. This article will give a quick overview over the 4 ways that the book of Revelation has been understood throughout the centuries and will give some helpful principles for understanding this last book of the Bible.
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Book Review: In—Incarnation & Inclusion, Abba & Lamb (by Bradley Jersak)
How is the exclusive claim that Jesus is the only way compatible with Abba’s all-inclusive love? That is the question that Bradley Jersak tries to answer in his book “In—Incarnation & Inclusion, Abba & Lamb”. Every chapter is packed with insight covering treasures from the Bible, testimonies, and helpful comparisons. Due to a large amount of excellent content this review will cover only a few selected highlights from the book.
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Enemy Love for Dummies
At the center of the teachings of Jesus is love—cross-like, non-violent, non-judgmental, enemy-embracing, all-inclusive, self-sacrificial, scandalously beautiful love. Jesus modeled this love to us through his life and especially by loving and forgiving his enemies, and he called us to follow his example (Mt 5:44). But enemy love is not easy, no easy solutions exist. This article suggests some practical steps that will help you on your journey to love even your worst enemy.
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What does it mean that all scripture is inspired by God? Is the Bible really perfect?
“All scripture is inspired by God” (2 Ti 3:16). This verse has led to countless arguments and has been interpreted in numerous ways. It is often used as a key verse to define the character of the Bible. But what does it mean that all scripture is inspired by God? What does it mean for our understanding of the nature of the Bible?
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A Biblical Understanding of the Wrath of God
How does the wrath of God fit with the fact that he is love in his essence? Is the God of the Old Testament different from the God of the New Testament? In this article, it will make clear that God’s wrath and his judging actions are continuously defined the same throughout the Bible and are an expression of his love.
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Paul intentionally reversed violent Old Testament scriptures
This article addresses the question of how Paul dealt with violent scriptures in the Old Testament (OT). Analyzing his usage of the OT, I’ll show that Paul intentionally referenced violent OT scriptures, flipped them around by omitting the violent part, and thereby used them to declare God’s mercy and not divine violence and wrath. This way of interpreting scripture bears witness to his own theological journey away from using violence in God’s name towards rejecting divine violence and retributive justice.
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Why finding an ancient cosmology in the Bible is good news and what we can learn from it.
In the Bible, we can see that God accommodated the beliefs of his people even though they didn’t reflect reality. One example of this is that we find an ancient cosmology (a flat earth, a protective dome on top of it, and an ocean of water above it) in the Bible. In this article, you can read why this is good news and what can we learn from that ancient cosmology.
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