In a comment on my last post, Ben links to an X post that compares Islam to Tolkein’s ring of power, arguing that whoever tries to control it will be controlled, and then destroyed, by it.
Continue readingI was recently in touch with a friend from my old church in Essex, which has now grown to over 1,000 weekly attenders. There were only about 80 when I joined in 1987, and it has grown steadily since. That doesn’t automatically mean it’s doing something right – Hillsong and Bethel were bigger, after all, and look what’s happened to them. But in this case it is, and it’s a cause for personal rejoicing.
Continue readingI understand that some modern Jews do not even know that Jesus “the Nazarene” is a Jew, explaining his ministry from the Hebrew Scriptures and (uniquely) obedient to torah throughout his life. Christianity seems to be regarded by them as a Gentile heresy to which Jesus, or Paul, or both, “converted.”
Continue readingIf we consider Christians’ attitudes towards Israel, I suggested in my last post that there is a need to identify what they actually mean by the term “Israel.” The Bible gives a surprising number of options. Here I’m mainly going to list as many of the meanings as I can, and even then I may miss some. Today I’ll focus on the Hebrew Bible, with a follow-up post on the New Testament, and my conclusions, next time.
Continue readingThe prominence of Israel’s conflicts against genocidal Islamism and an unexpected surge of Western antisemitism, together with my recent studies in the Jewish roots of Christianity through Seth Postell, David C Mitchell and others, have brought into focus the wide range of views about “Israel” amongst those calling themselves Christians.
Continue readingOur church sermon and Bible-study series on the Book of Acts has reached chapter 12, and the miraculous escape of Peter from Herod’s prison.
Continue readingI came across a short clip of a discussion between the late Michael Heiser and Joshua Swamidass. It is on the Genealogical Adam theory Josh and I developed, he in the mainly scientific Genealogical Adam and Eve, and I in the almost simultaneously published, and primarily theological, Generations of Heaven and Earth.
Continue readingBack in October 2020, I participated in a Webinar organised by the Christian Scientific Society, which also included Stuart Burgess from the UK, and Fuz Rana, Scott Minnich and David Snoke from the US.
Continue readingThe current Charismatic claim (but only since the particular flavour of that theology that came in with John Wimber in the 1980s) is that God speaks to us during prayer if we listen hard enough. My response, so far unrefuted, is that nothing in Scripture teaches this (and what is not in Scripture is, of course, unscriptural teaching). But the justification for it is that Scripture may have been jolly good for “then,” but we need to hear God’s word for now.
Continue readingLast week was, in my view, rather remarkable for the release of at least five massive tales of corruption and deception simultaneously. Most have attracted less attention than they deserve. All are profoundly depressing.
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