Self-Worth, Ministry, and Misery—4
We can deliver the best sermons, teach the best apologetics lectures, or write the most respected books but if we don’t do it from love, then from God’s perspective, we “gain nothing”? That is what it says, right?
Apologetics
Self-Worth, Ministry, and Misery-1
Most Christians in ministry base their self-worth on their ministry success but this is disastrously destructive to discipleship.
Canaanite Hyperbole Interpretation Inconsistent
The trouble with the Canaanite hyperbole explanation for troubling passages regarding God’s commands to kill every man, woman, and child, is that it is inconsistent with the fact that God wasn’t using hyperbole when he warned Israel that they was suffer a similar fate.
Hyperbole Interpretation Not Helpful for Canaanite Conquest
Arguably the most difficult story in the Old Testament is the killing of the Canaanites. Some have attempted to soften this hard story by saying that certain passages are hyperbole. Perhaps the most prolific purveyors of this theory are Paul Copan and Matthew Flanagan in their book, Did God Really Command Genocide?: Coming to Terms …
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Sci Fi, Free Will, and the Problem of Evil
In teaching every semester on why God allows evil, I’ve learned that many Christians do not understand the nature or value of free will. Indeed, many years ago I too struggled with what free will is all about, but found an unlikely ally in science fiction. Sci-fi books, movies, and television programs frequently feature free …
Christians Should Be More Accepting?
So many tell us that Christians should be more accepting of homosexuality. Yesterday, in fact, I listened to Andrew Wilson debate Rob Bell on the UK Unbelievable? radio program about homosexuality and the church. Bell was asked to explain the justification for his beliefs that there is nothing wrong with committed homosexual relationships, and, among other …
Why Couldn’t Israel Adopt Canaanite Children?
Probably the thorniest question of all when it comes to the Canaanite conquest is why couldn’t Israel adopt Canaanite children? In ancient wars where parents died, soldiers faced three alternatives for the children: (1) take their lives; (2) leave them to starve and be eaten by animals in the desert; or (3) adopt them. Obviously leaving …
Was the Destruction of the Canaanites Just?
In recent years, much has been said and written about the Lord ordering Israel to destroy the Canaanites. This is largely because the new atheists proclaim it as “divine genocide.” But it’s not just a problem for Christianity’s detractors. Indeed, many Christians worry about the fairness of killing the Canaanites. After all, if the Old …
Sometimes Answering an Atheist Dignifies Folly
Our contention is simple: taking some atheist arguments seriously dignifies folly, encourages self-satisfying flattery, and diminishes the power of gospel proclamation. The article that Joseph E. Gorra, the managing editor of Philosophia Christi, and I co-authored for the Christian Research Journal follows: Christian apologists regularly face what we call the distraction challenge: the temptation to take seriously …
Orientation: Sexual and Otherwise
Today we often hear heartrending stories from people struggling with their sexual orientation and often Christians have responded poorly. There are some attitudes, perceptions, and orientations which can’t be simply switched off, but Christians too often want to just tell struggling people: “Stop it!” We wish it were so easy, but it’s not. Let me …