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Imagine you are a Hebrew living in the 2nd century BCE in Israel. You are currently under occupation by a foreign nation. The remnants of the former Greek empire had invaded the land of your forefathers a century earlier. Judaism was eventually outlawed, and an alter was erected in your temple to the Greek godRead more

I hope you have enjoyed the series on the atonement so far. In this final post, I want to answer some of the most difficult questions about the atonement that have come up in my journey over the last twenty years. Some of them came up while listening to sermons at church, some while doingRead more

Over the last four articles, I have tried to present a pathway through the Scriptures and church history for understanding the atonement. This pathway has helped me better sort out what I personally believe, and I offer it in hopes that it might also help you in your earnest attempt to understand the meaning ofRead more

We’re half-way through the FaithRethink Series focusing on the atonement of Jesus. Some of you have been holding out for Cruciform: How the death of Jesus on a Roman cross changes everything where I will share the atonement theology I subscribe to. For now, I want to pick up from where we left off. InRead more

For the last two-thousand years, one of the central tenants of the Christian faith has been the assertion that Jesus Christ died on a cross for sin. What Christians have not always agreed on are the details of how this works out spiritually, practically and theologically. In particular, they have argued and debated over detailsRead more

Are you the same person? Grab a pad of paper and pen so that you can write things down, or get out an electronic device so that you can type out your responses instead. We’re going to take some time to compare and contrast our past selves to who we are now. In order toRead more

The author of this blog reflection acknowledges that the wars and conflicts in the Middle East in general and in Palestine in particular are complicated, often nuanced, with varying interpretations within both the Jewish Israeli and Arab Palestinian communities. This reflection offers a perspective that is often neglected or unheard of by Americans and AmericanRead more

Quick recap This post follows my previous post titled Is the Bible error-free?” and video on the same topic. I encourage you to read and watch those first to get some context. Let me be clear I am not interested in giving up on the Bible and God or telling other people to do theRead more

What is Biblical inerrancy? If you have been a Christian for any amount of time, especially if you grew up going to church, you have probably heard that the Bible does not have errors. The fancy academic phrase for this view is “Biblical inerrancy.” Most Christians I know believe this view about the Bible toRead more

The Bible says what? If you have ever spent any significant time reading through the pages of the Bible, you have probably come across verses that made you cringe. Especially the ones that make God appear like a violent vindictive tyrant. “God said what?” “God did what?” Many serious good-hearted Christians have asked these sameRead more