We Are Not Peddling The Word Of God: Embracing Authentic Faith
“For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”
—2 Corinthians 2:17—
Bible
Isaiah’s Use of the Spiritual Hydrological Cycle
Hydrogeology is the science of water distribution through the earth. Consider a simple description of the hydrological cycle:
- Rain falls to the ground, nourishing plants, supplying drinking water, etc..
- Water seeps into the ground or runs off into creeks and rivers if the ground is saturated.
- Creeks, rivers and groundwater flow into large bodies of water (lakes, seas, oceans).
- Water returns to the sky from these large bodies through the process of evaporation.
The Bible is Not Open To Our Private Interpretation
IS THAT REALLY WHAT IT MEANS?
Many potentially enlightening Bible discussions have been avoided by fluffing off differences as merely a matter of opinion. “You believe it your way, I believe it my way” is a sad but all too common Bible conversation closer. I recall one discussion when I had simply read a passage of Scripture, and before I could say anything about it, a hostile accusation was levied, “That’s your interpretation!” The person was not really interested in what the Bible said, let alone what I might have to say about it.
Understand the Bible Better: The Power of Words and Context
IS THAT REALLY WHAT IT MEANS?
“Inconceivable!” If you have seen the movie The Princess Bride, you recognize this as the word used repeatedly by Vizzini, a witty Sicilian criminal mastermind. After hearing his boss use it several times, the hired swordsman, Inigo Montoya declared, “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.” There have been times I’ve had the same thought about how folks use the Bible— “…I don’t think that verse means what you think it means.”
Finding the Lost Word: Josiah’s Example of Faith & Obedience
During the reign of Josiah, king of Judah, Shaphan the scribe was sent to the house of the LORD, where he was to inquire about the money available for repairs to the temple. It appears that the temple was not the only thing in Judah that was run down – their faith and obedience to the will of God was also depleted. At the temple, Hilkiah the high priest handed a book to Shaphan, saying,
I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD. (2 Kings 22:8)
It cannot be determined with certainty what “book of the Law of the LORD” Hilkiah found. Was it the original document or was it a copy?
Is the Bible really inspired by God? | Answering the Atheist
Inquiry:
Is all Scripture inspired by God? 2 Timothy 3:16 says yes, but 1 Corinthians 7:12, 25 indicate otherwise. Is there a contradiction?
The Laodicean Letter: But It’s A Third-Century Forgery
The document below is believed to have been written near the end of the third century and therefore could not be written by Paul to the Laodiceans.
Faith in the LORD and His Word: Do You Believe?
The 2010 Olympics will begin in Vancouver BC. Several television networks from around the world will be broadcasting the Games. CTV provides coverage in Canda. Canadian Olympians want to quickly lose the stigma of seldom winning gold on home soil. Over the past year, CTV ran an ad campaign entitled, “Do You Believe,” focusing on Canada’s athletes, their training and their Olympic dreams. It has been an interesting campaign and has certainly captured my interest. I applaud CTV.
Sincere Skepticism: Critical Thinking And Analysis For Better Bible Interpretation
For several years in the early 2000s, we featured two articles each week in our bulletin. The first addresses a variety of topics, and the second is a response to supposed Bible contradictions. Some promote skepticism about the Bible, which I am ok with, so long as it is sincere skepticism. The Skeptic’s Annotated Bible website has been a major source of these alleged errors.
Spirit and Soul: A look into the Hebrew
The Bible uses both the word spirit and soul when speaking about man. What do these words refer to? Are they synonyms, or does each refer to something distinct?
To answer our questions, there are four words, two Hebrew and two Greek, which are translated as spirit and soul into English. They are nephesh and ruach (Hebrew), psuche and pneuma (Greek). This week we will look at the Hebrew words, next week we will examine the Greek.
