Tom Ferguson | Lucid Christianity

A Biblical-Theological Review of Netflix's Mary

Recently Netflix released a film called “Mary” which tells the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Is it good? Bad? Ugly? Heretical? Honestly, from a biblical and theological perspective it’s a little hard to say.

2024-12-19

11 min read

Bible , Theology

Bible Interpretation

A cynical Christmas

It has been said that many cynics were once great optimists. They were once full of hope and optimism, but after too many disappointments, or perhaps one large disappointment, all that hope and optimism was drained and was replaced by pessimism and cynicism. I think Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, may have been such a person.

2024-01-04

7 min read

Bible , Discipleship

Bible Interpretation

Psalm 73, the wilderness of injustice

It has been my experience that most of the Christian life takes place in the wilderness, not the Promised Land. That is, it is much more common to be struggling (spiritually) in one form or another or to one degree or another than it is to be sitting back and relaxing. One of the reasons for this is that spiritual growth requires work and effort, which means there will likely be a lot of struggling and failing. Another, and often overlooked reason I think, is injustice. Times when God does not do what he has promised to do.

2023-10-12

7 min read

Bible , Discipleship , Theology

Reflections

Class with Dr. Wallace

“The teachers that were hard, the ones that made things difficult and forced you to learn and improve, those are the ones that you will remember. Not the easy ones who tried to make things as easy as possible so that you felt good about yourself.”

2023-09-28

8 min read

Bible , Theology

Reflections

Did Joshua make the sun stand still?

Was there a day when the earth stopped spinning and the sun stood still? That seems to be what a certain passage in Joshua is saying, but is that really what is being described? Or does it mean something else?

2023-09-19

14 min read

Bible , Theology

Bible Interpretation

Bumbling towards salvation

The Way of Life leads to perfection, but we often bumble and stumble as we follow it. Sometimes we may even veer off it. Whether we blunder or flat-out leave the Way of Life repentance is a necessary part of the Christian life.

2023-09-07

5 min read

Bible , Soteriology , Discipleship

Bible Interpretation

What does it mean to be saved through childbearing?

“But she will be saved through childbearing…” [1Tim 2.15]. This verse can be difficult to understand. It not only sounds strange, but seems to contradict the rest of the New Testament (NT) when it comes to salvation. However, this is not the case. It is not as strange as it might sound and it does not contradict the rest of the NT on salvation.

2023-08-31

17 min read

Bible , Theology , Ecclesiology

Bible Interpretation

What is a sojourner?

The Old Testament has but a shadow of the good things to come (Heb 8.5, 10.1). Some of the good things to come are obvious, like the sacrificial ending with Christ’s sacrifice being offered once for everyone for all time (Heb 10.12-14). Some are not, like the future of the sojourner.

2023-08-23

6 min read

Bible , Eschatology

Bible Interpretation

Solving the Bethel problem in Joshua 8.17

The mention of Bethel in Joshua 8.17 might seem a little odd. Up until this point the only role that Bethel plays within the narrative is to help mark the location of where the Israelites were waiting in ambush. Then all of a sudden Bethel is mentioned along with Ai as having gone out to attack Israel. How do we account for this seemingly sudden change of events?

2023-08-17

11 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

All will be revealed

One of the fundamental principles of Christianity is revelation. Not the book, but the action. Not only does God reveal himself to us, but he also reveals the true nature of things, including people. In Matthew’s gospel there are two back-to-back parables revealing the possible natures of people: righteous or wicked.

2023-08-10

5 min read

Bible , Theology

Bible Interpretation

Red Hot Anger

Joshua 7.1: “…and the anger of the LORD burned against the sons of Israel.” This translation is common to many English Bible translations. It is also rather careless, I think. It still captures the idea and gets the point across, but it isn’t as accurate as it could be. There are a couple of things to sort out here: first, the meaning of the Hebrew, then second how to translate that Hebrew into good idiomatic English.

2023-08-03

7 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

Rebuilding after the storm

Sometimes the storms of life can be quite devastating, even if you “prepared” for them. Devastating to the point that after it has passed we take a look at our life or faith or both and we are left wondering how, or even if, we will be able to rebuild it. This task can indeed be quite difficult, but it is also doable even though it might take a while.

2022-11-04

7 min read

Discipleship

Reflections

Surviving the storms of life

Hurricanes are a fact of life for me as Floridian. Every season (June 1 – Nov. 30) for us Floridians it’s not a matter of if we will get a hurricane, but when we will get a hurricane and how badly we will be affected by it. Sometimes we just get some rain. Other times we get a lot of rain. Still other times we get a bunch of both wind and rain. In light of this reality the prudent among us start gradually stocking up on supplies (e.

2022-10-07

10 min read

Discipleship

Reflections

We must always choose the path that leads to growth

Not everyone is at the same level of spiritual advancement. Some are further ahead than others. Some have reached levels that others never will.

2022-03-25

8 min read

Bible , Soteriology

Bible Interpretation

Is the path the leads to life narrow?

Is the path that leads to salvation narrow? That is how some English translations (KJV, NASB) translate Matthew 7.13-14 and do indeed call the path that leads to life narrow. However, this translation, I think, does not really capture what is really being said in these verses.

2022-02-04

7 min read

Bible , Soteriology , Discipleship

Bible Interpretation

Posts resume in February

Just a quick note that posts will resume starting February. Going forward I have decided on a once per month posting schedule. The hope is that this new schedule will be maintainable for the long term and that it will result in better posts. If you don’t already please follow the Facebook page. If you would like to follow via email please let me know (tom@lucidchristianity.com). I have held off on adding an email subscription option, but if there is enough interest in it I will add that ability.

2022-01-21

1 min read

On hiatus until 2022

This project will be on hiatus until the end of the year. There are a couple of reasons for this. I need a break. I need time to figure out how to best move forward with this project. From the outset I have always envisioned this as basically a passion project. Something that I would enjoy doing, but that I wasn’t expecting to necessarily make any sort of money off of. The 1 article per week pace I have been writing at has proved to be too time consuming for such a project.

2021-11-24

2 min read

How to write propaganda

Satire is wonderful art form and when executed well can bring absurdity to light.

2021-11-01

14 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

The Evangelical Church is Breaking Apart

Yesterday (10/24/21) The Atlantic published an article by Peter Wehner who wanted, “to understand the splintering of churches, communities, and relationships” that has occurred in the “Evangelical” community over the past few years. The article makes a lot of good points and I want to respond to a few of them here.

2021-10-25

6 min read

Ecclesiology

Church Issues

How to get into a daily Bible reading habit

One of the barriers, I think, that prevents people from getting into a daily Bible reading habit is that they don’t understand what they are reading. And since they don’t understand they don’t benefit from it. And not benefitting from it they stop doing it entirely. This is unfortunate because I think it can be avoided completely. This post will discuss some ways to break down this barrier.

2021-10-18

7 min read

Bible , Discipleship

Bible Interpretation

What does it mean to rightfully divide the word of truth?

“Rightly divide the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2.15) is a common phrase and exhortation in Christianity. It is often directed towards ministers or pastors as a way of telling them to be sure that they are teaching things that are true. While these things are important there is more to “rightly dividing the word of truth” than intellectual or scholarly acumen.

2021-10-01

6 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

What does it mean to look lustfully at someone?

Jesus’ statement that if anyone looks at a woman “lustfully” then he has already committed adultery with her in his heart is perhaps one of the more difficult teachings in the Bible. It is not just difficult to fulfill, it is also somewhat difficult to even understand in the first place. What constitutes looking lustfully at someone?

2021-09-24

7 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

The danger of inaccurate remembrance

When we look back on past events we tend to remember mostly the good things and leave out the bad things. Without both the good and the bad we have an inaccurate memory of the past, and this inaccuracy can lead us to make mistakes in the present or in the future.

2021-09-17

7 min read

Bible

Reflections

Personality and discipleship

A perennial struggle in Christianity is the struggle between preserving the old and adapting to the new. On the one hand we have a faith that we must preserve and hand on to future generations, but on the other new discoveries and advances are constantly being made, especially in the areas of science and technology. How much of the old do we change or reformulate in light of the new? One of the fields that has been part of this debate is psychology.

2021-09-10

11 min read

Theology

Church Issues

What are spiritual gifts?

Simply stated, spiritual gifts are “gifts” that the Holy Spirit gives to Christians for the building up, strengthening, and maintaining of the Church. For most Christians their conception is formed by various passages in the letters of the Apostle Paul (mainly 1 Corinthians 12.8-10, 28; Romans 12.6-8, and Ephesians 4.11), but the concept is actually much larger than these passages. In fact, we can even find examples of spiritual gifts in the Old Testament.

2021-09-03

6 min read

Theology , Bible

Bible Interpretation

The One: Can Genetics Determine True Love?

For most of us when we think of love we primarily envision a romantic sort of love where it merges with lust and/or sexual attraction. When love is conceived of in this manner it leads us to think that it is something that just happens, and if it happens then it is true love and it will last forever. This is the version that the company known as The One in the Netflix series “The One” is selling to consumers.

2021-08-27

5 min read

Ecclesiology , Soteriology

Sci-Fi and Theology

When should you leave a church?

One of the more difficult things in life, I think, is learning when to stick something out and learning when to walk away from something. Sometimes the choice is obvious. Sometimes it is not. When the decision is about whether or not leave a local church the decision can be even more difficult. The local church is not an impersonal entity, like a stock that you can buy or sell shares of based on what you think the market will do.

2021-08-20

12 min read

Ecclesiology

Church Issues

Is God's justice punitive? Or restorative?

God’s justice is not about punishment, but about accountability, restoration, and reconciliation. What does this statement mean? Is it even correct?

2021-08-13

9 min read

Bible , Theology , Soteriology

Bible Interpretation

The sun shines even in the cold

The spiritual consequences of poor mental health can be great.

2021-08-06

5 min read

Soteriology

Reflections

People deserve a choice with their mental health

Mental health is a topic that it seems is difficult for Christians to discuss. Part of the reason, I think, is because it suffers from “we don’t talk about that” syndrome. Another part is, I think, that we really lack the vocabulary to discuss it accurately.

2021-07-30

9 min read

Mental Health

Social Issues

Midnight Special: Responding to the Supernatural

Our lives are unpredictable. We don’t know what might happen to us, our friends, our families, or other people we care about. Some of these events might even beyond our control to change and our only option is to accept that they did happen and acknowledge the consequences and attempt to move on from them as best we can. This unpredictability with life is one of themes explored in the film Midnight Special.

2021-07-23

6 min read

Revelation

Sci-Fi and Theology

A brief discussion of how Bible translation actually works

Do translation editors really attempt to whitewash the Bible?

2021-07-16

12 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

A brief overview of Ecclesiastes

If you were to survey a group Christians on their favorite book of the Bible I would bet good money on not one of them choosing Ecclesiastes. It is not easy book to understand, but it has a valuable message for us.

2021-07-09

11 min read

Bible

Bible Interpretation

Hope in a Hopeless World

How do you maintain hope in the midst of hopeless circumstances?

2021-06-25

9 min read

Eschatology

Sci-Fi and Theology

Is the love of money the root of all evil?

Is the love of money the cause of every evil? Or is the love of money the cause of many, but not all, evils? This question arises, at least in part, due to the different ways that English translations translate 1 Timothy 6.10.

2021-06-18

6 min read

Bible , Soteriology

Bible Interpretation

Love, Death, and Robots: The Cursed Immortality of Pop Squad

Immortality is an idea that at least a couple of recent shows have explored. Many times it ends up being presented as something that is problematic and something that should not be pursued or desired for various reasons. This is a challenge to the Christian worldview whose whole goal is to lead people to eternal life, or an immortality that is desirable.

2021-06-11

7 min read

Eschatology , Soteriology

Sci-Fi and Theology

The Seriousness of Heresy

To call someone a heretic is to bring a very serious charge against them. The word is often thrown around amongst Christian groups seemingly without an understanding as to what they are actually saying about someone when they call them a “heretic.”

2021-06-04

6 min read

Bible , Theology

Bible Interpretation

What does "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" mean?

The phrase, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” is, I think commonly understood to mean that someone wants to do something but is unable to due to physical limitations. However, I think there is more to the phrase than denoting mere physical inability.

2021-05-28

10 min read

Bible , Soteriology

Bible Interpretation

The Counterfeit Salvation of the Ori

Not all that glitters is gold.

2021-05-21

7 min read

Soteriology

Sci-Fi and Theology

What do Christians believe about the end of the world?

“Eschatology” is a big word that simply refers to the discussion concerning the “last things.” Most of the time those “last things” are the things that will happen at the end of the world. No clear and definitive view has been defined or articulated by the church on these matters.

2021-05-14

7 min read

Eschatology

Theological Foundations

What does the Bible say about how we are "saved?"

What does the Bible say about salvation? In this final post on the topic of Salvation within Christianity I take a look at the language and imagery that the Bible uses to describe how God saves us.

2021-05-08

17 min read

Soteriology

Theological Foundations

How did Jesus reconcile us to God?

Views of the Atonement I am using the term “view” intentionally here. The Atonement, I think, is best described as a mosaic; there are several different things stitched together to form one complete image. By themselves they don’t make much sense, but taken together they form a single image.

2021-04-30

14 min read

Soteriology

Theological Foundations

What is salvation in Christianity?

What is salvation? Salvation is perhaps best thought of as the goal of Christianity. It has suffered, I think, in recent times from being boiled down to a one time decision or moment when it is fact a process that a Christian works out over the course of their entire life.

2021-04-23

12 min read

Soteriology

Theological Foundations

What do Christians believe about Jesus?

Heresy is often the main driving force behind the doctrinal formulations and articulations in the early church. It was heresy that prompted the first two Ecumenical Councils and it would be heresy that would prompt the next 3 Ecumenical Councils.

2021-04-16

13 min read

Christology

Theological Foundations

What do Christians believe about the Bible?

The Bible is the most important book in Christianity and perhaps also the most misunderstood. It has had some of its passages ripped out of context and used as justification for all sorts of abuses and atrocities. Slavery, racism, misogyny, various political causes, etc. have been attempted to be justified on the basis of various Bible passages. In fact, I’m willing to bet that with enough creativity you can find a Biblical justification for almost anything that you want to do. So there is a lot of clarification that needs to be done in regards to what Christians believe about the Bible, even among Christians.

2021-04-08

16 min read

Bible

Theological Foundations

The Traumatic City of the Soul

In the previous post I mentioned that I believe we sometimes engage in various activities in an attempt to build ourselves some insulation from our fear of God and avoid having to recognize some uncomfortable truths (like our own mortality). However, I believe that we can also build this insulation in a response to trauma.

2021-04-01

4 min read

Revelation

The City of the Soul

I think we are all afraid of God. Whether we are the most devout Christian on the planet, or the most hardened atheist, I think we are all afraid of God. The difference I think is in to what extent we have gone to insulate ourselves from our fear.

2021-03-25

4 min read

Revelation

Who do Christians believe God is? (part 2)

In part 1 We set out the basics concerning the Trinity, namely how the doctrine is articulated. In part 2 we are going to delve into the details of how this doctrine came to be articulated as such.

2021-03-14

14 min read

Theology , Trinity

Theological Foundations

Who do Christians believe God is? (part 1)

When we try to describe the Trinity we have set before ourselves a difficult task because attempting to describe the transcendent using human language is a bit of an impossible task. One theologian has likened it as an attempt to pour the ocean into a cup.

2021-03-02

6 min read

Theology , Trinity

Theological Foundations

Why do Christians believe in God? (part 2)

In the previous post I discussed the overall concept of revelation and why it is important to Christian theology. In this post I will move into some specifics about revelation in an attempt to move the topic from the abstract to the concrete.

2021-02-24

10 min read

Theology , Revelation

Theological Foundations

Why do Christians believe in God? (part 1)

One of the foundational elements, I believe, to Christian theology and proper theological method is to first establish that God exists and how we know that he exists.

2021-02-17

8 min read

Theology , Revelation

Theological Foundations

About Me