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.
“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.
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?
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.
“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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
