Introduction to the Old Testament for Bibles International
I wrote the following introduction to the Old Testament for Bibles International; it is being translated and placed into Bibles all around the world. Come back tomorrow for the intro to the New Testament. The Bible tells one story, because God has one plan for all of history (Isa. 46:9–10; Gal. 4:4–6). The 39 books of the Old Testament begin the story but stop just short of the climax. The Story The first five books (Genesis–Deuteronomy) set the foundation for the story. God creates the world...
Introduction to the Bible for Bibles International
I wrote the following introduction for Bibles International; it is being translated and placed at the beginning of Bibles all around the world. Come back tomorrow and the next day for intros to the Old Testament and New Testament. The Bible tells one story. Just one. It’s a long one, and sometimes a complicated one. But it’s just one story. The Bible is the story of what God is doing to glorify Himself by redeeming His fallen creation. That includes four major things to remember: Creation: God...
Review: David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Though Gladwell's interpretation of the David and Goliath story leaves a bit to be desired (he reads too much into certain narrative details and fails utterly to place the story in the bigger story of David—and the even bigger story of Jesus), the principle he uncovers in the book seems valid: underdogs have more strength, and "overdogs" have more weaknesses, than we might...
Review: By the Waters of Bablyon
Scott Aniol’s new book, By the Waters of Babylon: Worship in a Post-Christian Culture, argues at length against the architects of missional evangelism—not because Aniol thinks the attractional model (of Hybels, Warren, et al.) is better, but because he doesn’t see cultural forms as neutral, suitable for any message including the gospel. Here’s what I take to be his thesis paragraph for the book: Although the missional church seems to correctly recognize the nature of the Christendom paradigm...
Bible Faculty Summit 2016
Last week for the third time I attended the Bible Faculty Summit. For the third time I delivered a paper. For the third time I was encouraged, edified, and fattened. This year we all went to Maranatha Baptist University in Watertown, Wisconsin. (I managed to enjoy a little pick-up ultimate in Milwaukee the night I arrived—it was awesome!) Larry Oats and the folks at MBU were very welcoming and generous. I got in a bit early and spent all day Tuesday in their beautiful library finishing up my...