I just visited our seminary in Costa Rica and gave an address on "Christian Leaders and LifelongLearning." I suggested that "reading" was one of the best tools for building up brain power. And that reading broadly, including books we disagree with, will help rescue us from our social media echo chambers. Just on the level... Continue Reading →
“I’m just sayin'” can be sin, too
FALSE PROPHETS: Just finished reading Jeremiah, and part of it's story is that false prophets greatly outnumbered true ones. God says, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they run around claiming to speak for me. I have given them no message, yet they go on prophesying." (Jer 23:21)I'm convinced of the same today. This... Continue Reading →
The Critical Text of the New Testament versus the Majority Text
I am committed to using the very best edition of the Greek New Testament. At this moment, I accept as best the Nestle-Aland 28th edition (NA-28; I do not say this to put down the SBL or the Tyndale House New Testaments, but that is an issue for another day). Thus I am dumbfounded by... Continue Reading →
My 2019 Reading List – some of my favorites!
Every year I join the Goodreads Reading Challenge (take a look at the wonderful site, http://www.goodreads.com, where you can log your reading). This year, as in the past few years, I have set the goal of reading 104 books, an average of two per week. Some are shorter novellas or tractates, some are long novels... Continue Reading →
“Open Our Eyes Lord” celebrates its 10th Birthday!
From the very beginning I was a reluctant blogger. Years ago, when my friend Mark suggested that I blog, my response was: “Isn’t that one of those things where I would go on and give random opinions and share vacation pictures?” Well, he answered, some blogs are like that, but listen, if it's your blog,... Continue Reading →
Carefully screen out those “exes” – ex-Illuminati, ex-Jesuits, ex-Mormon, and of course, QAnon
There is a whole genre of exposé literature, interviews, videos that follow this familiar formula: “I am an ex-[whatever] and I am going to reveal the shocking inside secrets.” Ex-Communist. Ex-Janitor at Area 51. Ex-Catholic priest (Charles Chiniquy, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, 1885). Ex Guy-who-sprayed-chemtrails-from-my-jet (see below). Ex-Jesuit (Jack Chick's man, "Alberto,"... Continue Reading →
Lost your Life? No problem! Christ has it in safekeeping
To download the entire file click here: SHOGREN_ILE conference 2018, Lost Your Life No Problem Christ has it in Safekeeping Mark 10:28 – Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!” Note: This series was given to students at the Spanish Language Institute in San José, Costa Rica. Most of them were learning... Continue Reading →
New Documentary: “Fragments of Truth”
UPDATE! This was a one night special showing, but I am told it will be out as a video. You can sign up here to get the announcement when it is due out. I am extraordinarily excited about a new documentary on the manuscripts of the New Testament. This is a topic I teach on,... Continue Reading →
No commentary necessary
Here is a snapshot of one and the same website, once in early September, once in early October. BEFORE AND AFTER STILL LATER - it still looks the same! "Currently offline!" These are not Photoshopped, by the way, except to blur out the website address. Which was a very gracious act on my part. By... Continue Reading →
Me, a hater of the King James Bible? Who in the world told you that?!
There are Christians who are King James people because they prefer the wonderful language and cadence of the KJV, or who believe (with little evidence, but no matter for now) that it best represents the original Greek text. Overall, with these brothers and sisters, I have no serious quarrel. But when someone condemns my non-KJV... Continue Reading →