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 →
Israel and Palestine and a Hope for Peace
Seminario ESEPA held a conference in 2014 on the topic of "Israel and Palestine." They asked me to be one of the participants; I offered the following thoughts, which I have updated a bit, with the warning that they come from a Bible student with only cursory knowledge of world affairs. Good evening, and thank... Continue Reading →
Bible Prophecy, ch 1 – “Bible Prophecies” that are NOT found in the Bible
This is a long essay with numerous footnotes. The reader may prefer to download it in pdf form: Shogren_Bible Prophecy #1 Bible Prophecies that are NOT in the Bible I plan on at least two more articles in this series, in which I will describe End-Time expectations that may or may not be found in the... Continue Reading →
The Golden Rule and Political Discussion
This has been the most difficult election season, at least since 1948, perhaps since 1860. For that reason, may I request that, when someone didn't vote the way you or I did, that we not automatically respond: "Oh, that means you don't care at all about ____." "Oh, you're ignoring the sins of your candidate,... Continue Reading →
Is the Earth a flat disc after all?
Is it just me, or is anyone else running into Flat Earth proponents lately? (Check this ARTICLE) People who think NASA is doing mind control over us, that no one has ever been to space, that the Bible teaches the earth is a disc? Yeah, it's a thing. It's conspiracy thinking at heart. Basically an... Continue Reading →
“Four Blood Moons” and a false prophet
[Additional Note, Aug 6 2014. Of course the Blood Moon teachers are announcing, Aha! I told you that Israel and Gaza would go to war! Well, of course they predicted no such thing, but when someone says that "something will happen"; and then something, anything happens; one can then claim, See, I told you something would... Continue Reading →
The Forgotten Sign of the End Times: icy relations among God’s people
The signs of the End Times, you say? Sure, I can list a few! Earthquakes, wars, famines, pestilence! Persecution, false Messiahs, false prophets! Indeed, and they are right there in the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24-25).[1] What’s more, beyond the actual teaching of the New Testament, there exists an entire industry of people working double shifts,... Continue Reading →