The teaching known as Lashon Hakodesh (“the sacred language”) is multifaceted. It was originally a designation for Biblical Hebrew as such. But it later grew to have more implications that Hebrew is somehow a magical language. There are sub-legends that follow along with this: 1. That Hebrew is the language spoken in heaven. 2. That... Continue Reading →
Thou Shalt Not Bully Those who use a Different Bible Translation!
There are now hundreds of versions of the Bible in English, and more come out every year. And there is great benefit from comparing version with version. Still, if I were king, I would impose a moratorium on new Bible versions for at least a decade. If I were king. But, let’s see what hand life... Continue Reading →
The Emperor Constantine the Great – a villain or a hero, or something in-between?
Download the article as a pdf: Shogren_The Emperor Constantine the Great – a villain or a hero, or something in-between To many, the Emperor Constantine was a saint: in the Orthodox church he is one of the “Equal-to-Apostles” (isapóstolos) a title given to people (such as Patrick, Cyril the evangelist of Russia and others) who were... Continue Reading →
Just read the BIBLE!
[Readers might enjoy my essay, "How to Calculate When Jesus will come - without even being a prophet!" In it I deal with people who keep making false predictions.] If I didn't know better, I would have guessed the announced Bible, below, was a hoax. It is not. The demonstrably false prophet John Hagee is not only making... Continue Reading →
“Imitating other Believers in Judea” – 1 Thess 2:13-16 [Sermon Notes on 1 Thessalonians, Week 8]
(13) And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe. (14) For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s... Continue Reading →
Does John 4:22 say that salvation is just for Jews?
[Note – this is a very live topic in Latin America, and I wrote this for the church there. I also offer it for the English-speaking church]. Every time I write that salvation is for all who believe the gospel; that Gentile believers are not obligated to be circumcised or observe the 613 laws of... Continue Reading →
Jesus? Yeshua? Yahushua? Which is the ‘real’ pronunciation?
From my ministry in Central America, I understand how names change from language to language: the English form of my name “Gary Shogren” is difficult for the Spanish-speaker – the “a” and the “e” don’t have exact counterparts in Spanish; nor does “sh”. I say my name one way if I’m speaking English and another... Continue Reading →
The Spanish New Testament version known as the “Código Real”
In October 2009, someone sent an email among us professors of ESEPA Bible College and Seminary in Costa Rica to ask, had anyone heard of a Hebrew-Spanish New Testament known as the “Código Real” (the “Royal Code of Laws”; not to be confused with the Hebrew Roots Bible or the Hebraic New Testament)? He said... Continue Reading →