Looked at from one angle, my life may be divided into two halves. The first half was labeled: No thanks. The second half: Yes, let's! Actual Examples of “No Thanks”: Gary, you want to go sailing in the bay with us? No thanks. How about playing some hoops? Don’t feel like it. You want to go... Continue Reading →
JETS review of my Thessalonians commentary
JETS review of Shogren ZECNT
Frenemies of Christ
Have you met the guy who says: Yes, I’m a follower of Jesus, but I’m not a “churcher.” I have fellowship with my Christian friends, we pray together, we talk over coffee, we discuss the Bible, we have a commitment to hold each other accountable. These guys are my “church.” And they are more serious... Continue Reading →
Dear Apple, Inc. – you ruined my life, so I’m suing
Hey, did you hear about the guy who sued Apple computers, blaming its devices for his lifelong addiction to pornography, a failed marriage, and “emotional distress to the point of hospitalization”? I pride myself on being able to sniff out fake stories. When I heard the PornApple one I immediately decided, that’s a little too... Continue Reading →
Review of my Thessalonians commentary
The Review of Biblical Literature just published its review of my Zondervan commentary: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf The only objection that I might offer is that he seems to have misread my study of the textual variants ηπιοι versus νηπιοι in 1 Thess 2:7. The fact that he say "nepioi" and read it as "epioi" was, ironically, the... Continue Reading →
The Gospel and Choice, Part 1 – Is the battle for belief played on an even field?
Have you debated the doctrine of election, jaw clenched, over coffee? In a classroom? In your small group? It’s a vital topic, but your venue is ill-chosen. Rather, we should be discussing the doctrine of election to the extent we are doing evangelism and being eyewitnesses to God's transforming power. That's how the apostles did... Continue Reading →
Studies in Thessalonians series
These posts are based on my commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians, available from Zondervan Publishing. 1 Corinthians and Thessalonians: My New Commentaries now available! The review of my commentary in the international Review of Biblical Literature: http://www.bookreviews.org/pdf/8733_9615.pdf What books have I used to write a commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians? [Studies in 1 Thessalonians] What Would a Mother... Continue Reading →
Studies in 1 Corinthians by Gary Shogren
These posts are adaptations of my commentary on 1 Corinthians, based on my own study of the critical Greek text, the early church fathers and the best of contemporary scholarship. It is available in Spanish from http://www.clie.es, in English from Amazon and from Logos. Why you’ve never heard of the Second Corinthian Church [Studies in... Continue Reading →
Terminal Uniqueness: a spiritual disease [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
We’re about 30 minutes into a movie that I’m about to snap off, because it’s the umpteenth version of clichéd plot #74, that one about The Cop who Plays by his own Rules. He doesn’t “go by the book,” so he gets suspended and has to turn in his badge. His apartment is a mess; his relationships... Continue Reading →
May Christians create holidays such as Christmas?
May Christians create holidays? The Bible gives us precedent to say Yes. First, God’s people have always celebrated holidays that are not mandated in the Bible. To name three, the feast of Purim was established in the 400s BC, when Esther and Mordecai saved the Jews from slaughter. The name Purim is the Hebrew form... Continue Reading →