Gary Shogren's Blog
I can remember my first brush with an “urban legend”. In the early 1970s, I was in a group for Christian boys, and we got a monthly magazine, similar to “Boys’ Life”. One article passed along the following story, saying it was solid fact: In a southern state, two men were traveling along a rural... Continue Reading →
[this is the 2012 version of the post, and some of these are outdated] Gullibility is not a fruit of the Spirit. Yes, Paul did say that a Christian “believes all things” (1 Cor 13:7), but what he meant was, “to whatever extent possible, believe the best about other people”. It’s important to establish this... Continue Reading →
Click here to read Part I, which is necessary to understand this Part II. Some take issue with the 2011 update of the New International Version. For example, here’s the official statement from the Council of Biblical Manhood and Womanhood: As the evangelical community turns to CBMW for trusted counsel on contemporary Bible translations that... Continue Reading →
Search for comments on the new NIV by Google, and you will find bloggers talking about its “feminist agenda”, “Satan’s lies”, “end-time deception” and that “the homosexual community is excited about the new perversion of the Bible.” (They provided no statements from gay groups, expressing their glee). At its annual convention last year, the Southern Baptist... Continue Reading →
This is an article on these Pauline letters for a new Spanish-language Bible dictionary. The reader should note that a dictionary article is supposed to be "descriptive," that is, the author is expected to describe the state of the discussion, not argue for or against a particular viewpoint.Zondervan will be publishing my exegetical-pastoral commentary on 1-2 Thessalonians... Continue Reading →
An important debate between Bart Ehrman, who wrote that the New Testament is not reliable. He speaks with Daniel Wallace, who is perhaps the leading authority when it comes to collating manuscripts of the Greek Testament and digitizing them so that people world-wide have access to the oldest copies of the New Testament. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kg-dJA3SnTA&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Once upon a time there was a church, a body of Christ. On the platform stood various members. One man led the worship and read a Psalm aloud. A woman was the main singer; she too held a microphone. Two other women and a man were backup singers. There was a guitarist who played the... Continue Reading →
Part of my traditional New England upbringing was to learn to maintain boundaries between private issues, family matters, and public information. When I asked my parents what they were talking about, at times I heard, “Well, it doesn’t concern you.” Nothing gruff, like “it’s none of your business,” no “you wouldn’t understand.” Just, “if you needed to... Continue Reading →
A famous visiting preacher, the Rev. Johnson, is wrapping up his message on sacrificial love. He concludes with a story: In the church where I used to be the pastor, there was a boy named Jimmy, 10 years old. He was good-hearted and liked by everyone in the neighborhood. One day Jimmy saw the little... Continue Reading →
"When you're deciding which commentary to add to your library, what are the most important things to consider?" So asked Logos Bible Software on Facebook? To summarize my response: 1. Careful attention to the text, not an "agenda" (I see too many famous "exegetes" who merely reiterate what they already "know to be true"). I'm... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 