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Articles marked were posted in the last 30 days.

Bible & History

“Is There Evidence for Jesus Outside the Bible?”  [ | ] (posted November 7, 2010)  Typical skeptic complaint: The Bible is the only evidence for Jesus.  That’s not true at all.  There is plenty of evidence for Jesus outside the Bible.  Mariano Grinbank agrees!

“On Originality and Divine Inspiration” [ | ] (posted July 19, 2011)  The assumption that the Bible must be totally original in order to be divinely inspired seems to underlie many skeptical complaints.  But it’s not necessary, and we shall see why.

“Take Away Value: On the Multifaceted Nature of Scripture” [ | ] (posted July 5, 2011)  While questions of historicity are important, it is far more important to understand the message that God wants you to take home from the Scriptures.

“Who Wrote the Book of Hebrews?” [] (posted May 27, 2006; cross-posted at GotQuestions.org)  An examination of the anonymous author of the book of Hebrews.  Was it Paul?  Someone under Paul?  Will we ever know?

Biblical Morality

God Commanded Terrible Things!  The critic of Christianity often points out that God commands some terrible things.  But, he is either mistaken or he misunderstands the reasons for the terrible things.  Here are some of the “terrible things” unpacked, to help the critic better understand:

• Child sacrifice []
• Death sentence for “minor” infractions (breaking the Sabbath; homosexuality) []
• Genocide []
• Slavery []

Homosexuality.  This is a real hot-button issue, and I’ve tried to address it with the gentleness and reverence commanded by the apostle Peter:

• Is Homosexuality a Sin? []
• “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin” [] is invalid; Christians do hate gay people.
• Homophobia is used to shut us down [] and precludes meaningful conversation.
• A reply to John Shelby Spong [].  Though tailored to chapter 4 of Spong’s The Sins of Scripture, it is a valid reply to homosexuality in general.

Christian Living

“Are Christ’s Loftier Promises Valid Today?” [] (posted May 27, 2006)  Christ promises us that we will charm snakes, survive poison, speak in foreign tongues — can we do any of that stuff?

Nature of God

“Did God Cause 9/11?”  [] (posted October 23, 2011)  Asked of me once at a youth group co-op by one of the youth.  We didn’t get time to explore it, but this is how I would have responded to it.

“Does God Create Evil?” [ | ] (posted August 24, 2011)  Responding to a 2007 Daylight Atheism article that claims God creates evil and that they can prove it using the Bible.

“How God Identifies Himself” [ | ] (posted July 5, 2011)  An important lesson from the Almighty — how he identifies himself is a lesson from which all Christians can take something away.