Reading as a Christian: Do you ever read an article or book on a view that is opposite your own? Why not? Often, Christians only read what confirms what they already think and believe. This is dangerous and can lead to often confusing what the Bible actually teaches with what is a product of your own denomination (or political preference, etc.). The point is that mature people, including mature Christians, want to understand why others hold the views that they do. Is it not fear or insecurity that prevents a person from doing so? A person with the truth should never be afraid to learn about other views. One of three things will happen: (1) You will see that you were wrong on a particular matter, (2) You will become even more confident in what you believe, and/or (3) You will still hold to the same position, but will have a more nuanced and compassionate understanding of other views AND the people that hold them.
Opportunity: Yesterday I was invited to speak today on THE article that serves as the foundation for studies in supererogation: “Saints and Heroes.” It was written by J.O. Urmson in 1958 and is a delightful piece. It should be fun. This morning I have my coffee, am reading this article again for the first time in a while, and getting my thoughts together. Always learning, always growing.
Internet Ethics: This simple moral principle could help a lot of us. Isn’t it pride to think that what we think ALWAYS needs to be made known?
Jesus and the Old Testament: I was recently asked to teach on Biblical Worldview, quite possibly the subject that I am most passionate about. As I was preparing, I wanted to know how many times Jesus quoted the Old Testament (also referred to as the Hebrew Bible) as recorded in the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John). Of course, he probably quoted it more than we can count, but I was interested to see how many times are recorded. One source states that Jesus quoted the OT 78 times, 26 of which were from the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). I then found this two-page PDF that provides a concise yet really helpful breakdown of the times that Jesus used the OT to teach, confront, etc. What is the simple lesson? While the New Testament had yet to be written during Jesus’s lifetime, the Old Testament had been long-established. What Jesus’s frequent use of the OT shows is that the Bible, the Word of God in propositional form (as opposed to the Word of God Incarnate in Jesus during his earthly life and ministry), is meant play a central role in the life of faith.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 