What follows is an essay I wrote several years back in response to what I have heard numerous times: that we cannot trust the Bible, nor can we reliably interpret it, as shown by the fact that modern people had to progress to the point where they eventually and wisely...

I Thess. 4: 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body[a] in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and...

 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted. 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3 If anyone thinks...

What was so unique about Anabaptism during the Reformation? What is Postmodernism? What is Christendom? What is the Reformation? What makes Anabaptism uniquely relevant today?“ Who are the Anabaptists?” (Apologies to any fans of Jeopardy) Any fans of the TV game show,...

Rev. 5: 6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He...

Eph. 4: 4: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And...

Galatians 5: 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor...

Not that I actually knew the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-19720, but whenever I read something of his, I get the strange sense that he knew me.  Works of his that have enlightened and blessed me by helping me see the Bible from a Jewish perspective (slap...

Eph.4: 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become...

Based on Jesus' parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15: 11-32 by Mathew Swora The scene was a room in a musty old church basement. Beige paint was peeling in flecks from the cinderblock walls, while knocking and banging noises were coming from a radiator. The floor:...