I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Notice that Paul couches the amazing Christian claim that “Christ died for our sins” in both Scriptural and historical language: “in accordance with the scriptures.”
Culture
The Core of Christianity Is Christ
The Bible is gospel-centered. The Bible is not primarily calling you to be a good person, but to trust in the grace of God to make you good enough for heaven.
The Big Point of the Big Boat
Make yourself an ark of gopher wood. Make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you are to make it: the length of the ark 300 cubits, its breadth 50 cubits, and its height 30 cubits (Genesis 6:14-15). The Big Boat The dimensions of the ark were about 450 feet long, by 75 feet wide, by 45 feet high. Such a huge vessel would have had a total storage capacity of almost one and a half million square feet.
The Bible Makes Science Good
A biblical worldview not only enables you to do science well—”Thinking God’s thoughts after Him,” as Johannes Kepler put it—a biblical worldview enables you to do science with goodness. A great deficiency of secular science is that it ignores the problem of the human condition. The fact is, the Nazis were among the most scientifically advanced people of their generation, making huge leaps in many areas of science. But look what they used their knowledge to do! The Holocaust is just one reminder that science alone not only does not eradicate the problem of evil—it can actually be used to
A Tale of Two Wisdoms
…it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 2:6-7). Put simply, there are two wisdoms, Paul says: human wisdom, and divine wisdom. They are not the same. They are not even similar. They are not coming to the same conclusions about God, life, priorities, joy, fulfillment, or meaning.
Is the History of the Bible Important?
Unlike any other of the religions of the world, Christianity is uniquely and entirely dependent upon the historical veracity of its holy book, the Bible. The very narratives and prophecies which make up the majority of its pages, rather than being simply a complement to, are the vitals of what Christianity contends as a religion. If the historicity of Adam and Eve, Moses, Abraham, Jesus, and others are not true, then there is nothing on which to found the rest of the Christian teachings.
Sowing, Reaping, & George Floyd
Like most of you, I’ve been thinking a lot recently: About race and justice and police immunity and identity politics and a thousand other things that landed us where we are. But mostly I’ve been thinking about sowing and reaping. Paul said that we reap what we sow: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap” (Galatians 6:7). It’s true for individuals and true for cultures: Life gives us back what we (individually and collectively) put into it. Not immediately. But over time and with the unbreakable rhythm of the seasons.
I Was In New York on September 11th
It was a rainy evening in New York City on Monday, September 10, 2001. My wife and I were in town for business but had enjoyed the opportunity to do some sight-seeing and get a taste for Manhattan’s wonderful diversity of food, scenery, and arts. We bought umbrellas and a rain jacket at Pier 17, hotdogs and Broadway tickets in Time Square, before eventually taking in The Phantom of the Opera that night. Afterward, we took the subway to our hotel — just across the water from, but in sight of, the World Trade Center.
Most Americans Say Many Religions Lead to Eternal Life
A recent survey from Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life concluded that “most Americans say they are absolutely sure about standards of right and wrong – and are just as sure that no one religion holds an exclusive franchise on the truth,” according to an article by the Dallas Morning News. It goes one to say, Overwhelming majorities of Americans say they believe in God (or a “universal spirit”). But substantial majorities from all major religious categories also say they believe their religion is not the only path to eternal life, and that there’s not just one correct version
Let Us Declare Our Dependence
In the United States we are thankful, as a nation, for the Independence Day that we celebrate each summer. How God has blessed this country! While its story has been far from perfect, the United States has played a unique role in human history. Principles of biblical wisdom grounded the forming of our very Constitution. And, as a result of many of those principles believed and lived out among the American people, we have seen unparalleled prosperity over the past century and have become a singular superpower in an increasingly global society. Yet, may we never forget — in this
What (or Who) Is Your Trophy?
In honor of the Academy Awards, the Hollywood Reporter some time ago revealed the surprising places stars store their statues after finally winning them. One star stores his in the refrigerator, another in the bottom of a closet gathering dust. Tom Hanks’ two best actor statues? He says, “They are on the family trophy shelf, next to the soccer trophies. I think the World’s Greatest Mom trophy from Mother’s Day is up there as well.”