Read more about the article The Importance of Reading the Bible as a Jewish Book
How to Read the Bible / Church History

The Importance of Reading the Bible as a Jewish Book

The Bible is a Jewish book.  Although we read it, study it and memorize it in English, it is not an American book.  All but one of its forty or so authors was Jewish, and it was written from a decidedly Hebraic perspective.  Therefore, in order for us to understand its meaning, we must read it in the way its authors and God intended it to be read.  What were they trying to communicate to their original audience?  How would they have understood it? These…

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August 18, 2019
Read more about the article How Plato Influenced Our View of God
Trifacial Trinity: Anonymous, Cusco School c. 1750
Church History / Preexistence

How Plato Influenced Our View of God

Many Christians sitting in the pew believe that their view of God, indeed orthodoxy's view, is derived solely from the Bible.  They would never suspect, however, that the roots of their belief in a triune God comes, not from Scripture, but from Greek philosophy.  Nor could they imagine that the respected early Church Fathers were to blame for synthesizing pagan philosophy, such as Plato's, with the sacred texts.  While the average Christian is unaware of such matters, Biblical scholars find this to be old news.…

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August 12, 2019
Read more about the article Jesus is Lord
Who is Jesus

Jesus is Lord

Jesus is Lord.  A simple yet profound statement that we must embrace if we are to be saved:Romans 10:8-9 (NASB) But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART"—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9  that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; (emphasis added)The word confess here means more than just a recitation of…

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August 6, 2019
Read more about the article Jesus’ Pre-existing Glory: An Examination of John 17:5
Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Dual Natures of Christ / Preexistence

Jesus’ Pre-existing Glory: An Examination of John 17:5

One of the passages cited as proof that Jesus pre-existed in heaven before being incarnated into the world comes from what is referred to as Jesus' high priestly prayer:John 17:4-5 (NASB) "I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. 5  "Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was. (emphasis added)The Definition of GloryThe word "glorify" in the Greek is doxazô, and it means to render or…

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August 3, 2019
Read more about the article Is Jesus Equal with God? An Examination of John 5:18
Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ / Principle of Agency

Is Jesus Equal with God? An Examination of John 5:18

When Jesus healed a man at the pool of Bethesda, he commanded him to, "Get up, pick up your pallet and walk."  When the self-righteous Jews found out what Jesus had done, they began persecuting him because it had occurred on the Sabbath.[1]  What infuriated them even more was Jesus' response to their aggression:John 5:17-18 (NASB)  But He answered them, "My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working." 18  For this reason therefore the Jews were seeking all the more to kill…

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July 20, 2019
Read more about the article The Transfiguration of Jesus
Transfiguration. Titan (c. 1560)
Proof Texts for the Deity of Christ

The Transfiguration of Jesus

The transfiguration of Jesus on Mt. Hermon[1] is considered by some Christians to be proof of his deity, despite the fact that the text does not claim as much.  If it is indeed proof, we can expect that this type of transformation would be exclusive to Jesus since fourth century Church Fathers claim he is the unique God-Man. A proper examination of the event in question must include the revelation given just days before.  In Matthew 16, Jesus asked his disciples, "Who do people say that…

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July 16, 2019
Read more about the article Jesus, the Human Agent of God
Who is Jesus / Principle of Agency

Jesus, the Human Agent of God

How could Jesus do the works of God and teach with the authority of God and yet not be God?  The answer: the principle of agency, a concept theologians and academicians understand, but one that is relatively unknown by laity. In The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we learned that an agent is one who has been "authorized to act for or in the place of another,"[1] In Hebraic terms, the agent or the "one sent" is called the…

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July 13, 2019
Read more about the article The Principle of Agency in the New Testament
How to Read the Bible / Principle of Agency

The Principle of Agency in the New Testament

The Principle of Agency in the New Testament As we learned in The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament, an agent is one who has been "authorized to act for or in the place of another."[1] In Hebraic terms, the agent or the "one sent" is called the shaliah.[2]  Its New Testament equivalent is the term apostle or apostolos in the Greek, and it means: a messenger, one sent on a mission.[3]  Regarding agency, James McGrath, professor and New Testament scholar writes: Agency was…

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July 9, 2019
Read more about the article The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament
How to Read the Bible / Principle of Agency

The Principle of Agency in the Old Testament

The Principle of Agency in the Old TestamentThe principle of agency, also known as the law of agency, is an important precept that helps us better understand, not only Scripture as a whole, but more specifically, who Jesus is, his ministry, and his relationship to God.  Those who traverse the halls of academia have long known about this principle.  Unfortunately, those charged with instructing the Christian in the pew either do not know about it, or they have neglected to share it with those in…

8 Comments
July 5, 2019
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