Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
The Bible tells us of two opposing groups of spiritual emotions, desires, and acts. There is a good or nice group which we should strive to emulate and the other, a bad or evil one of which we should choose to reject. On the good side are the ‘fruits of the spirit’: “love, joy, peace, …
During his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to …
As I get older and my knees hurt more, I use a walking cane to help me get around. I thought that a really nice one would be fun to have when leaving the house and going someplace special. In my grandfather’s day, he would have called it his “Sunday-go-to-meeting cane.” Since on our wedding …
A belief in ghosts is very common. Worldwide, more than half the population believe in ghosts or spirits of the dead. A lot of years ago, I did, too, although I never had any personal contact. Before a study of God’s word to guide me, I thought this belief was true, because that concept was …
The Book of Acts, according to tradition, was written by the apostle Luke from his personal experiences and those of people he knew. There are, however, academics that believe another source of authorship should be considered, but that is not our focus at this time. Our study will concern chapter 16 of Acts, which includes …
Most Christians believe in something called a human soul that survives death. The questions of when and how a person obtains that soul, whatever it is, have been discussed and debated throughout Christian history. It is no different today, especially for those who are trying to determine abortion law. Although atheists don’t believe in God, …
Nicodemus, a Pharisee and prominent member of the Sanhedrin, came one night to visit Jesus and discuss his new religious doctrine. Now, a Pharisee was a member of a Jewish sect noted for strict observance of the rites and ceremonies of the written law — that of the law of Moses as well as Jewish …
I have often said that my approach to God’s word has always been in trying to follow the logic behind his plan. That is the main reason I love the apostle Paul so much, because he presents the nature of God and Jesus in a logical and organized way. He focuses on salvation as a …
Samson was the 15th and most famous judge of Israel and reigned for two decades, some 3,000 years ago. Judges were people that served roles as military leaders in times of crisis, before an Israelite monarchy was established.1 He never did completely free his people from Philistine bondage, but did provide some relief. Samson gave …
The most famous murder in the Bible is the first one, when Cain killed his brother, Abel. Facts of the physical homicide are plainly stated, so this murder mystery is not an investigation to figure out who was the perpetrator, but what was his motive for committing the crime, and why God handled it the …