Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
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 …
My experiences with death started at a very early age. In New Orleans, where I was born, small children were not sheltered from the dying and death events of others, as they are in many places. For instance, I was a pallbearer at my grandmother’s funeral when I was twelve years old. I remember going …
During ancient times, many people, thought that a belief in Satan was only superstition, and even today many think of Satan only as a figure of speech or an imaginary figment of the imagination to blame when things go wrong or when we find ourselves involved in some unethical behavior. But Jesus Christ knew the …
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 …
Chances are that most people have not read or heard about the story in Ezekiel, chapter 23. This is one of those “X-rated” chapters of the Bible, which may be occasionally referred to, but never read in church. It is a dire but foretelling story showing that God has a great deal of patience and …
I’m often asked if I believe demons are real and if so, can they really live within people and take control away from them. I always answer, “Yes. Demons are real and the Bible gives evidence of people being controlled by them.” There are several instances in the Holy Bible relating to how Jesus cast …
The Church has changed a lot since the time Christ walked on earth, especially since the Bible came to be easily available to almost everyone. But there are a few things that haven’t changed much at all. Take the subject of sex, for example. We talk about sexual immorality as a problem and can look …
Jesus died– the veil was torn– there was an earthquake– and immediate resurrection of saints! The remarkable events recorded in some verses of Matthew 27, which occurred at the very moment of Jesus’ death on the cross, have been passionately debated for years. Scholars are ‘all over the map,’ so to speak, about what is …