Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
The Holy Bible is a book about God, and about the history of humankind and their redemption from sin. Within that context, there is much within the biblical record about the subject of marriage. Sexually, marriage was created and emphasized as a monogamous arrangement between male and female (Genesis 2:21-24), both physically and mentally (Matthew …
Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist and a descendant of Aaron, the prophet, high priest, and elder brother of Moses (Exodus 6:23-25). Her name means ‘my God has sworn’ or ‘God is my oath’ and she was a pious and privileged woman. She married Zechariah, of the priestly order of Abijah1 (or Abia), …
Joseph, whose descendants became one of the twelve tribes of Israel, was the son of Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel) and his wife Rachel. As a teenager, he was sold into Egyptian slavery by his brothers, but God watched over him and he rose to become the second most powerful man in Egypt. …
Genesis, chapter 10, begins the new human history following the Great Flood of Noah’s time. It describes the genealogy of Noah’s sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. These genealogical details are sometimes called the Table of Nations, as it describes the people who repopulate the earth and gives evidence concerning the dispersal of nations. For instance, …
In a prior article, I wrote about a time when someone asked me, “Do you believe in aliens?” I answered, “Yes, I believe that.” Then he asked another question, “Do you think they are here now?” Once again, I answered, “Yes.” He was, of course, not talking about legal or illegal migrants from other countries …
Recently I was doing research on a biblical subject and, by chance, I came across an article about a megachurch pastor who thought we should all stop using the Bible’s Old Testament. He said that Christians need to “unhitch” it from their faith. A Christian Post reporter explained that in the final part of a …
Evidence of faithful people is infused within the Holy Bible — throughout both the Hebrew and the Christian scriptures. But how do we describe ‘faith’? What, exactly, is it? There are many definitions of what is ‘faith’. An online encyclopedia states it is simply a belief without evidence, such as a trust in a person, …
I often take a philosophic view of life, especially if some event triggers certain thoughts and actions. I contemplate life and try to understand how our spiritual side and fleshly side direct our Christian path through our earthly journey. Anyway, remembering a short article I wrote years ago about only viewing life through memories of …
There is a situation in Genesis, when God’s selected righteous person appears to lie, which caused his wife to suffer a rather awkward dilemma. Abram (his name is later changed to Abraham) says to his wife, Sarai, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance, and when the Egyptians see you, they will …
Yes, that is an odd title, but if you have read some of my stuff, you already know how weird I am. If you haven’t figured out what the title refers to, read on; it will all come together, soon. I have gotten into the habit of listing a song related to my subject matter …