Studies on the Fringe of Christianity
There is a biblical interpretation system, called dispensationalism, that identifies basic time periods or historical ages in which God dispensed methods of organization, law, and government to humankind. A popular Bible dictionary indicates that the word dispensation comes from the Greek oikonomia which means “management” and the first definition listed is “the method or scheme …
The patriarch of the three Abrahamic religions is the prophet Abraham, from which Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all claim a shared ancestry. This story about him begins in Mesopotamia at the beginning of the Middle Bronze Age (c. 1900 BC), when Abram (Abraham’s name before God changed it) was called by God to become the …
In a restaurant a few days ago, I overheard a small group of people discussing the account in the Gospels, when Jesus confronted a Canaanite woman. What really caught my attention though, was when one person said, “I don’t think Jesus should have made such a mean racist comment to someone asking him for help.” …
Do you believe in ghosts? According to the Huffington Post, nearly half of Americans do. A HuffPost poll “shows that 45 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, or that the spirits of dead people can come back in certain places and situations.”1 In the U.K., 52 percent of respondents indicated that they believed in ghosts, …
This article is short, but truly a study on the fringe of Christianity, something I am known to present. But it is just a study and examination of what a few others suppose. It is not suggested as doctrine or dogma — it is just something to make you think “outside of the box” and …
All of the pastors that I’ve ever heard giving a sermon on Genesis chapter 6, started with Genesis 6:5. When I asked why they skipped the first four verses, I usually got one of three answers: (1) “they aren’t important to the story,” (2) “they are too complicated for the congregation to understand,” or (3) …
An article in a recent issue of Israel Exploration Journal indicates that a ring has been found which bares the inscription of Pontius Pilate. This information has been released by RT News Network.1 The bronze ring was originally found about 50 years ago during an archaeological dig at a Herodian fortress site built by King …
The story of Jesus writing in the dust has always had a bit of mystery associated with it, because nowhere in the Bible does it state exactly what he wrote. We do know what it was about, so there have been many suggestions, both reasonable and unreasonable, as to his exact communication on that day. …
Does the Bible really convey a message about hemorrhoids? Yes, it does. But first, for the sake of accuracy, let’s read a brief description of this affliction, for it is necessary for the story about to be told. Hemorrhoids (or piles) are enlarged veins of the anus and rectum. They affect about 75 percent of …
While in the check out line at a small discount store the other day, I watched as a customer complained about the person in front of her having a few too many items for the express lane. Her voice was loud and angry and she kept berating the offender and store employee over such an …