The Theologian's Table

The Mirror In the last post, which you can read here , I discussed having a dream about why Christians might treat the Bible like a spare tire. I concluded with one idea that the content can be challenging to read and come to terms with, but through a lifetime of wrestling with Scripture, God will bless us for our struggle. I'd like to continue with the same theme today but in a different way.  Aside from what critics of the Bible might interpret as divinely ordained violence, the Bible is just plain violent in many places, even in the New Testament, with the persecution of the Church. In fact, many who oppose Christianity being presented within the public school system have highlighted specific examples of biblical passages that might catch young readers off guard. The latest attempt, albeit tongue-in-cheek, came from a Florida man who opposed the Florida government removing books with questionable content, suggesting the new state standards were inconsistent. Even so, his commen...

  To Wrestle with Scripture is to be Blessed Recently, I had a dream that I've become somewhat obsessed with interpreting. In the dream, I was seated with others around a large conference table, and we were discussing some kind of pressing issue and having trouble finding a solution. We were also falling through the air during the meeting. In an attempt to try and find a solution, I pulled out a Bible from under the table. The person leading the discussion, one of my former professors, Dr. Chris Green, gave me a compassionate look but told me to put it away, saying, "people only use that as a spare tire." Those of us at the table never solved the shadowy problem, and I remember waking up feeling very puzzled. What did the dream mean? Not every dream has a meaning. Sometimes dreams are just leftover bits of information your mind is still processing, and you're treated to a viewing of that process while asleep. On the other hand, I, like Peter, believe that the Spirit o...

benirwin.files.wordpress.com      Like a child who pleads with their parents for one more bedtime story, the inquisitive Christian says, “Please, Father, tell me more.” The Bible holds many mysteries that beg to be explored for those who decide to pick it up and read it. There are also some stumbling blocks within it that can make people outside Christianity, or even Judaism, from seriously considering taking a closer look.      The Issue      One of the main issues many have with the Bible is that God seems to command the Israelites to commit much violence in the Old Testament. I’m no scholar, especially when it comes to the OT, but when I set out to study the OT in earnest I decided to also take special notice for possible explanations on why God would command said violence. What I present here is some of the things I have observed and please keep in mind that it is just observation and is by no means a definite answer.   ...