Heresy and the Canon
Around 140 AD, a wealthy shipowner named Marcion arrived in Rome. He was originally from Sinope, a city in Asia Minor on the coast of the Black Sea. Although he…
All Israel Shall Be Saved
For the last few weeks, we've been considering the status of ethnic Jews within God's overall purposes. The Apostle Paul spent three entire chapters (9-11) in the book of Romans…
God Loves Religion
Some time ago, we began to examine the aphorism frequently heard in evangelical circles, "Christianity is not about religion, but about relationship." Religion and Relationship – Why Seek the Living…
Not Of This World
In 1961, archeologists were excavating an ancient theater in the city of Caesarea, along the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Caesarea became the capital of the Roman province of Judea in…
The Riddles of the Torah
The Bible can be a puzzling book. The Torah - the first five books of the Old Testament - is the most archaic portion of the scriptures. According to tradition,…
The Conditional Love of God
God is love. What churchgoer hasn't heard this declaration? The phrase comes from I John 4:16. But what exactly does this mean? There is much confusion in our modern society…
Moral Tectonics
For thousands of years, humanity has suffered the deadly effects of earthquakes and volcanic activity. Famously, the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. obliterated the Roman town of Pompeii.…
The Wrong Shall Fail, The Right Prevail
Last week we began celebrating the music of the Christmas season. Our world has been immeasurably enriched by sacred works inspired by the birth of Jesus the Messiah. Yet we…
Letters to the Church
The ancient Jews believed that their God was the creator of all the earth. So even though the world was full of evil and injustice, they never wavered in their…
A New Hope
On May 25, 1977, the movie Star Wars was released. Written and directed by George Lucas, Star Wars is an imaginative tale which transpired "a long time ago" in a…