Skip to content

Art

He breathed his last

It was God’s human Son, not God, who died on the cross for us.

Genesis 1 compared to previous origin stories

Here is an epic post by our friend Dr. Dustin Smith, blogger at Dustin Martyr, comparing the opening of Genesis to earlier Near Eastern origin stories. …while the ancient cosmology described in Gen. 1:1-2:3 shares much in common with other creation accounts in the Ancient Near East, it is in the matter which they differ which sets it apart and brings it distinction within Israelite… Read More »Genesis 1 compared to previous origin stories

the LORD says to my lord

At his blog Theology and Justice, Roman effectively dismantles Nabeel Qureshi’s appeal to Psalm 110:1 in his recent debate as showing (or suggesting? hinting?) that Jesus is God, or equal to God, or a member of the Trinity, or that there is plurality of personhood in God… or something trinitarian. I would only add that I don’t think that Mr. Qureshi is being dishonest; I only think… Read More »the LORD says to my lord

He is risen!

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”… Read More »He is risen!

a real scholar on the so-called “Lost Gospel”

Leading scholar Dr. Richard Bauckham has done a public service by chewing  thoroughly through the “Lost Gospel”: Dr. Mark Goodacre has posted Dr. Bauckham’s article(s) here. Let’s just say, he determines that it is all bun and no meat. A few teasers: They seem to be proposing a unique genre of ancient literature. Why should we believe them? It seems to be simply a way of getting… Read More »a real scholar on the so-called “Lost Gospel”

podcast 67 – Is Christmas a pagan holiday?

Is it a sin to celebrate Christmas, because Christmas is pagan in origin? In this episode I discuss this disputed question, and what I believe the apostle Paul would have to say about this ongoing dispute between Christians.

Did Jesus have faith in God? – Part 1

In “How Jesus’ Not Having Faith In God Affirms His Deity” at the Thinking Christian blog, Tom Gilson argues that the New Testament, by not teaching that Jesus had faith in God, implies that Jesus is God himself. Thus, even the synoptic gospels implicitly teach that Jesus is God. Here, I’ll comment on his first post in the series; next time, his second post. In… Read More »Did Jesus have faith in God? – Part 1

Beyond Belief on Avatars vs. Incarnation

Here, from BBC4’s Beyond Belief podcast, is an interesting and wide-ranging discussion of avatars in Hinduism vs. catholic Incarnation claims, and also avatars in science fiction. (Alternate link, stitcher) How, you ask, does an avatar differ from an incarnation? (This is me talking now, though they say most of this in the episode.) An avatar is supposed to be God himself (Vishnu, thought of as… Read More »Beyond Belief on Avatars vs. Incarnation

John 8 brought to life

Here, courtesy of youtube is the main text discussed in the trinities podcast episode 62: John 8:12-59, culminating in “Before Abraham was, I am.” This is from the excellent 2003 Gospel of John movie, which is in my view the best Jesus movie, despite its bold choice to use every word in the Gospel of John. It is well acted and well staged, though long.… Read More »John 8 brought to life

podcast 37 – Why did Jesus have to suffer?

0.75x 1x 1.25x 1.5x 2x 0:0000:31:11 podcast 37 – Why did Jesus have to suffer? Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsPlayer EmbedShare Leave a ReviewListen in a New WindowDownloadSoundCloudStitcherSubscribe on AndroidSubscribe via RSSSpotify This is a special Good Friday edition of the trinities podcast: a short pre-concert lecture I was privileged to give before a masterful performance of the 1724 version of Bach’s St. John Passion at SUNY Fredonia,… Read More »podcast 37 – Why did Jesus have to suffer?

a new Trinity Meme

I love memes. You don’t often see one that’s about the Trinity! (H/T Tim Pawl on Facebook.) One could view this as a complaint, a mere lament at our cognitive ineptitude. Or, possibly, one could view it as superficially a joke, but actually an assertion of negative mysterianism. In practice, I think that stance is going to always include a policy of repeating the required words,… Read More »a new Trinity Meme

He is risen! (Dale)

“And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. But in fact, Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection from the dead has… Read More »He is risen! (Dale)

Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 4 – Implications

Last time we carefully read through a heavenly scene in which Jesus is exalted to God’s side and worshiped alongside him.

We saw that it is indisputable that Revelation 4-5 holds forth Jesus as worthy of being worshiped.

But can this help us choose between the dueling arguments from the first post? Yes!

Given that we accept that Jesus ought to be worshiped, we must choose between Only God should be worshiped and Jesus isn’t God because we can’t consistently accept both of these, in addition to the claim that Jesus ought to be worshiped.

Based on our careful reading (Part 2, Part 3) of Revelation 4-5, let us ask which of these John would agree with?

Would John agree that only God should be worshiped?
Plainly not. 

  • Jesus is presented throughout as someone else. In these chapters, he comes into God’s throne room, receives the scroll of God’s secret plans from God, and is then honored alongside God.
  • God, the one on the throne, silently approves of all this. He lets Jesus take the scroll. It is his mission that Jesus accomplished, because of which Jesus is worthy to now be exalted. And he stands by while people worship both him and Jesus. And he does not thunder “You lousy idolaters” – worship only me!” And he, he tacitly approves of this exaltation of Jesus.
  • Smartly, the people present agree. (v. 14) No one calls out God Read More »Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 4 – Implications

Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 3 – Revelation 5

(click for image credit)

Last time, in chapter 4, our author (a “John” – 1:1) was granted a vision of God in heaven, receiving worship in his throne room.

In chapter 5, God – the one on the throne – is holding a sealed up scroll – a scroll which we later find out (ch. 6-9) contains his future plans. This is what the author was promised at the start of chapter 4 – that he’d be shown the future (4:1), again, something we know from Isaiah is the prerogative of God alone.

No one is found worthy to open it, and John is bummed. Someone tells him,

“Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

Lamb. Who? We’ve met him before – it is Jesus, the one through whom Read More »Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 3 – Revelation 5

Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 2 – Revelation 4

What does Revelation imply about God, Jesus, and worship? In Revelation chapter 4, the author is granted a heavenly vision: After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” At once I was… Read More »Worship and Revelation 4-5 – Part 2 – Revelation 4

Merry Christmas

Pictured here is Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone (a.k.a. St. Francis of Assisi, d. 1226 ) – my photo of a 19th c. statue from southern Arizona, probably well worn from processions and general fondling. I understand that he started, or at least popularized the building of manger scenes. I remember reading his early biographies some years ago. I never could decide what to think: whether he… Read More »Merry Christmas