Old Testament

The Nations in the Bible
The Nations in the Bible

One of the main themes of the Old and New Testaments is the nations, a subject that remains largely in the background in the Old Testament but emerges into the foreground in the New Testament.

King Saul and the Evil Spirit: Personality Change and Combat Trauma
King Saul and the Evil Spirit: Personality Change and Combat Trauma

Studying King Saul’s combat experiences can help us understand his personality change and violence toward David.

Rejoicing & Baghdadi’s Death

Several Christian pacifists have warned against celebrating the death of ISIS terror chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who blew up himself…

The Lamb and the Lion: Review of Boyd’s Crucifixion of the Warrior God

Gregory Boyd’s Crucifixion of the Warrior God attempts to argue that the Old Testament accounts of God’s “violence” are not true portraits of the character of God. In another era, this 1,445-page project would have been called heresy.

What the Bible Says about Nations and States
What the Bible Says about Nations and States

Christians must always have a tentative relationship toward nation-states. They are finite entities that came into being out of historical contingency and, barring Christ’s return, will fade back into the annals of history. It is Christ and his Kingdom alone that are everlasting.

Day 2: Rolling the Credits - Yule Blog
Day 2: Rolling the Credits

As we start to look at this whole Christmas phenomenon, it makes sense to begin with the basics. The first questions any sensible person asks about Christmas are pretty straightforward: What event is this holiday supposed to commemorate, and do we know that it actually happened?

Where is the Love: Do Reformed Christians Really Love Israel?

Reflecting on Israel at its seventieth anniversary, I wonder why Reformed Christians, or Calvinists as they are sometimes called, are more reluctant and timid about their views on Israel. 

What Should Christians Think about Israel's 70th Birthday?
What Should Christians Think about Israel’s Seventieth Birthday?

Few would have estimated 70 years ago, let alone one thousand, that this week would arrive. On Monday, May 14, Israel celebrated the seventieth anniversary of becoming a nation. In light of this remarkable and unlikely reality, Christians are faced with the task of celebrating and interpreting this event against the backdrop of the last 70 years.

A Hebraic Approach to History: Response to Doran's "The Theology of Foreign Policy"
A Hebraic Approach to History: Response to Doran’s “The Theology of Foreign Policy”

Ultimately, why Americans see the world through one theological lens or another has a lot to do with whether they identify more closely with a Hebraic or Hellenic kind of Christianity. Put another way, American Christians view the world differently depending on how much they read the Bible, believe the Bible is divinely inspired, and accept the Bible as authoritative in their lives.