Dan BushThis is a guest post by Dr. Daniel Bush. Daniel is the author of Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians, May’s Free Book of the Month. Seven years ago, my world fell apart. At the time I was living in Scotland and, for deeply...
Mark WardEven professors who teach biblical languages typically teach just one of those languages. They must put forth some effort to maintain their skills in the language they don’t teach. Pastors, too, must take practical steps to retain their knowledge of...
Michael S. HeiserYom Kippur, the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16, is a central element of the Jewish faith, even though it is not practiced today as it was in ancient times. Although many Christians have heard of the day, most would be startled to learn...
Jared W. SaltzHow does Philo, the ancient Jewish philosopher, conceive of the origin of evil in each individual person compared to the Stoic understanding in which he operated? A excellent point of comparison is Philo’s use of a “double trunk” or “double branch”...
Most of the time you look up a Hebrew word you probably don’t want the extreme depth and complication afforded by the top lexicons. Neither do you want to wade through a tight paragraph of tiny print full of abbreviations you don’t use often enough...
Hebrews 10:4 asserts, “It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins,” but Leviticus seems to tell a different story. Even casually reading the book, we notice that Israelites who bring proper sacrifices “shall be forgiven” (e...
Aubry SmithChristians follow a God who throughout Scripture claims to understand the experience of giving birth—both to believers and to a whole new creation. So shouldn’t Christians have a robust view of how the birth process shapes women and shows us the...
This is a guest post by Dr. Daniel Bush. Daniel is the author of Live in Liberty: The Spiritual Message of Galatians. Popular Science magazine ran an intriguing story in July 1999 about the first man in space, Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Fearful...
Tavis BohlingerNot since the Reformation has there been a challenge to the five solas as persistent and potentially persuasive as Matthew W. Bates’ third book, Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King (Grand...
It’s the question that can derail the Sunday School class, make the pastor look poorly educated (i.e., “dumb”), and possibly even damage someone’s faith: Pastor, how come this footnote says that some manuscripts do not include the story of the woman...
Image: Moses and Aaron with the 10 Commandments, Aron de Chaves (1674) One of the most enduring elements of the Bible and the Judaeo-Christian worldview within Western culture is the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments. Even if one can’t...
Logos StaffFor years, skeptical scholars claimed that the gospel accounts of Jesus’ burial could not be trusted. Why? For one, claimed the skeptics, Roman authorities would never allow a victim of crucifixion to receive the honorific burial described by...
You’re reading along in Philippians and your eyes traverse Paul’s famous phrase, “our citizenship is in heaven.” Your job, Bible student or teacher, is to understand this metaphor well enough to explain it to others. But at first, it may not feel...
Kris LyleDid you know that God is a name-caller? That Yahweh identifies people with derogatory terms? This is nowhere more evident than in the Old Testament Prophets. The Insult Isaiah 41 is a chapter in which the God of Israel takes the nations to trial. He...
John Calvin loved the book of Hebrews. “There is indeed, no book in Holy Scripture which . . . so fully explains that Christ is the end of the Law,” said the great Reformer. But it’s that very connection to the Old Testament that...
Have you ever been listening to a preacher who is using a Bible translation different from the one in your lap? Generally, the wording is similar enough to avoid confusion; in fact those differences often provide little insights. But occasionally...
Jake MailhotDanny Zacharias and Ben Forrest believe there are certain skills and habits that apply to anyone in a seminary context. Their new book, Surviving and Thriving in Seminary, equips students with the skills to succeed—spiritually, relationally, and...
Drew LongacreSince I began actively working with the Dead Sea Scrolls over a decade ago, I have become increasingly convinced that they are fundamental to understanding the Bible. In this post I would like to explore two of the more significant ways that the...
Daniel MotleyBible commentaries often focus on one type of learner or the other. Pastoral commentaries provide just a brief overview of the background of the biblical text, focusing instead on practical application. Scholarly commentaries, on the other hand...
Your brain has already learned one of the most basic Bible study skills: finding connections. When you’re reading an ending to one of Paul’ letters, maybe you hear a faint echo. You think, “Didn’t Paul say something like this at the end of...
Love of God and neighbor are the two great commandments upon which everything else in the Bible hangs—and, interestingly, the Bible happens to be the only book in the world written by both God and neighbor. So, for Christians, love drives...
Guest AuthorThis post is adapted from the transcript to Dr. Daniel Block’s Mobile Ed course on Deuteronomy. To a lot of people, the only disease worse than Leviticus is Deuteronomy. We don’t like this book, we don’t understand this book, we don’t get the...
As society and technology careen toward an uncertain future, what does the future hold for Christian ministry? I sat down with Dr. Randy Roberts, president of Western Seminary, for his insights on the next generation of pastors, how technology...
Liz MeltonHave you ever found yourself caring for a Christian in need? Do you often comfort others through difficult times, but struggle to find the right words? Do you have a passion for serving others but long for an opportunity to sharpen your skills...
A couple years ago, we asked some of our team members who attended seminary to share some of their experiences—what is the one piece of advice each one would want to leave for current seminarians. I hope the reflections are helpful to you. Many of...
Andrew ByersAs the writer of Ecclesiastes mourns, and as John the Evangelist hints, there is no end to the number of works one might consult for acquiring knowledge. When commencing research for a paper or sermon, a critically important skill is that of...
Moses’ encounter with God in Exodus 4:21–26 is arguably one of the strangest, most confusing events recorded in the Bible. In this passage, Moses is en route to Egypt—seemingly following God’s call to deliver the Israelites from Pharaoh’s vice-like...
Katie WoolstenhulmeA review of Candida R. Moss and Joel S. Baden’s recent monograph, Reconceiving Infertility: Biblical Perspectives on Procreation and Childlessness (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015). Stigmatizing the Childless Modern Western society...
The Christian faith is full of profound truths that defy human understanding. These grand mysteries point us to God’s greatness and goodness and, when contemplated, evoke awe and worship. At the center of our celebration of Easter are two of these...
“Let me get back to you on that.” Years ago, an older, wiser Christian taught me how those eight little words would help me better serve other believers. As an eager, young church leader, I would over commit, agreeing to take on responsibilities...