• What Do We Want from Jesus? Two Blind Men vs. Two Apostles

    What Do We Want from Jesus? Two Blind Men vs. Two Apostles

    In Matthew 20:29–34, Jesus heals two blind men on the road to Jerusalem. As Jesus passes by them, they cry out for healing. The crowds get annoyed and tell the blind men to hush. They cry out all the more. They call Jesus the Son of David. They passionately acknowledge that He is the Messiah.…

  • Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt. 3: Historical Reliability

    Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt. 3: Historical Reliability

    This is Part 3 in a short series I’ve been writing on NT interpretive issues (be sure to check out Part 1 and/or Part 2 if you haven’t already). These posts are not robust, academic treatments of the issues they address; they are introductory in nature, and intended for average church-goers who are curious about…

  • Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt. 2: Textual Reliability

    Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt. 2: Textual Reliability

    This is Part 2 in a short series I’m doing on NT interpretive issues (for Part 1, click here). These posts are not robust, academic treatments of the issues they address; they are introductory in nature, and intended for those in the church who are curious about these issues and perhaps wrestling through them for…

  • Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt 1: Disputed Authorship

    Basics of NT Interpretation, Pt 1: Disputed Authorship

    Virtually everyone who goes to seminary will be required to take an introductory course on New Testament. And in that course, they’ll be introduced to a whole host of controversies surrounding the NT text and its interpretation. Did the apostles actually write all the letters attributed to them? How did the four gospels come about—and…

  • Correcting Two Common Misconceptions about Sacrifice in Leviticus

    Correcting Two Common Misconceptions about Sacrifice in Leviticus

    It doesn’t take long for students of the Bible to recognize the level of significance Scripture places on blood sacrifice. While many daily Bible reading plans have gone to the book of Leviticus to die, most Christians are at least familiar with Leviticus 17:11: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and…

  • Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 3: Problem Texts, Original Sin, and My Current Conclusions

    Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 3: Problem Texts, Original Sin, and My Current Conclusions

    If you have not read Parts 1 and 2 of this series, you are jumping in at an odd time. I would recommend going back and reading those two segments first—especially Part 2, as it lays the groundwork necessary for the conclusions I draw in this post. If you’re already caught up, feel free to…

  • Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 2: Biblical and Historical Theology

    Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 2: Biblical and Historical Theology

    In my previous post, I suggested that paedobaptists (those who baptize infants) are correct to recognize baptism as a gracious gift, a work of God. I would like to begin this post with another affirmation: paedobaptists are correct to emphasize baptism as a means of entrance into a covenant community. It is true that we…

  • Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 1: What Paedobaptists Gets Right

    Why I Am Still a Credobaptist, Pt 1: What Paedobaptists Gets Right

    I was born and raised in Churches of Christ (Stone-Campbell Movement), and I happily remain in that tradition today. That’s not to say that I haven’t had to unlearn some things from my upbringing, or that I haven’t had strong objections to certain teachings and practices I’ve encountered through the years. Churches are by their…