"There is no surer basis for fanaticism than bad history, which is invariably history oversimplified." This quote is from Diarmaid MacCulloch's Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years (three thousands years because he starts with the ancient Greeks and Israelites). I think I can see the logic behind MacCulloch's statement. A fanatic can't be reasoned with … Continue reading Two Common Mistakes That Lead to Oversimplified Church History
Month: July 2018
Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, and the Backroom Deal That Fell Through
Frank Morison didn't believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He thought it was a myth. He studied the Gospels because he wanted to write a skeptic's account of the passion narrative. As he studied, he became convinced that he was dealing with eyewitness accounts of a true event. The book he ended up writing … Continue reading Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, and the Backroom Deal That Fell Through
Diotrophes’ Disease: The Love of Preeminence
"Every talks about Jezebel, but nobody talks about Diotrophes." I once heard a preacher say something like that. This was at a time when it was very common to hear or read a message about the Jezebel spirit. The point the preacher was making was that Jezebel is not the only bad example in the … Continue reading Diotrophes’ Disease: The Love of Preeminence
The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries
The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries is a collection of essays in which scholars look at how different commentators have approached the Sermon, from John Chrysostom to John Stott. Here are some lessons, drawn from that book, that may help as as we seek to understand and apply this greatest of sermons. Chrysostom: … Continue reading The Sermon on the Mount through the Centuries