A dictionary is a handy tool for Bible study. As we encounter unfamiliar words or, more often, as we try to meditate on the deeper meanings of words in scripture, we often find ourselves reaching for this tool. But there are some pitfalls here. It is possible to misuse the dictionary and be misled by it. To avoid these pitfalls, we must remember two important points. Dictionaries are descriptive. First, dictionaries are descriptive and not prescriptive. In other words, dictionaries … [Read more...] about How to Use a Bible Dictionary
Archives for May 2017
The Importance of Singing in Spiritual Formation
Andy Crouch (2017) makes an interesting point about the wholistic nature of singing and its contribution to our spiritual formation: Worship is more than singing, of course. But there is something about singing that is fundamental to Jewish and Christian worship - starting with the Psalms, continuing with the hymns that grew out of the early church and the renewal and revival movements of subsequent centuries, finding new expression in the chants of Christian slaves in the American South, and … [Read more...] about The Importance of Singing in Spiritual Formation
Did Jesus Really Think He Was God?
This is a question many folks ask. And the main pushback comes from the fact that, at first glance, nowhere in the Gospel accounts (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) does Jesus make the exact statement "I am God." But there is more than one way to claim divinity, and Jesus makes many direct and indirect claims about being divine. One of the best summaries of these claims I have seen comes from Tim Keller (2016):1 There were all his indirect but deliberate claims. Jesus assumed authority to … [Read more...] about Did Jesus Really Think He Was God?