Fire of Purification

Fire is associated with three major themes in the Bible: fire that indicates the presence of God, fire that God uses to consume evil, and fire that is used by God to refine and purify. Many have cited biblical language that suggests a connection between fire and...

Voltaire’s Perfect World

Voltaire’s Perfect World Voltaire put it this way: “All’s for the best in the best of all possible worlds.” There is reason to challenge this statement from a hypothetical standpoint. For example, the best of all possible worlds might actually be a horrible place if...

The Triumphal Entry

I had never heard the Romans did their own parade of power during Passover. This caused me to think that maybe Andrew Thayer was onto something. Maybe Jesus’ Palm Sunday entry was a kind of parody. But the more I thought about it the less likely Thayer’s idea seemed...

John 3.25-30

Now a discussion arose between some of John’s disciples and a Jew over purification. And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”John answered, “A...

John 3.17-21

John 3.17-21 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name...