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Some years ago a well-known Christian leader, minister of a large and influential church, proclaimed: I don’t interpret the Bible. I just tell you what it says. How you react to that statement will say quite a lot about your attitude to the Bible, its interpretation, and the role of ministry. On the one hand, … Continue Reading
The latest ‘new discovery’ about Jesus that has been hitting the headlines and topping the best-seller lists is Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan. Aslan holds some personal interest in the question, since he was apparently raised in a Christian home but converted to Islam. The blurb on Amazon … Continue Reading
I recently posted on Facebook a link to the decision in the Presbyterian Church (USA) to drop the hymn “In Christ Alone” because the song’s authors refused to change a phrase about the wrath of God. The original lyrics say that “on that cross, as Jesus died, the wrath of God was satisfied.” The Presbyterian Committee … Continue Reading
As part of a seminar at New Wine Newark, I offer my summary of the Bible in 500 (or so) words. What would you put in yours? What have I missed? God created the world in love. By his Spirit and his word, he made all kinds of plants and creatures, the stars in the … Continue Reading
The idea of resurrection is central to Christian belief and theology—but it is also the key idea which separates the New Testament from the Old. The Old Testament appears to assume that, after death, people continue in some sort of shadowy existence in a place called Sheol—often translated ‘grave’ or ‘pit’ in English Bibles. There … Continue Reading
How often did the first Jesus-followers fast? Was it an occasional thing, focused on specific events or causes? Or was it something more habitual and regular, an integral part of their devotional life? As most studies of the subject point out, fasting in the Old Testament was associated either with particular festivals (such as the … Continue Reading
The problem of violence in the Old Testament is something that confronts any careful reader. It is one of the first ports of call for New Atheist criticisms of the Bible, but it also provides a personal challenge anyone with a tender conscience who is aware of the prevalence of violence in the modern world. … Continue Reading
Anyone using Scripture Union’s Encounter with God for their daily Bible readings will be exploring Romans 9–14…with me! Romans 9–11 is one of the most debated texts in Paul, and here are my reflections on approaches to reading it: These chapters of Romans bring together some of Paul’s most densely argued and disputed material along with … Continue Reading
Many churches these days have digital projection and a screen—so the question is, how to use this in preaching? Many people use it to put up words, perhaps setting out the points they are making. This has some value, but I don’t think it is as effective as putting up pictures or images to illustrate … Continue Reading
When I first came across Bruce Longenecker’s 2010 volume Remember the Poor: Paul, Poverty and the Greco-Roman World I thought it would be mildly interesting and, knowing the author a little, imagined it would be well researched and engagingly written. I did not imagine that it would tackle an issue which leads to the heart of the … Continue Reading
In doing some research on Matthew’s portrait of Jesus, I have been struck afresh by the poetic structuring of Jesus’ teaching. Noticing this raises interesting issues both about our engagement with the texts and our understanding of them, but also some questions about how the texts have come to us in their current form. A … Continue Reading
Ian Paul: theologian, author, speaker, academic consultant. Associate Senior Research Fellow, Kirby Laing Centre for Public Theology; Associate Minister, St Nic's, Nottingham; Managing Editor, Grove Books; member of General Synod and Archbishops' Council. Mac user; chocoholic. Tweets at @psephizo
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