Old Testament | Psephizo

Will the Daniel Plan make you fat?

December 12, 2013December 11, 2013

The Daniel Plan is the latest best-selling 40-day plan from the spiritual guru and one-man publishing phenomenon that is Rick Warren. Naturally, it comes with a book, a journal and of course a website. Without getting too cynical about the juggernaut of the US Christian publishing industry, I have to say that there are some …

Were Jonathan and David in a gay relationship?

August 16, 2015October 14, 2013

The next Grove Biblical booklet is an excellent study by Jonathan Rowe, arising from his academic research, of the relationship between Jonathan and David in 1 Sam 14.1–2 Sam 1.27. It is a very engaging study, well written, that offers a careful and insightful reading. The first point Rowe makes is that, as with all OT …

What is wrong with allegorical reading?

September 21, 2013September 20, 2013

I just had a fascinating interaction online in the context of discussing the relation of the Old Testament to the New. The conversation went something like this. Blogger: ‘There is no difference between the OT and the NT. There is nothing in the NT which is not in the OT.’ Me: ‘What about Jesus?’ Blogger: …

What’s the Bible all about?

August 4, 2013August 4, 2013

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 …

The Problem of Violence in the Old Testament

July 22, 2013July 22, 2013

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. …

Justice must be done

May 7, 2011

I am working with Celia Kellett at BBC Radio Nottingham on an idea to present most of the books of the Bible, one a week, during 2011 as part of the celebrations of the King James Bible.The plan is to read some verses from the book, to give a one-and-a-half minute summary, to hear a human interest story …

Mr Grumpy meets compassion

April 21, 2011

Hosea: shocking prophecy

April 13, 2011April 9, 2011

Here are the key verses and summary for the prophet Hosea to be broadcast this Sunday 10th April from around 8.20 am:

Verses: Hosea 1.2–3 and 11.1–4, 8
When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the

‘Bible’s Buried Secrets’ iii: planting ideas in Eden?

April 5, 2011April 1, 2011

This week saw the broadcast of the third and last of the series with Francesca Stavrakopoulou supposedly exposing the real meaning of the Bible and thus over-turning centuries of tradition. My reflections on the previous two episodes can be found here and here.

In some ways this episode exhibited the same issues as the first two, though I thought the arguments much less coherent, with more evidence of jumping to unfounded conclusions without setting out

Psalms: joy and woe woven fine

April 2, 2011March 26, 2011

Here are the key verses and summary for the book of Psalms, to be broadcast this Sunday 27th Mar from around 8.20 am:

Continue Reading

Buried secrets—or hidden assumptions?

March 24, 2011March 23, 2011

Last night was the second episode of the BBC’s The Bible’s Buried Secrets. Go here for my comments on the first programme. This one covered different areas, but for me was more disappointing.

Once again, Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou (whom I will call FS for short) set up from the outset a sharp dichotomy between religious and ‘objective’ views.

Although FS presents her conclusions as

Books by Ian Paul

Psephizo