The Messiah: A Nobody from Nowhere?

Why does Matthew write that the prophets say the Messiah will come from Nazareth when there is no such reference anywhere in the Old Testament? In Matthew’s birth narrative, Joseph is warned to flee to Egypt to escape the murderous plans of King Herod. After Herod dies, Joseph is told to return with his...

The Ethics of Eating Shellfish

Why was it a sin for the ancient Israelites to eat shellfish? Leviticus 11:9-12 says, “These you may eat, whatever is in the water: all that have fins and scales, those in the water, in the seas or in the rivers, you may eat. But whatever is in the seas and in the rivers, that do not have fins and scales...

The Incarnation Lens

In my last post I wrote about the relationship between the Old Testament and the New. In a culture that tends to value the new over the old, it’s not surprising to find that Christians tend to elevate the New Testament over the Old, whether by considering it to be mere background to the really good stuff...

Is the New Testament More Important for Christians than the Old Testament?

Imagine that you and a friend decide to go see a movie. You arrive at the box office at what you thought was fifteen minutes before the scheduled start only to find out that you had misread the schedule and the movie had started over an hour ago. Would you still go in and watch the last half of the movie?...

The Human Costs of Tabernacle and Temple, Part 1

Exodus is a pretty good book, especially at the beginning and the end. There’s a baby hidden in the Nile, the burning bush, Moses trading tricks with Pharaoh’s sorcerers, the plagues, the Red Sea crossing, manna, and all sorts of other really good stuff. Then you get to chapter 20 and things slow down a...

« Older Entries Next Entries »