Sitting as it does at the heart of the western tradition, the Bible has for centuries inspired countless displays of artwork, from stained glass to epic poetry to oratorio. Although these examples of human creativity span a vast geographic and chronological spectrum, they often employ a surprisingly consistent set of symbols. In other words, they …
The Depiction of the Four Gospels in Christian Art Read More »
The word, ‘angel,’ comes from the Greek term, angelos (pronounced “ahn’geh lahs”), which means “messenger”. It’s the same word we find in euangelion (“good message” or “good news”), the base of our word ‘evangelize’. But that doesn’t mean that everyone who spreads the good news of salvation in Jesus is an angel; regular earthly Christians …
With America’s Independence Day approaching, it’s a good time for Christians to consider this question. But the answer doesn’t just apply to believers in the US. For Christ followers around the world, there are plenty of biblical reasons to celebrate their countries. First, Scripture encourages us to celebrate the righteousness of our nations. According to …
Earlier this month a team of researchers at the University of Washington reported it was able to map the entire genetic blueprint of an unborn baby using only a blood sample from the mother—who was just 18 weeks into her pregnancy—and saliva from the father. They believe that this technique will enable them, with 98% …
‘Fought’ is an awfully strong word, but these two did have a sharp encounter. We see it unfold in Galatians 2:11-19, where Paul rebukes his fellow apostle for caving in to the prejudice of a group who said that people from all ethnic backgrounds had to satisfy the Jewish ritual law before they could become …
Peter and Paul fought with each other. What’s up with that? Read More »
To spank or not to spank? It’s a question debated by parents, with many concluding that the practice is unkind, unreasonable, and even unchristian. So it may surprise some to learn how often the Bible advocates spanking. Consider the following wisdom from Proverbs, where corporal punishment is referred to as “the rod”: “Whoever spares the …