After God created Adam, He said this: “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18). If we were reading Genesis for the first time, we’d be struck by the fact that the phrase not good is used in connection with the creation. Throughout the firstContinue reading “Adam And The Hallelujah Chorus”
Category Archives: Opening the Bible
A Rebel And The Prince Of Peace
Rome didn’t crucify thieves. Crucifixion was reserved for crimes against the state. It was their way of saying, Mess with us and this is what will happen. From the state’s point of view (not necessarily Pilate’s), Jesus was crucified because He was perceived to be an enemy of Rome. He was a king, and as such, potentially a threat to themContinue reading “A Rebel And The Prince Of Peace”
A Devotion Worth Imitating
Lizzie Griffiths is 25, a teacher, and lives in England. She has a pet—it’s a bearded lizard. Not long after she got “George,” he developed a bump on his face. She took him to the vet and had it removed. It returned and she repeated the process. It came back a third time and she learned it was cancer andContinue reading “A Devotion Worth Imitating”
Noise Reduction
A Quiet Place is a 2018 horror movie about a family trying to survive in a post apocalyptic world where there are blind monsters with hypersensitive hearing. Any kind of noise can get you in trouble. In the movie (and it’s recently released sequel), too much noise can get you killed because it alerts theContinue reading “Noise Reduction”
Waiting Or Walking?
I read a short story about a man in the basement of a building over one-hundred stories high. He was standing in front of a bank of elevators. The lights on them were flashing as they charted the floors the elevators were traveling to. And though they made frequent stops on the ground floor aboveContinue reading “Waiting Or Walking?”
Splinters
Splinters are no fun. We probably all have some early memories of having them removed. It was uncomfortable, painful—perhaps even traumatic if we were young enough. Of course, as we got older, splinters were still no fun, but the drama dialed back as we were able to put them into perspective and see them forContinue reading “Splinters”
Some Background For Romans 9-11
Chapters 9-11 are a speed bump in the book of Romans. They make us slow down and thoughtfully consider the text. These chapters are also very important to the overall theme of the letter as they develop from yet another angle the righteousness of God. The righteousness of God in Romans is not primarily aboutContinue reading “Some Background For Romans 9-11”
Sincerely (But No Longer) Yours
Paul’s statement, “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1), is a crescendo he has been building toward from the beginning of his letter (1:16ff). As such, it is embedded with a richness that is easy to overlook. He’s saying something more than we’ve been forgiven of our sins (thoughContinue reading “Sincerely (But No Longer) Yours”
Selling Out To Good
Finn Daly is six years old and lives in West Hartford, Connecticut. He has Down Syndrome and autism. He also has a great love and appreciation for our country’s flag. He can sit on the floor of his house and look through the storm door at the flag flying outside for long periods of time.Continue reading “Selling Out To Good”
Torah Righteousness Vs. True Righteousness (2)
As Paul had previously mentioned (3:21,31), the Torah did bear witness to a righteousness beyond itself and that brings us to “the righteousness that is by faith.” He takes up this point in 10:6 when he quotes Deuteronomy 30 to make his case. And how does the text quoted (v. 12-14) point to the righteousnessContinue reading “Torah Righteousness Vs. True Righteousness (2)”
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 