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April 2024

April 02, 2024

10 Principles for Reading the Bible Missionally

This semester, I've been teaching students about how to read Scripture missionally. Reading the Bible...

January 2024

January 23, 2024

The Implicit Critique of Culture in Revelation 5:9

The book of Revelation unveils a cosmic panorama where the destiny of creation converges upon...

October 2023

October 10, 2023

Why Artemis is Nobody’s Mother (a book review)

Much written about Artemis of Ephesus is manifestly wrong. Sandra Glahn's Nobody's Mother helps to...

September 2023

September 05, 2023

When Everything is Essential: Evangelicals’ Theological Trojan Horse

In a contemporary religious landscape marked by complexity and division, some conservative evangelicals have embarked...

August 2023

August 29, 2023

Is Cowardice Worthy of Hell?

It is commonly taught that cowardice is a sin and worthy of hεll. This teaching...

August 02, 2023

Aubrey Sequeira questions me on the atonement. Here are my answers.

This video answers Aubrey Sequeira's 3 questions to me concerning my view of the atonement...

April 2023

April 25, 2023

When Insiders Become Outsiders

John 9-10 offers a case study into how biblical writers creatively undermine common notions about...

March 2023

March 16, 2023

The Missiological Use of Hebrews in African American Christianity

Reading Hebrews Missiologically was just released last month. It's unlike so many other missions books. Here's...

March 06, 2023

The Fundamental Flaws in Josh Butler’s Argument

This post will not throw Josh Butler under the bus. Instead, I simply highlight fundamental...

February 2023

February 28, 2023

Bathsheba, #MeToo, and Eisegesis

People get pretty worked up to defend David against charges of rape, preferring to condemn...

May 2022

May 24, 2022

Paul Defends the Status of Women in 1 Corinthians 11

While people debate 1 Corinthians 11, all agree that honor and shame play a critical...

March 2022

March 15, 2022

How Our Expectations Influence Our Interpretation of Scripture

Over a hundred years ago, F. C. Bartlett changed the trajectory of memory studies and...

May 2021

May 17, 2021

Why complementarians think women pastors are a gospel issue

Saying complementarianism only “indirectly” relates to the gospel doesn't mean you communicate that idea. One...

November 2020

November 10, 2020

Does the Bible really address policing and black identity?

Looking at the table of contents, I scratched my head trying to imagine how McCaulley...

November 03, 2020

Reading While Black as an Exercise in Contextualization

Prior to the release of Esau McCaulley’s Reading While Black, I had mixed feelings about...

October 2019

October 08, 2019

Honor and Shame Should Not Control Biblical Interpretation

This series answers common objections people have to honor and shame as they relate to...

June 2019

June 19, 2019

Honor and Shame as Background Music in Romans

The biblical authors are much like movie directors. How so? Think of a movie that...

June 11, 2019

Can anyone read Romans with Eastern eyes?

Many readers will be nervous about potentially mixing the Bible with culture. Other people are...

June 05, 2019

What an atheist taught me about interpreting the Bible

John McDermott was the world’s expert in philosophical pragmatism. He knew everything about William James...

November 2017

November 29, 2017

What Assumptions Marginalize Women in Ministry?

Women missionaries often feel marginalized. They are theologically equal but strategically separate in many circles.

April 2017

April 13, 2017

Does the Easter story have authority?

This week, we'll read narratives about Christ's suffering and resurrection. But are we equipped to read...

January 2017

January 11, 2017

Are you wasting time church planting?

Even Paul knew his labor in planting churches could be a waste of time. If Paul...

June 2016

June 08, 2016

How Empathy Helps Contextualization

At its best, contextualization requires us intentionally to interpret the Bible with empathy. (For my...

January 2016

January 06, 2016

Can We Escape the Hermeneutical Spiral?

Over at Reformed Margins, Andrew Ong has posted a generous and constructive review of my...

March 2014

March 13, 2014

Absolute Truth and Its Relative Shades of Significance

Over at Brainpickings, Maria Popova has put up a nice illustration (drawing from Josef Albers)....

February 2014

February 25, 2014

Keeping a Simple Perspective on Biblical Interpretation

In a few words, I want to offer some final thoughts about biblical interpretation. A...

February 17, 2014

Five Ways Not to Teach Biblical Interpretation (Part 2)

In a previous post, I list three ways not to interpret the Bible. Today, I'll...

February 13, 2014

Five Ways Not to Teach Biblical Interpretation

In order to interpret the Bible well, we need to know both what we should...

February 06, 2014

Why We Need Metaphors, Character, and Common Sense

God reveals himself in metaphors. So why do we tend to read past them?隐喻 (yǐn...

January 2014

January 30, 2014

What to do if they don't know Greek or Hebrew

What should we do when Chinese believers don't know Greek or Hebrew? In the last...