If we take Scripture seriously, we will find our expectations challenged & come to see that the Bible invites us to join an ancient sacred quest to follow the path of Wisdom.
Nature of the Bible
There are No Contradictions in the Bible (Yeah, You Heard Me)
1. If I say, “I hate oatmeal” and then turn to someone else and say “I love oatmeal,” I am contradicting myself. 2. If I said 20 years ago “I hate oatmeal” and now say “I love oatmeal,” I am not contradicting myself. Rather my view of oatmeal changed over time. 3. If I say […]
Facebook Live with Pete Enns: Jesus and the Old Testament
Questions that Pete addresses in this Facebook Live video: In the Christian’s common understanding of Isaiah 52 and 53 referring to Jesus the Messiah, is that an accurate and fair application? How do I talk to friends about double predestination? Where is the line drawn between prophecy and creative use of scripture? If Adam and the Genesis […]
What Permanently Screwed Me Up about the Bible (but it turned out well)
The New Testament writers had a habit of saying things about the Old Testament that are not in the Old Testament but are in these creative, Jewish writings of the period.
Paul: Well, Technically Speaking, He’s Not REALLY “Winging It”
What we might call a fast and loose use of the Old Testament was for Paul and his contemporaries a normal and expected approach to biblical interpretation—creatively connecting the past with the present.
My First Big, Can’t-Get-Out-Of-It, “Aha” Moment with the Bible
I knew back then, as I do now, that the model of biblical interpretation I had been taught was not going to cut it if I was going to try to explain how my Bible works rather than defend a Bible that doesn’t exist.
Remember to Hold Your Beliefs Lightly: The Bible Says So
The Old Testament models an intentionally innovative, adaptive, and contemporizing theological dynamic—a recasting of the past to speak to the changing present and for a vision for the future.
3 Reasons Why the Bible Is Worth It
I think the Bible is worthy of our adult attention, worthy of serious study and reflection, not because it provides a course-of-life syllabus for us, but precisely because it doesn’t: the Bible difficult, challenging, and difficult to wrap our arms around.
A Very Brief Thought for Today on How the Bible Works, Which Will Change Your Life
Just as the church is made up of all sorts of people with different personalities, different histories, and different and conflicting perspectives, so is the Bible.
We All Have a History. Even God.
The Bible—even where it talks about God—is a relentlessly contextual collection of ancient literature that takes wisdom and patience to handle well, and in doing so drives us toward further contemplation of God here and now.