Across the theological spectrum it is agreed that easy texts are to interpret the difficult texts. The challenge for the interpreter is to discern which passages are easy and which are difficult. Since the only other occurrence of “kingdom” in the book of Colossians occurs in the final greetings in chapter 4,1 the meaning of “kingdom” likely occurs in an easier text somewhere else. The Bible develops the idea of a literal kingdom, the “kingdom of God,” established on land from Genesis all the way through the New Testament, so one would anticipate that this is the same kingdom in Col 1:13. There is an alternative theory, however, that Paul here is speaking of a spiritual facet of the kingdom, rather than the Millennial Kingdom. This theory that there is a spiritual facet of the kingdom is not necessarily in conflict with postponement theology. Much of this dissertation has responded to external threats to dispensational theology, but since a Spiritual Facet of the kingdom can coincide with postponement theology, Col 1:13 will be treated with the spirit of unity as an in-house dispute. Some fine dispensational scholars, propose that this Spiritual Kingdom is God’s rule in the heart of the believer and that it is composed of all believers, and only believers, of all time.[Read More]
sin
Question your Savior, not your salvation
People often wonder if they have lost their salvation or whether or not they even were saved in the first place. When we boil it down, they may not really be doubting their eternal destiny, but rather the source of their salvation, that is to say, they may be doubting their savior.
And that can actually be a good thing.[Read More]
Mark Twain: I once robbed an aged and blind beggar-woman of four dollars
When I was a kid, my father took me to see a Mark Twain impersonator. He recited various excerpts from Mark Twain’s writings and it was a real good time. I still remember it to this day. There was one particular story he told from A Tramp Abroad that has stuck with me as the way he delivered it was just perfect. Anyhoo, I am reproducing it here, mainly for your entertainment, but also because I’m trying to test a new feature on the site.
[Read More]
Did Jesus teach hate?
In Luke 14:26, Jesus says, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.” At first glance, that seems to be a contradiction to the Bible’s overwhelming message of love. In fact, that would be such a strong contradiction that even if someone rejects the inerrancy of the Bible, that quote alone should drive him to think that there is more to the context. So, let’s consider some context.[Read More]
Hamantaschen!
You’re probably thinking, “What?!? This isn’t hamantaschen season! Who makes hamantaschen in October?!?” Well, poppy seed filling was on sale at Walmart for only 25¢ per can, so I bought some. The cans aren’t good forever and the expiry date will come before Purim, so it looks like we’re cooking hamantaschen in October this year.
[Read More]
Animal Sacrifice in the Bible
Let’s talk about animal sacrifice in the Bible and why we don’t do animal sacrifices today. When we mention animal sacrifice, the first thing people often think about is the Mosaic Law, but the Mosaic economy is not the only one that featured sacrifices. Sacrifices also occurred immediately after the fall (Gen 3:21), in the first generation after the fall in the dispensation of conscience (Gen 4:4), after the flood in the dispensation of human government (Gen 8:20), and in the dispensation of patriarchs (Job 1:5). So, before Christ, were people saved by offering animal sacrifices? The short answer is “No.” The long answer is “Noooooooooooooo!”
Here’s an excerpt from a paper I’m working on that has been modified for your viewing pleasure:[Read More]