Category Archives: Theology

What it Means to Say, “God Bless You”

Posted on February 19, 2022 by salooper57

Whenever some alarming thing happens that affects us as a nation – the attacks on 9-11, or when our troops are engaged in battle – leaders from across the political spectrum feel it necessary to end their speeches by saying, … Continue reading →

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Wide Angle: A Case of Hypocrisy

Posted on February 16, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: 3 minutes.) According to Matthew 27, Joseph of Arimethea, along with Nicodemus (another secret disciple positioned among the nation’s most prominent officials), gave Jesus a proper burial in Joseph’s own tomb. Verses 59 says, “Joseph took the body, … Continue reading →

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Sinai (Bible Theology Class)

Posted on February 13, 2022 by salooper57

What was Sinai and the giving of the law all about? Was it just rules that people must follow, can’t follow, and set people up to fail? Or is the law more like covenant promises – like marriage vows? How … Continue reading →

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Joseph of Arimethea: The Secret Disciple (Wide Angle)

Posted on February 10, 2022 by salooper57

It is difficult enough to move on after each of the earlier posts in this series, but it is even more difficult to move on after such an inadequate treatment of the crucifixion of Jesus. Saying that we have gazed … Continue reading →

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Passover and Exodus (Video Embedded)

Posted on February 8, 2022 by salooper57

On Sunday, I was only able to post a link to the church’s website for this Biblical Theology class on Exodus12-15. The video for the class is embedded below.

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Example, Savior, Shepherd: 1 Peter 2:21-25

Posted on February 7, 2022 by salooper57

e that I discovered that not all Christians think alike. The larger church is divided into smaller camps. At college, I began to learn more about these camps. There were of course the Catholics. From the snatches I heard said about Catholics, I concluded that few (if any) were really Christians at all. There were the liberals, who were only humanists (that was the derision de jour at the time) in Chrisitan’s clothing. And then there was “us,” the real Christians.

But even among us, there were camps. There were the Calvinists (who weren’t any fun at all), the fundamentalists (who didn’t want anyone to have any fun at all), and the Pentecostals (who were having all the fun, speaking in tongues and getting slain in the Spirit).

Somehow, I learned these things without ever talking to a Catholic, a liberal, or a Pentecostal. In the years since, I’ve spoken to all these folks and many at length. I’ve learned that talking about people reinforces stereotypes while talking to people tears them down. Continue reading →

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Passover and Exodus (Biblical Theology Class #5 )

Posted on February 6, 2022 by salooper57

As Christians look at the death of Christ on the cross and his subsequent resurrection as the event that sealed their redemption, first century Jews looked at Passover and the subsequent Exodus as the event that sealed their redemption. A … Continue reading →

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Wide Angle: The Cross Divides

Posted on February 2, 2022 by salooper57

(Reading time: Approximately 7 minutes) Have you ever noticed that as soon as Jesus’s Cross was dropped into place it began dividing people? St. Paul speaks of this in 1 Corinthians 1. The message of the cross is foolishness to … Continue reading →

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Biblical Theology Class 4: The LORD versus the Gods of Egypt (Exodus 3-11)

Posted on January 30, 2022 by salooper57

In this class, we look at one of the highest peaks of biblical revelation: When God the Creator reveals his name. What follows – the War on the Egyptian Front – shows the LORD to be the great God, without … Continue reading →

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Wide Angle: The Exchange (Barabbas)

Posted on January 19, 2022 by salooper57

In or around 29 A.D., a man named Barabbas found himself in the most secure prison in the country, awaiting execution in the morning. The story is told in Luke 23 but, before we get into it, we need a … Continue reading →

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