What follows is the text (pre-edit) of an article I've written for Logos' print magazine, Bible Study Magazine. I thought it was worth a post at this time of year. --------------- The Almah of Isaiah 7:14Virgin or Not? The prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 is among the most...
inspiration
Nimrod Mythology
Spend any time on the internet (especially Christian sites) and you're bound to run into a pile of PaleoBabble about Nimrod, a character mentioned only in Genesis 10:8-9; 1 Chron. 1:10 (repeats Genesis 10:8); and Micah 5:6 (reference to the "land of Nimrod"). Here are...
Clarification from John Hobbins on Canonicity
John is apparently following my re-posting (and that of Ros Clarke) of his canonicity discussions, and posted a clarification/answer to my question this morning on his own blog. He says: My wording, "establishing a direction of thought or action," was not meant to set...
Bart Ehrman On Coast to Coast AM Tomorrow Night
In case you like late-night talk radio, you might want to tune in. The C2C site has a list of affiliates by state to catch the show. I've been on C2C many times. The host for this one will be Ian Punnett. Ian is a seminary grad (went to both Univ of Chicago Div school...
Excerpts from Part 2 of John Hobbins’ Thoughts on the Canon
In John's second post, he talks about a "dual dynamic" when it comes to the canon. Here's a portion of what he says: On the one hand, the existence of an agreed upon nucleus of authoritative literature in various times and places is undeniable; on the other, the...
For Those Who Don’t Like the Bellingham Statement’s Articulation of Inspiration
If you don't like the way I've described inspiration, notably: (1) my denial that God gave the words to each writer and (2) the subsequent notion that humans are the immediate source of Scripture while God is the ultimate source (and so BOTH are sources), then you...
Does Prophecy Fail? An Inquiry into Handling Unfulfilled and Altered Prophecies in the Bible
Thanks to Mr. Molina for this convenient suggestion. I don't have to do much work here to start this off, and maybe this post will be all the farther this goes. A friend of mine, Dr. Bob Chisholm from Dallas Seminary, wrote a paper for a regional ETS meeting on this...
John Hobbins’ Thoughts on the Revised Bellingham Statement
John Hobbins has once again added helpful commentary on the Bellingham Statement. I hope more will chime in, especially academically-trained bibliobloggers who have expressed concerns over inspiration and inerrancy. Editor's note: content of the link produced below,...
Another Proposed Bellingham Statement (Last One?)
Here goes another crack at a statement on inspiration and inerrancy (both!). I think what follows constitutes something that I hope readers will circulate. I'm not sure about the order things are addressed, so please pay attention to that. I have some modest goals...
Contributions to the Inerrancy Discussion
Kudos to John Hobbins for directing attention to the recent thoughts of others (and back here) on this issue. Read John's post, "Breathing New Life Into the Doctrine of Inerrancy" and follow the links. Editor's note: Content of the blog post is reproduced below, with...
Responses to Mr. Molina’s Second Reply
Mr. Molina writes: Could this be about how God sees/relates to history? He knows the end from the beginning, doesn't this put Him then at an advantage (obviously, but bear with me) to "pull the strings" as it were of history, events and time, so that what seems like...
Responses to Mr. Molina’s First Reply
I'm posting this due to the length of Mr. Molina's reply. I'll follow this post with his second reply and my responses. See "MSH" for my thoughts. ------- (start of Mr. Molina's statement on inspiration) I believe that God intended to deliver specific, direct...
A Good Reminder About the “Original Text”
Post from the Evangelical Textual Criticism blog. Editor's note: Link's content reproduced below,From Evangelical Textual Criticism: John Updike and the Problem of the Original Text, originally published February 20, 2009. John Updike and the Problem of the Original...
Round Two with John Hobbins and the Bellingham Statement
I really don't like basketball ("ball in Mike's court"), so the boxing metaphor is substituted! Once again, I'm pleased to chat with John and the rest of you in regard to his latest post responding to my comments on his revision of my Bellingham Statement draft. Here...
Hebrews 10:5-7 and Its Quotation of Psalm 40:6-8 (LXX 39:6-8): Another Very Tough Road to Hoe for the Traditional Inspiration View
Someone asked me about this passage this morning, and I thought it was another great illustration of why we need to affirm freedom on the part of the biblical writers, as opposed to God dictating the words to them (audibly or through some sort of mysterious...