We just got over the hysteria of the release of Noah, and now it appears that there is a controversial television series on the way. According to this article from the Christian Post, FOX is preparing to release a series entitled Nazareth. I understand that some people thought that Noah was a great conversation starter while others were irritated by it, but I am sincerely … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 1
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. This is part one of our … [Read more...]
On Miracles and Historiography: Can The Supernatural Ever Be The Best Explanation?
Anyone who has engaged in or interacted with any public discourse on the subject of miracles in the New Testament (especially the resurrection) will have encountered this objection: How can an historian infer that a miracle is the best explanation of historical data, given that supernatural phenomena are, by their very nature, extremely improbable? One might grant that the mass … [Read more...]
Eastern Religious Views versus the Judeo Christian View of God
Introduction Not too long ago, I received a text message from one of our students in our Student ministry at church. His text was asking for my thoughts regarding a friend at school, who was tinkering with the idea of leaving Christianity for Buddhism. One of the things I learned from that early morning text, was that doing apologetics was sometimes like that of a "first … [Read more...]
Marriage: A Personalist Treatment
Through the voice of the playwright Aristophanes, Plato in his Symposium tells of a wonderful myth regarding the meaning of love. In the beginning, says Aristophanes, humans were comprised of having two halves: male halves and female halves (hence having four arms, four legs and two heads). Due to the authority of Zeus, he punishes the human race for misconduct and splits … [Read more...]
Why Jesus Died So Quickly on the Cross
Of the many non-Christian explanations for the Resurrection, the “Swoon Theory” is amongst the most popular. If Jesus didn’t really die on the cross, His alleged “resurrection” is really nothing more than a remarkable “resuscitation”. Those who doubt Jesus’ death often point to the short amount of time Jesus spent on the cross prior to dying. Victims of crucifixion typically … [Read more...]
Principles of Godly Contentment
"I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." These were the words of the Apostle Paul as he wrote from his lonely prison cell to the Christians in Philippi. Those are challenging words, and far easier to say than to live out. Paul knew what he was talking about, however, when it came to suffering and tribulation. Few people have had it worse than him. In 2 … [Read more...]
ISLAM – Religious Practices (Part 2)
The Five Pillars of Islam (contd.) 4. Alms giving Zakat, the Islamic equivalent of tithes is one of the pillars of Islam. "One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.The word Zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion … [Read more...]
Unnaturalness of Atheism
The idea that atheism ought be assumed by default is a chimera. Atheism cannot be assumed by default, it must be demonstrated. The belief that given the failure of theistic case for God, atheism ought be assumed does not only commit an appeal to ignorance but is also against the picture painted by modern discoveries in Cognitive Science of Religion (CSR). Several recent … [Read more...]
God in History
With Easter just a few days around the corner, I believe it is important that we remember the greater historical reality this day points to: that God became man, “made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:7) and remained obedient to death – “even to death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). This postulate (“God became man”) has incalculable historical, … [Read more...]