New Year’s Goal-Setting for People with Actual Lives
‘What we need isn’t a better to-do list but a better grid for making wise decisions across every domain of life, whether we’re planning our fitness goals or our prayer habits. Such a grid should work for anyone, in any season, pursuing faithfulness in any calling. Three biblical priorities can serve as this grid: Prioritize your priorities, prioritize your energy, and prioritize your limits.’
We Have Smartphones — Why Memorize Scripture?
This seems like a reasonable question. This one gives a potential answer.
Why Women Are Going to Therapy Instead of Church
This offers one perspective on this question. I address this very issue in my forthcoming book, but come to quite different conclusions. I think there is some wisdom in this one – particularly re the embodied soul issues – but I emphasise the differences between what pastors exist to do and what counsellors are there to do. I argue strongly that both have their place in helping believers and neither is there to do what the other is trained to do. Steve Mcalpine offers a helpful response here.
The Key to Finding the Author’s Emphasis When You Read the Bible
‘Every passage in the Bible has a structure. The human authors of Scripture were inspired to write by God’s Holy Spirit, but they wrote with careful attention to organization and structure; in other words, they did not write haphazardly, randomly, or chaotically. Often, however, we do not work hard to actually find the structure of the biblical passages that we study. We simply read them and ask general questions—or make general comments—about them, or we focus on the impressions or feelings that biblical passages give us. When we study this way, failing to pay attention to the structure of the passages we are focusing on, we run the risk of making incorrect interpretations and applications.’
All the Time I Thought was Mine
As we enter a new year, this is a very poetic reflection on time itself.
My Only Plea at New Year’s
Speaking of poetic reflections on the new year, Tim Challies shares this one.
From the archive: Why do Arminians never admit they are one?
‘you may or may not hold to the doctrines of grace. You may prefer what the Remonstants had to offer. If the latter, I happen to think you are wrong. But you have every right to your convictions. But what I don’t understand is why nobody seems willing to wear the Arminian label. For if you stand with the Remonstrants, that is what you are. But I’m yet to meet the Arminian who is happy to be called one.’
One essential thing missing from the article on discovering the structure of a biblical passage is that 1st Century Middle-eastern writers did not usually structure their composition the way that we do in the 20th/21st Century West:
Introduction
Point A
Point B
Point C
Conclusion
(a structure which the author refers to).
The structure they composed with was more like:
Point A
Point B
Conclusion and key teaching
Point B reiterated in different words
Point A reiterated in different words.
and sometimes with much more complexity than I’ve given in this simple example.
Once the reader realises this and notices this in the text, then biblical passages (particularly in the Gospels) become much more understandable. Kenneth E Bailey in his book ‘Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes’ gives a much more detailed explanation of this structuring of the biblical text.