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Acts 5:37 – a neglected clue to the Quirinius question?

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The beginning of Luke 2 presents one of the best-known challenges to the historicity of the Gospel narratives:

2:1 Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire for taxes. 2:2 This was the first registration, taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

I have explored the problem, and its possible solutions, in some detail elsewhere.

To be brief, the problem is that the census associated with Quirinius is usually dated to around 6AD, whereas the birth of Jesus took place about 8 years earlier.…

Gifts

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I guess that for most of us, Christmas and birthday are among the most exciting times of the year, because of the gifts we receive.  Have you noticed that the gifts we get the most pleasure from are often not the most costly ones?  What parent has not spent quite a lot of money on some marvelous new toy, only for the child to get hours of enjoyment from playing with the box the toy came in!…

Recovering the wonder of Christ(mas)

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Simon Ponsonby is a well-respected church leader, Bible teacher, and author.

He has written about how, after 30 years of ministry, he realised that his faith had grown somewhat cold.  He felt disappointed by the drift he saw in his own denomination (the Church of England), and discouraged by the moral and spiritual failings of some of his friends and former role models.  In his own life and ministry, he had become spiritually dry, tired, and inward-looking.…

James 2:20 – ‘Faith without works is useless’

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James 2:20 But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? 2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend.…

Romans 8:28 – ‘All things work together for good’

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8:28 And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, 8:29 because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Baghdad, July 30th 1919.…

Mt 27:9 – ‘…what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet’

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27:3 Now when Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus had been condemned, he regretted what he had done and returned the thirty silver coins to the chief priests and the elders, 27:4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood!” But they said, “What is that to us? You take care of it yourself!” 27:5 So Judas threw the silver coins into the temple and left. Then he went out and hanged himself. 27:6 The chief priests took the silver and said, “It is not lawful to put this into the temple treasury, since it is blood money.”…

What would convince you?

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A few years ago, a visitor to our home expressed surprise at seeing a copy of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion lying around.  My response was that I find it helpful to know what those I might disagree with are actually saying.

In the same spirit, I present here the key points in this 2013 essay by Daniel Bastion.  These twenty reasons for not taking Christianity seriously have garnered high praise from sceptics such as John Loftus (‘Read ’em and weep Christians’) and David Madison (‘Bastian’s essay is indeed essential homework.…

Spiritual gifts – myths and realities

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In The Complete Handbook of Everyday Christianity, art. ‘Spiritual Gifts’, Fee and Stevens compare popular understandings of spiritual gifts with (what they regard as) the biblical reality:

Myth: spiritual gifts are given at the time of conversion and do not change during one’s lifetime.

Reality: the biblical data affirm that gifts may be temporary or long-term.

Myth: Christian maturation is hampered if we do not know what our gift is.

Reality: being able to identify our gift is not as important as making sure our personal ministry edifies others.…

The gift of prophecy

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While not all Christians are called ‘prophets’ (1 Cor 12:29), all are (potentially, at least) engaged in prophetic ministry.

So argue Fee and Stevens (The Complete Handbook of Everyday Christianity):

‘Outside of Paul’s letters prophecy is mentioned as a crucial endowment of the Day of Pentecost by which Spirit-ministry has been universalized as proof that Joel’s prophecy has been fulfilled (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21). Thus prophecy in this present age of the Spirit and these “last days” (Acts 2:17) is a potential ministry for everyone since the Spirit has been poured out “on all people .

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Church membership not optional

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‘I love Jesus, but not the church’.

This is the sentiment, I suppose, of those who call themselves ‘Christians’ while having little or no commitment to a local congregation.

But to love and serve Christ is to be in union with him.  And that union is corporate.  Consider the following biblical metaphors:

  • We are the body; he is the head – it is a living union
  • We are the bride; he is the groom – it is a loving union
  • We are the building; he is the foundation – it is a lasting union

So far as membership of a local church is concerned, Thom S.…