As a teacher, I am regularly asked about Bible passages and the theology they convey. Sometimes the questions are straightforward; other times, not so much. Some time back, for example, as I was innocently trying to lead our community group through Romans 8:18-30, I was asked how to interpret verses 29-30 in light of thatContinue reading “How to Approach Difficult Bible Passages”
Tag Archives: Biblical Canon
The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part IV)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Marcion of Sinope and his influence of the formation of the New Testament canon. Having examined the particular perspectives of the Canon Refinement School, we now turn to several concerns stemming from these works. First, we must consider the arguments of this school of thought concerningContinue reading “The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part IV)”
The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part III)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Marcion of Sinope and his influence of the formation of the New Testament canon. We now turn to two of the most prominent modern perspectives for the Canon Refinement School, those of Lee Martin McDonald and John Barton. In The Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, andContinue reading “The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part III)”
The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part II)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Marcion of Sinope and his influence of the formation of the New Testament canon. Robert Smith Wilson also conceived of Marcion’s impact on the formation of a Christian canon as refining but not formative. Central to Wilson’s understanding of Marcion was his desire to understand fundamentalContinue reading “The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part II)”
The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part I)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Marcion of Sinope and his influence of the formation of the New Testament canon. We now turn to the third perspective on Marcion’s relationship with the notion of a specifically Christian canon, namely that while Marcion likely refined the idea and parameters of canon, he wasContinue reading “The Marcion Problem: Canon Refinement (Part I)”
Five Things Everyone Should Know About the Bible
The Christian Bible remains the most influential written work of Western Civilization, influencing language, government, economics, social groups, institutions, and culture. While many people own a Bible and some even read it on occasion, there are some things that you should know about the Bible that you might not have heard before. (1) The writingsContinue reading “Five Things Everyone Should Know About the Bible”
ECA: Lee McDonald on Early Christian Scripture
This post is part of our ongoing series examining Early Christian Authority. Over at Bible Odyssey, Lee Martin McDonald has offered a brief response to a question about when the writings of the New Testament became scripture: The New Testament (NT) writings were read in churches early on (Col 4:16), but were not generally calledContinue reading “ECA: Lee McDonald on Early Christian Scripture”
Maurice Wiles and the Definition of Theology
There are many questions in life with the potential for multidisciplinary and eternal significance. Among these are such questions as “Is there a god?”, “Do right and wrong exist?”, and “What happens when we die?” [1] Theologian Maurice Wiles adds to this list yet another question in his book titled What is Theology? To beginContinue reading “Maurice Wiles and the Definition of Theology”
NT Canon: Conclusions
This is the final post in our series outlining the formation of the New Testament canon. Here at the end of our two week examination of New Testament canon formation, what can we conclude? Remembering the distinction between a “formal canon” (an authoritative list of books) and a “practical canon” (a list of authoritative books),Continue reading “NT Canon: Conclusions”
NT Canon: Canonical Lists
This post is part of an ongoing series outlining the formation of the New Testament canon. We now turn to an examination of canonical lists, an important step on the road to formal canonization. The importance of the core scriptures increased throughout the second and third centuries and were in due course joined in prestigeContinue reading “NT Canon: Canonical Lists”
Pursuing Veritas 