Dr Paul Allen

Did Abraham laugh God off in unbelief?   In Genesis, we read of Abraham going along with Sarah’s plan with Hagar to make Ishmael his heir (Genesis 16:1–16). Later, when God tells him he and Sarah will bear a child at a hundred and ninety years old, respectively, he seems to laugh it off in unbelief (Genesis 17:17).  Therefore, how is it that Romans 4 celebrates Abraham’s unwavering faith? Does it tell us anything about how God views our own wavering faith in the end?” This is a good example of how careful we should be not to read into a text something from our own experience that makes an interpretation seem likely, but rather let the context decide whether it’s likely or not.  So, the question is this: Did Abraham’s laughter in Genesis 17:17 signify the kind of weakened faith or unbelieving doubt (wavering, as she calls it because that’s the way it’s translated in Romans 4:20) that Paul said Abraham did not have? Is Genesis 17:17 in conflict with what Paul says? Faith A...

Molnár József: Ábrahám kiköltözése (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD , who appeared unto him.” ( Genesis 12:7 ) This is the first reference to Abraham building an altar in Scripture. Building an altar and making sacrifice to God denotes total dependence and reliance on Him. It implies saying no to self and yes to God—in effect presenting one’s self in submission to God as a sinner, trusting Him for gracious handling of one’s sin, and discounting one’s value apart from His work. Building altars became a habit with godly Abraham, the “friend of God” ( James 2:23 ), and he practiced it many times during his life (see also Genesis 12:8 ; 13:4, 18). We can surmise that at an early age, Abraham’s son, Isaac , was taught this same practice. It doesn’t seem that Isaac misunderstood or debated the situation, even when he himself was identified as the sacrifice to be s...

“So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran .” ( Genesis 12:4 ) It is not clear from the text just how God made Himself known to Abram when He called him to go to Canaan . The language would imply that there was an audible conversation of some sort—far different from what you and I might expect today. At the time of this calling, Abram was a not then a follower of Yahweh , yet the circumstances of God’s intervention were enough to persuade Abram to uproot his family and start the journey. Abram’s calling and initial response ( Genesis 12:1-5 ) are analogous to an “awakening,” the initial faith to “see” God ( Ephesians 2:8 ). There were no specifics in God’s promise, only broad terms of blessing. Abram’s response was all that he knew to do at that time, to respond in obedience (non-resistance) just as the Scripture implies we are to do ( 1 Thessalonians 2:13 ; Titus 3:5 ; 1 Peter ...

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Many people, when they hear the name Jesus Christ , assume that Christ is Jesus' last name much like Smith, or Jones, or Wilson. But the English word Christ is simply a transliteration of the Greek word christos, which was used in the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament to translate the word Mashiach or Messiah. So when we hear the name Jesus Christ, we should not think of Christ as a last name but as a title. When we say "Jesus Christ," we are saying "Jesus Messiah." Knowing this helps us to understand how we can speak of an Old Testament "Christ"-ology even though Jesus Christ Himself does not appear in the flesh until the New Testament Gospels . We can speak of an Old Testament Christology because the Old Testament contains numerous promises, prophecies, shadows, and types that point forward to the coming of the Messiah—to the coming of the Christ. We will not be looking at ...

English: God's Promises to Abram, c. 1896-1902, by James Jacques Joseph Tissot (French, 1836-1902), gouache on board, 4 13/16 x 5 7/8 in. (12.3 x 15 cm), at the Jewish Museum, New York (Photo credit: Wikipe dia ) When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking fire pot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces ( Genesis 15:17). When God made His promises to Abram, Abram asked God to assure him that He would keep those promises: “O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession of it?” (v. 8). God’s affirmation came in a dream during which Abram was instructed to cut certain animals in half. After he had done this, God repeated His promises. Then God, in the form of a smoking fire pot and blazing torch, passed between the pieces of the animals. What did this mean? It meant that God was making a covenant with Abram. Among the ancient Hebrews , when a covenant was made, it was not done the way we do it today. Covenants were not written; ...

Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia Image via Wikipedia "And the LORD appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him." ( Genesis 12:7 )   This is the first reference to Abraham building an altar in Scripture. Building an altar and making sacrifice to God denotes total dependence and reliance on Him. It implies saying no to self and yes to God--in effect presenting one's self in submission to God as a sinner, trusting Him for gracious handling of one's sin, and discounting one's value apart from His work. Building altars became a habit with godly Abraham, the "Friend of God" ( James 2:23 ), and he practiced it many times during his life (see also  Genesis 12:8 ;  13:4, 18 ).   We can surmise that at an early age, Abraham's son, Isaac , was taught this same practice. It doesn't seem that Isaac misunderstood or debated the situation, ...