Dr Paul Allen

I’m bad at reading the Bible quickly or in big chunks. I’m always getting stopped by interesting little questions (and interesting big ones). Here’s a representative example: Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to  play .” ( 1 Corinthians 10:7 ESV ) I’ve puzzled over that word “play.” It seems a little out of place. What’s so bad about eating, drinking, and, of all things,  playing ? In context, the eating, drinking, and playing are all explaining Paul’s word “idolaters.” So we know they weren’t eating animal crackers, drinking pop, and playing Scrabble . Something about the eating, drinking, and playing was idolatrous. At the very least, the animal crackers were golden-calf-shaped, the pop was spiked, and the Scrabble games were for money. And in the context of Exodus 32, which Paul quotes here, God tells Moses, up on the mountain, that the people have “corrupted themselves.” Moses descends to a

Luke states that Peter and John attributed their miracles to God ’s glorifying his servant Jesus (3:13). After the lame man was healed on the temple steps, Peter deflected the praise the people gave him. He stated that the miracle occurred because in it God chose to glorify Jesus. His response was instinctive, not contrived. The apostles recognized that their miracles pointed to Jesus’ power, not their own.  This account reveals two aspects of God’s glory.   First, miracles are not an end in themselves. They point others to Jesus. Miracles bring the glory of God into the human sphere. God’s glory has power to change circumstances, correcting evil and evidencing heaven’s completeness. Miracles do not simply point people to God; they bring God to people, allowing them to receive and acknowledge his glory.  Second, God is glorified when Jesus is glorified. Describing God as the “God of Abraham , the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers” demonstra

Wait a minute. The Bible needed an upgrade ? Those sound like fighting words to anyone with a high view of Scripture. An upgrade implies that something needed updating, but the Bible is timeless! That’s true, but in this case I would have to excuse myself from the ring. I wouldn’t want to tangle with those responsible for the improvements: the biblical writers and, well, the Spirit of God. Believe it or not, there is evidence that the Bible was updated.1 That may sound strange, but if you read closely, it’s undeniable. Take Genesis 14:14 as an illustration: When Abram heard that his kinsman had been taken captive, he led forth his trained men … and went in pursuit as far as Dan . Did you notice the problem ? This is the time of Abram, a time before Moses and Joshua—before there was a promised land divided among the tribes of Israel . There wasn’t even an Israel yet. So what’s up with the reference to the land that belonged to the tribe of Dan ? If we plotted out the battle bet

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “I, the LORD , have called You in righteousness, and will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, as a light to the Gentiles ” (Isa. 42:6). The thought of the kingdom of heaven spreading throughout the world, of people from all nations bowing in obedience to the God of Israel , and of a world once hidden in darkness being brought into light by the power of God’s Spirit must have been difficult for the Jewish mind to grasp. Remember, they were a people surrounded by enemi

Frans Floris - The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Gathering and Protecting Mankind - WGA7949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The parable of the soils raises the same question about our lives. Will we be fruitful, fertile followers of Jesus Christ ? Not only does the parable raise the question, but it gives us a hope and a warning in answer. To rest on the hope and heed the warning, we must understand the context of the parable. When Jesus began to announce the arrival of the kingdom of God , He spoke amid high expectations. His hearers’ ancestors had been taken into exile and captivity because they had broken covenant with God. The prophets had made the case for God’s just punishment of their idolatry and injustice. But the prophets’ message was not exclusively woe, for they also had promised a day of restoration when God would set up His visible earthly reign through His anointed one (Messiah). Two things would happen: Israel’s oppressors would be defeated and pure worship wo

Moab Is My Washpot (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) STEPHEN FRY AND CANCER Stephen Fry  was  asked  what he would say if he were "confronted by  God ."   Fry replied,  "I'd say, bone cancer in children? What's that about?  How dare you create a world to which there is such misery that is not our fault. It's not right, it's utterly, utterly evil.  Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid God who creates a world that is so full of injustice and pain. That's what I would say." Interviewer:  "And you think you are going to get into heaven, like that?"  Fry replied:  "I wouldn't want to. I wouldn't want to get in on his terms. They are wrong. Now, if I died and it was Pluto,  Hades , and if it was the 12  Greek gods , then I would have more truck with it, because the Greeks didn't pretend to not be human in their appetites, in their capriciousness, and in their unreasonableness.  They didn't pr

Frans Floris - The Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, Son of God, Gathering and Protecting Mankind - WGA7949 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) While all Scripture is revelation from God (2 Tim. 3:16), in a unique way the book of Revelation is the revelation— the revelation of Jesus Christ . While this book is certainly revelation from Jesus Christ (cf. 22:16), it is also the revelation about Him.  The other New Testament uses of the phrase apokalupsis Iēsou Christou (Revelation of Jesus Christ) suggest that John’s statement in this verse is best understood in the sense of revelation about Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 1:7; Gal. 1:12; 2 Thess. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:7).  The Gospels are also about Jesus Christ, but present Him in His first coming in humiliation; the book of Revelation presents Him in His second coming in exaltation. Every vision and description of Him in Revelation is one of majesty, power, and glory. Christ’s unveiling begins in 1:5–20, where He is revealed in His ascended majesty. Th

English: High priest offering a sacrifice of a goat, as on the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur; from Henry Davenport Northrop, "Treasures of the Bible," published 1894 (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The Book of Leviticus is the heart and center of the Pentateuch. The theological heart of Leviticus—and, therefore, also of the Five Books of Moses —is the Day of Atonement (Lev 16). On this most sacred day, the high priest of Israel would bring the blood of sacrifice into the holy of holies to cleanse both the tabernacle dwelling of God and the camp of Israel . Ultimately, every other sacrifice and ritual in Israel's cult derived its meaning and significance from this annual entrance into the earthly throne room of God. Worship in ancient Israel was through the chosen and anointed mediator, the high priest. Significantly, then, in the Pentateuch "messiah" refers exclusively to Aaron the high priest—he is the one anointed with oil, whose mediation allows God'