Dr Paul Allen

Thanks to Carl Trueman’s bestsellers The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self and Strange New World, Christians are in a far better place to understand this bizarre cultural moment. How did we get to a place where humans with XY chromosomes—otherwise known as males—have risen to dominance in female sports, won acclaim as one of USA Today’s Women of the Year, and been hosted by the Smithsonian to perform interactive drag shows for young children? Trueman does a stellar job retracing the steps of Rousseau, Nietzsche, Marx, and other thought leaders, through the sexual revolution, and up to our day. His analysis is spot on, so far as it goes. But what if there’s a far more ancient origin to the expressive individualism trending in our day? (Full disclosure: I had an on-air discussion with Trueman suggesting this very thesis, and he heartily agreed.) Maker’s Knowledge In Genesis 3 we behold the “Tree of Knowledge.” The serpent tempts humanity’s first couple with a pitch to be “like God, kno...

Many people can recite John  3:16 , but how many know what John  3:14 –15 says? Jesus’ words in these two verses have generated confusion and controversy: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John  3:15  presents no problem; it declares the gospel—that Jesus, the Son of Man in this passage, is the true object of faith for all who would have eternal life. The difficulty lies in verse 14, where Jesus compares His destiny on the cross to a serpent “lifted up” in the wilderness. In this analogy, Jesus draws on Numbers 21:4–9, one of many incidents in which the Israelites complained about their circumstances on their journey to the promised land. God punished their impatience and lack of faith by sending venomous “fiery serpents” into the camp (Num 21:6). After many fatalities, the people begged Moses to intercede with God on their behalf. God relent...

The Lord had assured Paul that he must go to Rome. He had also promised to give him the lives of all the 275 others who were on board. He did as He had promised. After arriving safely on land they found out the island was called Malta (Phoenician or Canaanite for “refuge”). It was south of Sicily and its people were descended from Phoenician colonists who settled there about 1000 B.C., and who probably spoke a dialect closely related to Hebrew. Rome had conquered the island in 218 B.C. The islanders received them graciously. Throughout this passage Luke uses the Greek term barbaroi to refer to the “islanders.” Barbaroi is translated variously, including “natives” (NASB), “rough islanders” (NEB), and “barbarous people” (KJV). But Luke does not mean that they were degraded or uncivilized. To the Greeks any foreigner who could not speak Greek was a barbarian. Later they gave the Romans a certain level of inclusion by redefining “barbarian” as one who could not speak Greek or Latin. I...

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. [Gen. 3:1] When we move from Genesis 2:25 to Genesis 3:1 we note a change in textual tone. The statement that the serpent was the craftiest of the animals strikes a discordant note in the harmony that had prevailed to this point. In Genesis 3:1 we immediately read that this clever beast challenged God’s commands to Adam and Eve. The serpent personifies Satan throughout the Bible. We often envision the stereotypical little man in a red suit, horns and cloven hooves, carrying a pitchfork. This description is not found anywhere in the Bible, but was born in the minds of some medieval church scholars. These theologians were conscious of spiritual warfare, so they sought techniques to fight Satan and overcome his temptations. Peter tells us that Satan prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8), but James promises that if we resist him this lion will flee (James 4:7). Such...

For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods (Ex. 7:12). The first time that Moses appealed to Pharaoh, he did so in word only. But this time Moses is directed to prove that he is God’s messenger: “Show a miracle for yourselves.” no doubt, Pharaoh said this hoping that none would be wrought. But even if Moses did do something supernatural, Pharaoh was prepared to discredit him. He had called his wise men to counter anything Moses might do. So when the staff of Aaron turned into a serpent, the wise men cast down their staffs, transforming them into snakes. Pharaoh must have been quite proud of himself. But there was more to come. Moses’ serpent swallowed the others, thus testifying to the power and supremacy of Yahweh. Still, Pharaoh hardened his heart to the plain truth. This is a classic example of a man who refuses to believe. He demands evidence, he demands proof in the form of a miracle, and when a miracle is delivered, he...