Is the Law of First Mention a Proper Biblical Hermeneutic?

Apologetics, Bellator Christi, Bible interpretation, Brian Chilton, Christianity, Gospel, Hermeneutic, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Brian Chilton Recently, Curtis Evelo (Bellator Christi Podcast co-host) told me about a conversation he had with an individual about biblical interpretation. Apparently, the individual held that the wine that Jesus miraculously brought forth out of water in John 4 was merely unfermented grape juice. When asked why he held this view, he contended that to hold that the wine held fermented content was to argue that Jesus was a sinner because wine is said to be a mocker in Proverbs 20:1. Curtis asked him what this had to do with Jesus’s miraculous transformation of water into wine. The unnamed individual then said that he used the law of first mention. According to the law of first mention, the interpreter first examines the initial place where the term or…
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How to Answer Arguments for Abortion | with Frank Turek

abortion, AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when confronted by a zealous pro-choice advocate? Or maybe when a friend or co-worker started sharing their thoughts and opinions on abortion you couldn’t think of the right thing to say, so instead of speaking up you just kept silent? Now more than ever we need to effectively make the case for life, but sometimes the task is difficult because abortion is not intellectually complex–it is emotionally complex. Last week, Frank talked about the historic overturning of Roe vs. Wade. This week, he takes the discussion one step further and answers the most common abortion arguments, such as: Theocracy…
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Daniel Prophesied the Timing Of The Messiah

Apologetics, christian, Daniel, Erik Manning, Gospel, Jesus diety, Kingdom of God, Prophecy, Theology and Christian Apologetics, video
By Erik Manning How did Jesus see himself? As we learn about Jesus’ Jewish context in the first century, we find that he made some staggering claims. First of all, Jesus spoke constantly about God’s kingdom. The phrase kingdom of God or kingdom of heaven appears more than 100 times in the Gospels. Jesus begins his ministry in Mark by saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is near.” (Mark 1:15) Okay, so what’s the big deal about that? And what does Jesus mean when he says the kingdom of God is “near”? Jesus was assuming that his audience would pick up on the ideas he was laying down. When a first century Jew heard the phrase “the kingdom of God,” their minds likely turned to a…
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The Babylon Bee vs. Postmodernism | with Kyle Mann

AFR, Apologetics, app, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Kyle Mann, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, school shooting, Spotify, stitcher, Todd Herman, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Are you ready to laugh and think your way through a timely update of a classic tale? Kyle Mann, editor-in-chief of The Babylon Bee, joins Frank to discuss his new book, The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress (co-authored with Joel Berry). Part novel and part “sci-fi fantasy allegory”, The Postmodern Pilgrim’s Progress is a modern-day version of John Bunyan’s classic book and tackles subject matter that is unique to our culture today–including the prosperity gospel, deconstruction, humanism, evolution, skepticism, abortion, and more. Here’s a short excerpt from the beginning of the book: “On this journey, Ryan will learn something, which is more than most people who go on journeys can say. When he wakes up, he…
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Mass Shootings & Pro-Choice Hysteria: Three Questions that Show the Insanity of Modern Moral Outrage

Adam Tucker, Apologetics, Christianity, Culture, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, pro-choice, Roe v. Wade, school shooting, Southern Evangelical Seminary, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, What is a Right?
By Adam Tucker As I sit at my computer thinking about the incomprehensible evil of yet another mass shooting, this time in Uvalde, Texas, the floods of outrage, sadness, fear, and uncertainty grip me as I’m sure they do many of you. Ironically, news of the tragedy broke just minutes before attending the end-of-year ceremonies at my kids’ school. Tears filled my eyes as I watched the boys and girls sing and receive their awards knowing that so many parents will not get to experience such joys after this latest tragedy. I truly cannot imagine. Yet, while the news coming out of Texas is very disturbing, there is something else I can’t get out of my mind. Just over a week ago, my family and I had the opportunity to…
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Can a Christian Lose Their Salvation? An Analysis of the Warning Passages in Hebrews

Apologetics, Christianity, Gospel, Jonathan McLatchie, salvation, soteriology, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
A significant point of contention in regard to the book of Hebrews is whether a genuine believer can lose their salvation, or whether falling away from the faith merely evidences the fact that one had never truly come to share in Christ. At the center of this controversy are the warning passages, which are found in Hebrews 2:1-4, 3:7-4:13, 5:11-6:12, 10:19-39, and 12:14-29. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Biblical evidence on whether a professing Christian who walks away from the faith forfeits their salvation, with a particular focus on the book of Hebrews. A fundamental principle of Biblical hermeneutics is that the unclear passages should always be interpreted in light of clearer texts. This follows from the premise that the Biblical texts, being divinely inspired, though…
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Can We Create a Turning Point? | with Charlie Kirk

AFR, Apologetics, app, Charlie Kirk, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, CrossExamined, crossexamined podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, Podcast, podcasting, Politics, Radio, Radio Show, school shooting, Spotify, stitcher, Todd Herman, TPUSA, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Frank has been speaking at 15-20 college campuses per year since 2007. The reason he goes there is because the college campus is probably the most anti-Christian piece of real estate in the United States of America. When we conduct a session on campus—it takes our team and a Christian host group on campus to do so—we are throwing a lifeline to the Christian students who attend, and we are putting a stone in the shoe of the skeptics who show up. But too few people are doing this. So when we find someone who is—and doing it remarkably effectively—we want to tell you about that person. In this…
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STEPS AND RESOURCES FOR SOUND BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, J. Brian Huffling, New Testament, Textual Criticism, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Uncategorized
By Brian Huffling Many people don’t know how to study the Bible, or even where to begin. The Bible is a long collection of books that contains much about ancient history, difficult concepts, and is very intimidating for people who want to read it but don’t know where to start. This article will describe some of the principles of interpreting the Bible (hermeneutics) that are taught in basic Bible college and seminary classes (but are easy enough for anyone to understand). This is not a 12-step method to anything, it is simply a sound method to examine the biblical text. Well, it is a 3-step method: observation, interpretation, and application. OBSERVATION When we read a passage, we typically want to ask, “What does it mean?” But there is a more basic…
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Why Doesn’t God Need a Creator

Al Serrato, Apologetics, Atheism, Christianity, creator, Kalam, Philosophy of Science, Skeptic, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Al Serrato Christians believe that God is an infinite being who has always existed. But what “evidence” can the theist put forth in support of this claim? This is a common challenge raised by the skeptic. When a person asks for “evidence,” the usual response is to look for things like witness statements, or documents or fingerprints left at a scene. Since no one has “evidence” relating to things outside our universe, or to a being who preceded the Big Bang, it’s a safe bet, they think, that the Christian apologist can’t come up with any “evidence.” Or is it? Teasing out the unspoken premise in the question highlights what is at play: the challenger assumes that it is only through physical or testimonial “evidence” that we can know…
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¿Deben los cristianos tener fe ciega? 

Apologetics, Atheism, Bible, Christian Apologetics, Español, Evangelism, faith, Levi Dade, The Rebelution
Por Levi Dade Hace unos meses, me senté con un íntimo amigo mío en una de las cabinas de la cafetería de nuestra universidad. Mi amigo, al que llamaré Tom, es ateo. Tom es un auténtico buscador de la verdad, y sería cristiano si considerara que el cristianismo es “completamente cierto”. Durante nuestra conversación, terminamos discutiendo el tema de la fe. Después de averiguar sus perspectivas del mundo y sus justificaciones para ellas, dijo algo que me sorprendió. “Al final del día, supongo que todos estamos obligados a tener fe en algo”. Quería que me aclarara lo que quería decir con esa afirmación, así que le respondí: “¿Quieres decir fe ciega?”. “Sí, supongo que es fe ciega”. La diferencia entre la fe y la fe ciega Presta atención a éstas…
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