02Oct 2023 by Post

Dangerous Homefront, part 3: Correcting Prooftexts

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, prooftext, theology
In part 1 of this series we looked at prooftexts from the Old Testament. In part 2 we looked at prooftexts from the New Testament. At this point you may be wondering, “So what’s the big deal?” People will misinterpret things, so what? What’s the Big Deal? Clearly, misinterpretation occurs often within the Church. Does that mean that the church is apostate or heretical? Not really, but it does mean that we make mistakes. Many of these mistakes go unnoticed and never cause any real damage. But other mistaken interpretations can sink in, take root, and spring up as dangerous beliefs and bad practices. Consider how many people have watched a loved one pass away, even though they prayed in groups for God to heal them, and, this unmet expectation…
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21Aug 2023 by Post

Dangerous Homefront, part 2: NT Prooftexts we Know and Love

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, New Testament, prooftext, theology
In part 1 of this series, we looked at a few Old Testament passages that people often misinterpret. In part 2 we shift to the New Testament. It’s worth noting that sometimes the error is just an innocent mistake. It’s not always from bad intentions, or false teachers, or heretical theology. Sometimes there are malicious forces at work here, but often it’s just well-meaning people getting confused about what the Bible says. The list of verses below is just a sample of commonly misinterpreted texts. There are many more too choose from, but I’m willing to bet that if you are a church-goer you’ve heard at least one of these misinterpretations before. Matthew 7:1 Judge not, lest ye be judged. This is perhaps the most quoted verse of Scripture surpassing…
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07Aug 2023 by Post

Dangerous Homefront, part 1: OT Prooftexts we Know and Love

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, prooftext, theology
Years ago, on a trip to Washington DC I found myself going through a few different airports and learning a life lesson along the way. The flights led me through several security checks. I had no problem with the baggage scans and the metal detectors till I got to LaGuardia airport in New York. I was stopped. I had forgotten about a small pocketknife on my key-chain. Not being a terrorist, or John Wick, I don’t think of a one-inch blade as a weapon. My pocketknife was confiscated. It was no big loss, but it was enough to teach me something. One airport let that pocketknife slip by unnoticed. But in New York they spotted it instantly. In New York they knew the threat of terrorism. Their sensitivities were keen,…
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05Jun 2023 by Post

Why is God’s Word so Hard to Understand?

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Bible, Bible study, Christianity, Crossexamined community, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, theology
The following question comes from one our Crossexamined Community members. “Why did God allow the Bible to be written in a way that gives Christians an opportunity to misunderstand it?” This question intrigues me because it’s a universal problem. Everyone who’s ever tried to dig into the Bible has found it difficult, sometimes, to understand what God is saying. And some passages are so difficult that theologians across Church history can’t agree on what they mean. Of course we could all benefit from learning how to interpret the Bible correctly. Sometimes we struggle over a passage and it would be easy to understand if we just knew some basic principles for interpretation. But, even if you had the best education and years of practice, there are still some passages that…
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