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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25Sep 2023 by Post

Meet Robot Jesus

Culture CrossExamined, exploitation, idolatry, John Ferrer, Robot Jesus, Satan, Smart phone app, theology
Have you talked with Jesus yet today? No, I’m not talking about your morning prayers. I’m talking about the new Text-With-Jesus app. This is a downloadable smartphone app that will put you in a text-message conversation with an AI simulation of Jesus, and other biblical characters. You’re basically talking to a robot programmed to say things that you’d expect to hear from Jesus, or Jonah, or Moses, or Matthew, or even Satan himself. The app is free, but for $2.99 you can purchase access to the Satan-character and converse with an AI version of Lucifer himself. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised that the grace-based (free) version features Jesus, but you have to sell a little bit of your soul to talk to the prince of darkness. Is this APP…
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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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02May 2023 by Post

God Wants You Well… Or Does He? A Closer Look at the “Health and Wellness” Gospel

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, CIA, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, John Ferrer, Jorge Gil, morality, Old Testament, Podcast, Prosperity Gospel, Radio, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Does God want everybody to be well? By the power of your faith can you abolish all sickness from your life and your loved ones’? In this midweek podcast episode, Jorge and John take a close look at the “Health and Wellness Gospel” and how it fails to embrace the whole council of Scripture. At its best, this idea has some basis in the Bible, but stretches the text beyond recognition. And at its worse, it sets people up for disappointment, disillusionment, and even deconversion. To be clear, God wants all of us well (eventually), but in the mean time, we live in a fallen world marked by sickness, death,…
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06Jan 2023 by Post

When Your Opponent Cheats, What Should You Do? | with Dr. John Ferrer

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, Case against abortion, CIA, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, John Ferrer, morality, Podcast, Radio, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Is it ever OK for a Christian to lie or cheat? What if you know your opponent is being dishonest? What examples can we find in Scripture that demonstrate our ethical duties based on God’s will? To help us answer those questions is the newest member of the Cross Examined team, Dr. John Ferrer (yes, dedicated husband of Hillary Morgan Ferrer from Mama Bear Apologetics)! John received his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion and Ethics from Southern Evangelical Seminary and sits down with Frank to discuss a question we received from an international listener who is currently struggling with the imbalance of political power between Christians and Muslims in…
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