15Jul 2020 by Post

How Jesus “Emptied Himself”

Apologetics, Christianity, God, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Jesus Deity, JesusIsNotFakeNews, Ryan Leasure, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Ryan Leasure Few biblical texts receive as much attention as Philippians 2:5-8. It reads: Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Theologians have spilt much ink over this text. After all, it’s a rich Christological text which proclaims significant truths about the nature of Christ. But far and away, the most controversial part is the phrase “but emptied himself.” What does this statement mean? The Dilemma Does this mean that Jesus…
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14Jul 2020 by Post

From Christianity To Atheism: Parenting Millennials Under A Biblical Worldview

Apologetics for Parents, Bible, Biblical Worldview, Jason Jimenez, Parenting Millenials, Stand Strong Ministries, theology
By Jason Jimenez This article is adapted from Jason’s book Abandoned Faith. Clayton, a sophomore in college, was influenced by a couple of classes taught by a professor from The Jesus Seminar. Clayton shocked his family by announcing, at his brother’s birthday party, that he was now an atheist. “Dad, I know you may not like this, but I don’t believe in the Bible anymore. I’ve come to learn that the Bible can’t be trusted. The church has doctored it up through the centuries. It’s all a lie.” The family was shocked, and Clayton’s “coming out as an atheist” put a damper on the birthday party. “Don’t worry,” Clayton said, “I am still religious. I worship Richard Dawkins.” I remember sitting with a (different) college student over a cup of coffee.…
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13Jul 2020 by Post

Were There No Camels During the Time of Biblical Patriarchs?

Abraham, Apologetics, ApologeticsGuy, Bible, Camels, Camels in Ancient Egypt, Evidence, history, Mikel del Rosario, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Mikel Del Rosario Camels in the Bible? Engaging skeptical challenges to the Old Testament and Camels in the Bible Most people I knew growing up had no problem saying most Old Testament stories were based on some kind of real event. Even those who were skeptical about supernatural parts of the Scriptures didn’t question basic details of ordinary events like Abraham’s travels or even the presence of camels in the Bible. Today, not so much. Many archaeologists and historians are challenging the reliability of biblical stories in the public square. From college classrooms to YouTube, many people get their views on the Bible from books, articles, and documentaries that try hard to undermine the truth of Scripture. This is probably why even the ordinary details of Old Testament narratives…
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06Jul 2020 by Post

Whose Morality Should We Legislate? 44 Quotes from Frank Turek and Norman Geisler

Apologetics, Culture, Faithful Thinkers, Frank Turek, God, Legislating Morality, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Luke Nix, morality, Norman Geisler, Politics, theology
By Luke Nix “We’re living in a society in which people feel no obligation to control their own actions. Instead, we rationalize and justify every aberrant behavior under the umbrella of freedom granted by the First Amendment, never admitting that freedom without reasonable and responsible limits destroys individual lives and ultimately destroys the fabric of a civilized society.” “It is critical to recognize that the founders [of America] were pledging their lives to restore not someone’s revealed religion, but everyone’s self-evident morality.” “It is important to note that even though the Founders believed the Rights of the people came from God, they did not insist that every citizen believe in God; they simply saw no way to justify those natural moral Rights unless there was a God.” “The Moral Law actually is clear to everyone. It is evident by a person’s reactions rather than by his…
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04Jul 2020 by Post

The Best Kind of Love

Apologetics, christ, Christianity, Culture CrossExamined, Free Thinking Ministries, free will, God, Gospel, If God why Evil, Jesus, Love, the problem of evil, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Tim Stratton
By Tim Stratton Question: Dear Dr. Stratton, In your interview with Jorge Gil on Cross Examined’s Hope One, you attempted to answer “all the problems of evil” by appealing to love. In fact, you said that “the best kind of love requires libertarian free will.”  Surely this is false, for I can think of a counter-example that clearly shows this to be false. After all, the members of the Trinity are the epitome of perfect love and they do not have libertarian free will. They cannot do otherwise. They must love by necessity. So how can “the best kind of love” require libertarian free will? – Phillip Tim’s Response I am thankful for your question, Phillip! When I read it I could have kicked myself for not providing this vital clarification…
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01Jul 2020 by Post

Have You Thought About Marriage Lately?

Bible, Bob Perry, Bride, Bridegroom, Church, Covenant, Culture, Eternal Life, Familiy, Husbands, Jesus, marriage, The Grand Story, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, True Horizon, Wedding, Wives
By Bob Perry Have you spent much time thinking about marriage lately? You should. It doesn’t matter if a wedding is something in your future or in your past. It doesn’t even matter if you have no intention of ever getting married. The fact is that the institution of marriage is important to us all. Our culture has devalued it in many ways, but marriage is the foundation of a healthy society. For that reason, we all ought to contemplate the true meaning and value of marriage. An Honor And A Privilege My wife and I have been happily married for 33 years. When you’ve done anything for that long, it’s easy to think you have it all figured out. But in July, my son and his fiancé asked me to perform…
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29Jun 2020 by Post

Without Training, The Church Will Create More Jon Steingards

Apologetics, Atheism, Bible, Christianity, Church, Doubts, Erik Manning, Evidence, Is Jesus Alive, Jon Steingards, objections, skepticism, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Erik Manning Recently Jon Steingard made headlines after he announced over Instagram that he had lost his faith. Steingard was the lead vocalist of the Christian music group Hawk Nelson, which became popular in the early 2000s. Since they had so many fans, this obviously sent shockwaves over social media. In the post, Steingard gives several reasons why he no longer believes. He does ask some challenging questions when he writes, “If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there evil in the world? Can he not do anything about it? Does he choose not to? Is the evil in the world a result of his desire to give us free will? OK then, what about famine and disease and floods and all the suffering that isn’t caused by humans and our free will?” Philosophers call this…
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27Jun 2020 by Post

Society in the Hands of an Angry God

Bellator Christi, Brian Chilton, Culture, forgiveness, God, Grace, Jonathan Edwards, Judgment, looting, men, Riots, Sin, Sinners, society, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
On July 8, 1741, Jonathan Edwards, famed pastor and theologian of colonial America, delivered one of his most famed messages of all-time at a church in Enfield, Connecticut. The title of his message was “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” Using Deuteronomy 32:35 as his text, Edwards argued that sinners are kept in the hands of God. Their sin pulls them to hell, whereas God tries to save them from their awful fate in hell. Using vivid language and descriptive adjectives, Edwards notes that the normal state of humanity leads toward destruction. That is, if humanity is left to its own devices, human beings drag themselves to hell. Three important truths are found in Edwards’s classic declaration. The weight of our sin drags us toward destruction. Edwards writes,…
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24Jun 2020 by Post

3 Unhelpful Things in the Race Conversation That Need to Stop NOW

All Lives Matter, Apologetics, Black Lives Matter, Christianity, Culture, FreeThinking Ministries, Justice, Race, Race Conversation, Racism, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Timothy Fox
Race and injustice are difficult topics to discuss. And while the church must talk about it, I’ve seen a lot of harmful missteps along the way. Here are three unhelpful things that people are doing in the race conversation that needs to stop. Now. Warning: This might be too spicy for some people. Read with caution. 1) Speaking to or for an entire group of people Indeed, each group of people across all shape, color, and size have unique experiences and perspectives. There may be certain types of injustices that face specific people. But attempting to speak to or for an entire group of people is unhelpful. I’ve seen so many White Jesuses on social media trying to bear every sin white people have ever committed. Stop it. Get over yourself. Quit pandering.…
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22Jun 2020 by Post

Is Homosexual Behavior Consistent With The Bible’s Teachings?

Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Homosexual Behavior, Homosexuality, Homosexuality and the Bible, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Wintery Knight
By Wintery Knight Here’s a post from Christian writer Terrell Clemmons about efforts by gay activists to redefine Christianity so that it is consistent with homosexual behavior. This particular post is focused on Matthew Vines. She writes: In March 2012, two years after having set out to confront homophobia in the church, Matthew presented the results of his “thousands of hours of research” in an hour-long talk titled “The Gay Debate.” The upshot of it was this: “The Bible does not condemn loving gay relationships. It never addresses the issues of same-sex orientation or loving same-sex relationships, and the few verses that some cite to support homophobia have nothing to do with LGBT people.” The video went viral (more than three quarter million views to date) and Matthew has been disseminating the…
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