“Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy Cross I cling.” — Augustus Montague Toplady “Blessed are the poor in spirit” is Matthew’s version of our Lord’s sermon; Luke has simply “Blessed are the poor.” When we lack financial resources, people say we are “needy” and “broke.” When we lack spiritual resources, people says we are “needy” and “broken.”…
In 1978, Robert M. Grant argued persuasively that the earliest Christians read the Sermon on the Mount as “literal when possible,” regarding them as commands to be obeyed. Grant’s excellent Semeia chapter, buried in an older volume, is a bit hard to find for the average reader. As we look at the reception history for the Sermon on the Mount,…
Consider three statements: “I don’t interpret the Bible. I just read it and do what it says.” “If the Bible needs interpretation, then it isn’t given by inspiration.” “Common sense is the only interpretation method we need to understand the Bible.” Have you ever heard someone express sentiments like these? It usually comes from a good heart, and a strong…
In the history of Christian thought, some have assumed philosophy has nothing to do with Christianity. Writing in the 3rd century, Tertullian put it this way: For philosophy it is which is the material of the world’s wisdom, the rash interpreter of the nature and the dispensation of God. Indeed heresies are themselves instigated by philosophy. From this source came…