Category Archives: Understanding the Bible

James, Joseph, Wisdom and the Meek Sufferers of Empire

Posted on July 18, 2013 by PaulVK

Part of the fun of the pastoral life where I have two weekly Bible preps are reading books I wouldn’t normally put together, together. Right now I’m in James and Joseph. Joseph and Wisdom Yesterday I was wrestling with “wisdom” … Continue reading →

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Inspiration and Reading the Bible from Daniel Kirk

Posted on August 9, 2012 by PaulVK

Daniel Kirk takes another swing on the subject. It’s the kind of thing we keep working on, like most life-long projects. The comments were good too.

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Interesting note from Ben Witherington’s Acts Commentary on Baptism

Posted on July 20, 2012 by PaulVK

This is concerning Apollos and why Luke makes no mention of Priscilla and Aquila baptizing him. It is possible, as Bruce points out, that they might have thought it unnecessary, since he already had the Holy Spirit. It may also … Continue reading →

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Ten Commandments in Descending Order of Penalty

Posted on July 14, 2012 by PaulVK

I never noticed until today that the 10 Commandments seem to be organized in descending order of penalty. The numbering is different in different traditions but between the first through “adultery” the penalty is death. Then we have stealing, the … Continue reading →

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Paul in Philippi Joyfully Bears Jesus’ Substitutionary Cross and Shares in his Vindication

Posted on June 21, 2012 by PaulVK

Trouble Finds Him Paul having released the slave woman from her bondage to the python spirit now has to face her earthly masters. According to Luke, Paul and Silas are physically assaulted by the her owners and brought before the … Continue reading →

Posted in Devotional Reflection, On the way to Sunday's sermon, Understanding the Bible | Tagged | 3 Comments

Lydia is to Paul with Women, as Cornelius was to Peter with Gentiles

Posted on June 15, 2012 by PaulVK

Egalitarian FAIL As an egalitarian society we like to assert that we have no pecking orders, but none of us believe it. We know that in any community or context, there are pecking orders. There are people with power and … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, On the way to Sunday's sermon, Understanding the Bible | Tagged | 2 Comments

Ruth and the Women-in-Church-Office fight

Posted on June 11, 2012 by PaulVK

I posted this as a comment on Rachel Held Evan’s blog. Even though I have long believed in and practiced women’s equality in ministry I am regularly frustrated by the implicit assertions of how power is used between us in … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture commentary, Understanding the Bible | 4 Comments

My Case for a Holy Hypocrisy

Posted on June 1, 2012 by PaulVK

“The church is full of hypocrites” I regularly see Gandhi’s famous Christ quote on a bumper sticker at my child’s school. “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Fair enough. … Continue reading →

Posted in CRC, Culture commentary, Institutional Church, On the way to Sunday's sermon, Understanding the Bible | 4 Comments

Is the Bible a Human or Divine Product?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by PaulVK

I wrote this as a response to a posting on Calvin-In-Common on a reported conclusion of Marcus Borg that the Bible is a human product, not a divine one. Human product or a divine one? I couldn’t let that assertion … Continue reading →

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The Punitive Work of the Holy Spirit

Posted on April 27, 2012 by PaulVK

Paul vs. Elymas As I mentioned in previous posts I’m spending the week pondering the story of Paul’s confrontation with Bar-Jesus/Elymas in Cyprus at the beginning of his first missionary journey. Luke takes great pains to emphasize the presence, power … Continue reading →

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