When Genocide Comes to Church
Several years ago, in about 2009-10, I read three books on the Rwandan Genocide. I can’t remember what prompted me to engage such a grim topic at the time—perhaps it was watching Hotel Rwanda—but I remember the gloom that settled over my soul for days afterwards.
Approving of Those Who Practice Evil (in The Middle East): A Reflection on Romans 1:32
Towards the end of Romans 1, the apostle Paul shows the horrific consequences of humanity turning away from God and his truth. People embrace a lie based on the distorted desires of the heart. As punishment, God gives them what they want, or as Paul puts it, “hands them over” (vv. 24, 26, 28) to their desires and allows them to reap the fruit of their folly.
The Duty of Restraining Abusive Leaders: 1 Samuel 3:13
In 1 Samuel 3:13, God explains to the boy Samuel that he will hold Eli to account, not for what he has done personally, but for what he has allowed to continue under his watch:
“And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them.” (ESV, my emphasis)
Christ in the Rubble
As is often observed, when the apostle John speaks of the eternal Word becoming flesh, and “taking up residence” or “pitching a tent” among us, he is alluding to Israel’s time in the desert, where God once dwelt among his people in the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
Abuse NDAs and the Church: Making a Covenant with Death
Abuse NDAs (Non-Disclosure Agreements) are an offence to God, and an assault on the dignity of his image bearers. Here are ten reasons why.
The Hebrew Midwives: Exodus 1
As is often the way in the Bible, our attention is drawn to insignificant people who find themselves at the centre of God’s purposes for the world. This is the first and the last that we hear of the Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing 6: Their Discovery, Part 2
The sixth instalment in a series on Matthew 7:15-23, continuing to think about what it means to recognise wolves by their fruit (Matthew 7:16, 20). This post considers how the fruit test gets misapplied as a performance test.
Humiliation and Exaltation in Egypt: Genesis 50:18
Joseph’s brothers must have very sore backs by now. Since they first came to Egypt looking for food they have repeatedly bowed low, even prostrated themselves before their brother. They hated his prophetic dreams, but they cannot escape their fulfilment.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing 5: Their Discovery, Part 1
The fifth instalment in a series on Matthew 7:15-23. This and the next post consider how in practice we can recognise wolves by their fruit (Matthew 7:16, 20). In this post I look at what doesn’t count as good fruit, and how to apply the fruit test as a paternity test.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing 4: Their Paternity
The fourth instalment in a series on Matthew 7:15-23. This and the next two posts consider the meaning and application of Jesus’ words, “You will recognize them by their fruit.” It is easy to misunderstand and misapply Jesus’ words, because we treat the fruit test as a performance test, rather than a paternity test.
Judah’s Repentance: Genesis 44:18-34
It was one thing, in fulfilment of Joseph’s dreams, for his brothers to bow down before him; quite another thing for Judah to prostrate himself before his brother Joseph and offer himself up in place of Benjamin.
Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing 3: Their Activity
This is the third instalment in a series on Matthew 7:15-23. We turn our attention to the prophet-wolves’ activity, seeking to discern it from the metaphor itself, the OT background (see the previous post), and the context and concerns of the Sermon on the Mount.
“Blessed is the one … whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in season.”
— Psalm 1:1-3