Before Viktor Frankl was deported from Austria in 1942, he had the manuscript for his first book on psychology sewn into the lining of his overcoat. The first thing that happened when the Jewish prisoners arrived at a Nazi concentration camp was that they were told to strip and shower. They never got their own … Continue reading Shema Yisrael
Bible
Are the times also changing spiritually?
The Jesus People movement began 60years ago. Young people with no Christian background or instruction suddenly found the Word of God and the person of Jesus Christ to be very attractive and compelling. Can such a thing happen again? I believe it can, and will. That belief is based on the simple fact that there … Continue reading Are the times also changing spiritually?
PHARISAISM
The Old Testament era ends with Ezra, Nehemiah and Malachi. Many Jews had returned from captivity, the walls of Jerusalem had been rebuilt and the second temple was being built. One ancient Jewish source said that five things that had been in Solomon’s temple were missing from the second temple: the ark of the covenant … Continue reading PHARISAISM
PIETY
The Greek word Eusebia “denotes that piety which, characterized by a Godward attitude, does that which is well-pleasing to Him” (Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Eusebia is most often translated godliness in the AV/KJV translation and by piété in French translations and pietà in Italian. Piety is characterized by a living relationship with … Continue reading PIETY
PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
There are two kinds of conservatism: a living one by which the faith is passed on intact and unchanged, always being kindled anew by the power of the Word and of the Holy Spirit; and a conservatism without life, that makes outward formalism the exclusive evidence of faith, with no reference to the condition of … Continue reading PIETY / PIETISM / PHARISAISM
Allergies – to peanuts and to doctrine
Some years ago an alarm was raised over the drastic increase in the number of people suffering from peanut allergies. Mothers panicked at the threat posed by peanuts, which led to peanuts being banned from airline flights and from many schools. What is going on here? Peanuts are a healthy and nutritious food. In recent … Continue reading Allergies – to peanuts and to doctrine
Christian doctrine is the most exciting story
Somehow or other, and with the best intentions, we have shown the world the typical Christian in the likeness of a crashing and rather ill-natured bore–and this in the Name of One who assuredly never bored a soul in those thirty-three years during which He passed through this world like a flame. Let us, in … Continue reading Christian doctrine is the most exciting story
Why does it matter?
After announcing my intention to write a book entitled Wells Without Water, I have posted a number of articles that might be called the raw material for the book. Which is to say that most of them will need a major rewrite before I am satisfied that I have said what I want to say, … Continue reading Why does it matter?
Echoes of invention
[First posted 10 years ago.] The Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) gradually began to downplay some of the distinctive teachings of Daniel Warner, leading some of those who believed strongly in those teachings to leave the church. In 1980, Daniel Layne left the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana) and assumed the leadership of those who … Continue reading Echoes of invention
Humanism versus humanity
[First posted in August 2013.] If anyone is wondering what is happening to our society, a little time spent reading the Humanist Manifesto of 1933 will provide considerable illumination. Here are some excerpts: Religious humanism maintains that all associations and institutions exist for the fulfillment of human life. The intelligent evaluation, transformation, control, and direction … Continue reading Humanism versus humanity
