Here is an excellent recent post by my friend Larry Hurtado which deserves a further hearing. He is not enamored of the ‘history revisionists’ and neither am I when it comes to early Christian history. by larryhurtado A recent article mounts a “full-on” challenge to the widely-accepted report of a Neronian pogrom against Christians in Rome in 64 AD, after the fire that destroyed a goodly part of Rome: Brent D. Shaw, “The Myth of the Neronian Persecution,” Journal of... Read more

We are now in the season of Christmas for the Orthodox Church, and so it will be appropriate to have some reflections on the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, somewhere around 4 B.C. or a bit before. Here is a helpful column by my friend Philip Jenkins for your perusal…. The Year Jesus Was Born December 11, 2015 by Philip Jenkins 5 Comments Scholars differ on the exact birthdate of Jesus of Nazareth, though a fair consensus holds that it was... Read more

By now, most folk will know that Howard Marshall has gone to be with the Lord a month ago. The following is a lecture by I.H. Marshall given at Acadia University where I taught last summer on hermeneutics or the art of Biblical Interpretation. Howard was a good friend of mine,and like myself, an Evangelical Methodist. At one point he asked me if I would consider applying for the post he was retiring from at Aberdeen. I told him my... Read more

Here’s a very nice deal for six of the seven of our archaeological thrillers, courtesy of LOGOS (contact [email protected]). The Collected Fiction of Ben and Ann Witherington (6 vols.) The Collected Fiction of Ben and Ann Witherington (6 vols.) Regular price: $99.99 Pre-Pub: $39.99 “Join Ben Witherington as he combines real-life scholarship and breathtaking adventure. Immerse yourself in the world of Archaeologist Art West as he embarks on adventures that lead to fantastic biblical discoveries. Ben Witherington applies his expertise... Read more

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Might as well start the new year with a bang, a WWII bang. It now appears likely that C.S. Lewis was enlisted by MI6 to help the British win the loyalty of the people of Iceland. The discovery was made by a professor at Union College. Here is the link to the article…. https://pjmedia.com/faith/2015/12/11/eyes-only-famed-christian-author-c-s-lewis-worked-for-mi6 See what you think. And Felix Novus Annus…. BW3 Read more

[I originally wrote this prayer for 2009, but in almost every regard it seems just as relevant now, so I reprint it below with a few additions] —- A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER FOR OUR NATION— Lord God, maker of all that is good, and true and beautiful, all that is right, and righteous, and holy, all that is giving and forgiving and merciful, we entreat you on this day to have mercy on our nation America. We confess to you... Read more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bs2aMiyT6es ‘I’m 64 say no more, It happened today, ‘yours sincerely wasting away’ BW3 12-30-51 Read more

Just a quick note to let you know that the Kindle edition for Return to Zion is now available from Amazon in the U.S., United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, France, Spain, Brazil, India, Japan, Italy, and Mexico. Please click here to view the link to your book at Amazon’s U.S. site. Please allow for an additional 48 to 72 hours before the physical and electronic editions list simultaneously. Read more

I hope to have demonstrated the value and necessity of placing Paul’s election language back in its original context, which was a decidedly Jewish one. As we reviewed the Jewish literature, we discovered a view of election that was grounded in God’s promises to the patriarchs. This overwhelmingly emphasized the collective nature of election as a concept that applied to a bounded community. When individuals were in view, their role, their character or their representation of a group was emphasized,... Read more