This post will put together William Webb’s 18 criteria but will begin with a few of my conclusions about the redemptive trend. You might want to print this out for future use. My suggestion is that you use a set of Bible verses, and I’ll include one set (Deut 22), and ask people why they do or why they do not do such things, and then see which of the criteria emerge. My next post on this theme will be... Read more
For years I had a stapler (I’ll avoid the name) that was a mess. I had to redo about 75% of my hits. Then I found Paper Pro. I don’t know how it works, but I’ll say this: it worked so well I bought a second one for my office at school. Can’t wait to staple. |inline Read more
I wear golf shoes made by FootJoy — and I like them. They are firm; they shed water well (for early morning golf); they have lasted. The psalmist has another kind of foot joy: “Your statutes (adot) are my heritage forever.” And now this: |inline Read more
The 17th and 18th criteria in William Webb’s paradigm of the redemptive trend — or how we move the Bible’s message into our world in a progressive, redeeming way — deal with Extrascriptural criteria. No matter how biblical we think we are, extrascriptural factors play a role in much of what we do. Here are his criteria: |inline Read more
Sometimes I find myself saying someone is “old.” The other day I told Kris that someone who is “old” to me is someone who is 10 years older than me — which means “old” keeps changing. The nice thing about this calculus is that I’m never going to be old. Nice thought, don’t you think? It means today that someone has to be at least 63 for me to consider them old. How do you determine who is “old”? |inline Read more
Again, the psalmist — the one whose torch in the Torah that guides his path — is in trouble: his life is in jeopardy (119:109) — snares have been set for this light-following feet (110), but he still does not stray. |inline Read more
Last week we began looking at Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways. This week we want to look at chp 1. Alan Hirsch is a practitioner (not simply an “armchair theologian”) of missional churches; he has been involved in revitalizing, re-envisioning, failing, and re-focusing local churches in Melbourne Australia. Chp 1 is his story — fascinating. |inline Read more
I wrote last week about my new shoes, Born Blast. I got a pair of black ones, and they are like walking on air — comfortable and an easy fit. So, I suggested to Kris that I buy a pair of brown ones – just like the black ones. Then I’d be covered for all my wardrobe — which really isn’t well thought out at all. Kris’ response of what she saw as l’ style d’ faux pas was a... Read more
The psalmist has taken an oath (119:106) to follow God’s righteous laws (mishpatim); for this oath and his stubborn commitment to walk in God’s ways — with his feet enlightened by Torah — he has suffered afflictions. |inline Read more
“What is a Christian?,” you ask, Matt. I want to change that question to the better one: Who is a Christian? And before I try to answer that question, I have a higher one: “Who decides?” Not me, not you, not your local church, not your denomination … leading to this: God decides. We better get that straight before we try to straighten out others. God, if we read the Bible, surprises us at every turn and we need to... Read more
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