Saul is presented to Israel as king by lot (1 Samuel 10). Samuel brings the tribes near, and the tribe of Benjamin is selected; then the Matrite clan within the tribe of Benjamin, and then Saul the son of Kish. We’ve seen this before. After the first, unsuccessful battle of Ai, Joshua discovers the cause of Israel’s defeat by casting lots. He assembles the tribes, and the tribe of Judah is taken, then the Zerahites, then the family of Zabdi,... Read more
Saul is presented to Israel as king by lot (1 Samuel 10). Samuel brings the tribes near, and the tribe of Benjamin is selected; then the Matrite clan within the tribe of Benjamin, and then Saul the son of Kish. We’ve seen this before. After the first, unsuccessful battle of Ai, Joshua discovers the cause of Israel’s defeat by casting lots. He assembles the tribes, and the tribe of Judah is taken, then the Zerahites, then the family of Zabdi,... Read more
Saul is presented to Israel as king by lot (1 Samuel 10). Samuel brings the tribes near, and the tribe of Benjamin is selected; then the Matrite clan within the tribe of Benjamin, and then Saul the son of Kish. We’ve seen this before. After the first, unsuccessful battle of Ai, Joshua discovers the cause of Israel’s defeat by casting lots. He assembles the tribes, and the tribe of Judah is taken, then the Zerahites, then the family of Zabdi,... Read more
With a single line, Matt Zoller Seitz captures the quiet power of the Sundance TV series, Rectify, recently renewed for a third season: The show “never shouts when it can whisper.” The show’s principal character is Daniel Holden, recently released from 19 years on death row after the discovery of new DNA evidence. He may be guilty after all; no one in town knows for sure, and neither do we. The characters and relationships are realistically complex, the conversations layered, the pace... Read more
With a single line, Matt Zoller Seitz captures the quiet power of the Sundance TV series, Rectify, recently renewed for a third season: The show “never shouts when it can whisper.” The show’s principal character is Daniel Holden, recently released from 19 years on death row after the discovery of new DNA evidence. He may be guilty after all; no one in town knows for sure, and neither do we. The characters and relationships are realistically complex, the conversations layered, the pace... Read more
Peter Enns raises many of the standard objections to the Bible in The Bible Tells Me So . . . : Yahweh’s command to slaughter the Canaanites, contradictions in Scripture, historical errors and unscientific claims. His answers are pretty standard too. Christian don’t need to worry about God’s command to kill the Canaanites because He never commanded it. Israel did. Contradictions are just what we would expect from fallible human writers. Historical errors and unscientific claims appear because the authors of... Read more
Douglas Campbell responded briefly to my brief discussion of his critique of “justification” theory. In a fit of joie de guerre, I respond briefly. Campbell rebuts what he considers a “weak” argument in my post, namely, the claim that his decision to set out justification theory systematically and propositionally leaves him vulnerable to straw-manning. I shot myself in the foot, Campbell says, and then complained that he can’t walk. Except he’s not responding to my argument. He assumes – wrongly – that I criticize him... Read more
Douglas Campbell responded briefly to my brief discussion of his critique of “justification” theory. In a fit of joie de guerre, I respond briefly. Campbell rebuts what he considers a “weak” argument in my post, namely, the claim that his decision to set out justification theory systematically and propositionally leaves him vulnerable to straw-manning. I shot myself in the foot, Campbell says, and then complained that he can’t walk. Except he’s not responding to my argument. He assumes – wrongly – that I criticize him... Read more
People who don’t know much bout the Bible still know what “knowing in the biblical sense” means. It’s assumed that it’s a common euphemism. But it isn’t. It’s used only in the first few chapters of Genesis, and then in 1 Samuel. Adam knows Eve, and she conceives Cain (Genesis 4:1). Cain knows his wife, and she has a son, Enoch (4:17). Then Adam knows his wife again and she gives birth to Seth (4:25). The phrase isn’t used again... Read more
It’s common to distinguish two different types of atonement theory – objective and subjective. Objective theories stress that the death of Jesus achieves something in itself; often objective theories stress the Godward dimension of the atonement, that Jesus has made satisfaction for sin or propitiated wrath by His death. They are objective because the cross aims to achieve something with God, rather than targeting human beings. Subjective theories claim that the aim of Jesus’ death is to transform human beings.... Read more
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