Two apologetic articles I wrote happened to be published this week, one on free will/sovereignty of God and one on the question of religious pluralism (which is a reprint). This certainly isn’t on the last word on either topic but I hope they’re helpful!
Category: Theology
New Book & Cover Art
I am very excited about this book. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the largely neglected–yet essential–“other half” of the gospel. While it is true that “if Christ is not raised, we are still in our sins”; it also true that a man beating death and becoming a preview of the world to come is inconceivable.
Brad and I wrote this book together out of our love for skeptics and the questions they help us ask. We have added about 5,000 words to the eBook we put together last year and improved it significantly. The book will be available in hardcopy and eBook formats. Although not an “Easter” book, it will be a great Easter book giveaway. We are working hard with Zondervan to make that as easy as possible from affordability, to free artwork, downloads, etc.
Christ is risen!
Do Sovereignty of God & Free Will Fit Together?
Philip K. Dick was arguably the most influential science fiction writer of the late twentieth century. Several of his works, adapted as screenplays, explore the concept of free will. In Blade Runner we are brought face to face with the tension between genetic control and genuine feeling. The Adjustment Bureau pits choice against fate, as Matt Damon’s character attempts to alter the master plan for his life.
It all brings up an interesting, age-old question: Is it possible for there to be a sovereign God and for humans to have free will?
The stakes are high in this debate. If we surrender free will, life becomes bleak and hopeless. If God possesses exclusive control over our destinies, why should we do anything? What difference does anything make if life is all mapped out? If we surrender divine sovereignty, life loses transcendent meaning and purpose. We exist and then we die. The better the choices we make, the more apt we are to survive the race of the fittest, but for what—the mere propagation of our species? On the one hand we are left with unfeeling determinism, and on the other, a free-falling individualism.
Millions of people view the Bible as a source for knowing God. What does the Bible have to say on the topic of will?
Reading the Whole Bible with Jesus
Reading the Bible can be confusing, intimidating, and difficult. But it doesn’t have to be. I remember the first time I took a hermeneutics (interpretation) course. I was blown away. It was staggering to discover how poorly I had been reading the Bible, but my shock slowly turned to joy as I learned how to truly understand the Bible. I discovered deep truths that the world is built on, better understood who God is, and began to absorb his grace like a sponge. Then, as I worked on interpreting well, I began to see how the whole story of the Bible fits together, redemptive threads runing here and there, to tie everything together in Christ. Worship! Reading the Bible can actually be very exciting. That’s what the students are discovering in our course:Â Christ-centered Interpretation: Reading the Whole Bible with Jesus.
For those interested, we have posted our first two lectures in audio format.