Ah, the beatitudes: I’ve heard so many completely different interpretations of these scant handfuls of words. “Blessed are the poor.” Does this mean 1) God saves the materially poor to make up for their poverty on earth; 2) Christians should strive to be poor; or 3) even the poor are blessed? To begin, there’s a clear juxtaposition between the beatitudes…
Category: Studying God
Go away, I’m a sinner!
Luke 5:1-11 is a tremendously powerful little story. Jesus sees two boats, and the fishermen washing their nets—after a long night of catching nothing. The fishermen are Peter, James, and John, partners in a fishing enterprise (v. 10). Jesus gets in the boat, and He tells Peter to go out deep and put out the nets. The nets they just…
Calvinism in the Old Testament
Isaiah 64:4-7, ESV: From of old no one has heardor perceived by the ear,no eye has seen a God besides you,who acts for those who wait for him.You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,those who remember you in your ways.Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?We have…