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A Crash Course in How to Study the Bible, Part 1

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Theology and Christian Apologetics

Imagine arriving at the lake each Sunday at 10AM to capture the mad skills of a gifted fisherman as he captures your lunch for the day. In doing so, do you think you’d learn to fish for yourself by simply marveling at his skills? Not likely. Sure, you’d learn some ins and outs about the sport, but you wouldn’t learn to fish for yourself. That’s because fishing is learned through participating not mere spectating. As the saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you’ll feed him for a day but teach a man to fish and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.” It turns out that fishing is not only caught but taught. Similarly, when it comes to studying the Bible, many of us are like the spectator discussed above. We show up each week at 10AM for church, we marvel at the expositional skills of the pastor as he unpacks for us the weekly Word, yet we leave, bereft of our own skills to study the Bible. In many ways, Bible study methods should be discipleship 101 and yet there’s no shortage of Christians who’ve attended church for years without a single crash course on how to study the Bible. So here it is. A three-part crash course designed to equip you to study God’s Word on your own. To do this, I will devote three blogs to help you develop an approach to Bible study by using three words every serious student of the Bible is familiar with, namely, observation, interpretation, and application.

When it comes to Bible study, observation asks the question, “What do I see?” Interpretation asks the question, “What does it mean?” And application asks the questions, “How does it work?”

Observation: What do I see
Interpretation: What does it mean?
Application: How does it work?”“

It’s been said, “The difference between a good Bible student and a great one is the great one simply sees more. In this blog series I’ll introduce you to three acrostics using these key words to hone your Bible study skills. Beginning with observation, here’s how it looks, acrostic style: O.B.S.E.R.V.A.T.I.O.N.

Observe Prayerfully

The Psalmist captures this idea nicely when he writes, “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:18). Similarly, as we delve into God’s Word it’s good to ask the Lord to open our eyes to accurately understand Scripture.

Begin by Seeing the Big Picture

You can do this by reading the passage you’re studying several times to get a feel for the lay of the land. What you’re in search of is the overarching idea. The point of the passage. The big idea.

Select the Style of Literature

This is important. Not all Scripture is to be approached in the same manner. That’s because the Bible is comprised of various genres such as narrative, history, law, poetry, wisdom, prophecy, gospel, epistle, and apocalyptic. If you approach historical sections as metaphorical or apocalyptic portions as overly literal, you’ll soon find yourself in theological trouble when you arrive at the interpretation stage.

Explore any Commands to Follow

It’s helpful to know if the passage before you has any commands to follow, but also crucial to remember where you are in the Bible as it relates to the given command. That’s because some commands no longer hold. If you aren’t careful, you may find yourself feeling bound to commands that already served their purpose but are no longer required. This is especially true as it relates to the Old Testament dietary law that was clearly eradicated with the inauguration of the New Covenant.

Record any Warnings Given

Warnings are evident throughout Scripture. All the way from Adam’s warning in the Garden of Eden to not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:17) to the warning in Revelation to not add to God’s Word (Revelation 22:18-19). When the Bible issues a warning, observe it. Warnings are God’s way of trying to protect us. Therefore, stay alert.

Venture to Find Promises Proclaimed

This can be tricky, so be careful. Not every promise is recorded directly for us. We’ve all seen the abuse of Jeremiah 29:11, which refers to God’s promise to prosper His people after their time in captivity is fulfilled. Many of the people who would’ve heard this original message died in Babylon never to see it come to fruition. Knowing how to apply promises is crucial, especially to protect people from being disillusioned by God all because they claimed a promise that wasn’t intended for them.

Ask and Answer Questions of the Text

Perhaps you remember your six interrogative friends from grammar school. If not, no worries. These friends of old are Who, What, Why, Where, When, and How? We want to ask those questions of the passage we are studying. Who is it talking about? What is the big idea? Why was it written? How does it apply? You get the point.

Target Key People and Places

Here you’re looking to discover who the author is, who the recipients are, e.g., are they Jews, Gentiles, or both? You also want to discern the place from which the book was written and the location it was written to. Identifying key people and places will help you put the pieces of the puzzle together so you can capture a clear picture of the passage before you.

Inspect for Contrasts, Comparisons, and (Apparent) Contradictions

The contrasts may be between light and darkness, or sin and holiness, or truth and error. Comparisons might be between the rich and the poor, or the wise and the foolish, or a leader and his followers, or perhaps between heaven and hell. Regarding apparent contradictions, there are lots of them, but none of them lacks an explanation, so be encouraged.

Overview your Discoveries in Light of the Context

Here it’s important to remember that every text has a context. For example, consider Proverbs 5:15 says, “Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well.” Absent of context we’d never know that this is talking about enjoying sexual intimacy with one’s own spouse versus drawing sexual satisfaction from another person’s spouse. Wells in the ancient world were privately owned. You weren’t to steal another person’s water, but drink from your own well. So too in marriage, we’re to stick to our own spouse. Enjoy our own well. You see, context is key.

Note Words that are Repeated and Emphasized

Doing this will help you unlock what the passage is about. For example, turn over to Psalm 150 for a quick read and you’ll see what I mean. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to recognize that the key word is praise, which clearly indicates the theme of the Psalm.

If you want to practice your observations let me encourage you this week to take this acrostic and read Philippians once a day over the next week, while jotting down your observations. You’ll be amazed at what you discover. And more importantly, you’ll be ready for the next stage, which is interpretation. But for that acrostic you’ll have to wait for the next blog. Till next time.

O.B.S.E.R.V.A.T.I.O.N., in review:
Observe Prayerfully
Begin by Seeing the Big Picture
Select the Style of Literature
Explore any Commands to Follow
Record any Warnings Given
Venture to Find Promises Proclaimed
Ask and Answer Questions of the Text
Target Key People and Places
Inspect for Contrasts and Comparisons & Apparent Contradictions
Overview your Discoveries in Light of the Context
Note Words that are Repeated and Emphasized

Ever Heard of the Kezazah Ceremony?

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics for Parents

We’ve all heard the story of the prodigal son in Luke 15. The boy cashes in early on his inheritance only to squander it all away. Eventually he comes to his senses and returns home. And yet, what we read is the shocking celebration of grace personified through the father’s response. In the distance, this long awaiting father, captures a glimpse of his broken son. The son left in a rich man’s clothes. Now he returns in rags. He left with his chin in the air, prideful and arrogant. Now his head is hanging down in sorrow and shame. He left rejecting his father. Basically, wishing him dead, for the sake of receiving an early inheritance. And now, when he sees his son returning, what does the father feel? Compassion.

The root of this word compassion literally means “innards.” What the father felt, he felt so deeply that even his innards, his intestines, registered it. He agonizes on the inside at what has become of his son. He’s viscerally moved not with anger, but shockingly, compassion. We’d understand if the father stuck his head out the door and yelled to shame him, “You sure you want to come back here, boy?” But no. The father is stirred in his innards with compassion.

The Kezazah Ceremony

According to Kenneth E. Bailey, author of The Cross & The Prodigal, explains how on returning home, the prodigal son likely faced the prospect of something called the Kezazah ceremony. The Kezazah was a ceremony that a Jewish village would have in exactly this situation: someone had left home, rejected the community’s principles, lost all his or her possessions to the gentiles, and then returned. The villagers would break pottery at the feet of the individual, symbolizing that they were no longer in community with the returning person. They were breaking relations with him. It was a way of shaming the individual, of making him feel completely empty. Importantly, the ceremony would take place on the outskirts of the village before the individual could make his way back home.

A Running Embrace?

With this picture in mind, look what happens when the father sees his son. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20, NIV.) He doesn’t just run. He races. That’s what the word means there. Why is this significant? Because an older man in this Middle Eastern culture, especially the head of a wealthy household, would never run. To do so would be shockingly undignified. To run, a man would have to take the long robe that he was wearing and tie it up above the knees. His legs would be exposed, making him look utterly shameful. Even today in the Middle East men will not expose their legs this way. But here is this father figure, this royal figure, who takes his robe and ties it up, and he runs through the village to the outskirts, exposing the nakedness of his legs and shames himself for the sake of gracing his son.

Editor’s Note: From an apologetics standpoint, this Kezazah ceremony is remarkable. It’s a known feature of ancient Judaism, tracing back to the Talmud (Ketubot 28b). In the story of the Prodigal Son, this insight gives one more line of historical evidence testifying to the historicity of the Gospels, the teaching value of this story, and the Jewish cultural context for interpreting the Bible. – John Ferrer

Why Did His Father Run?

And why would the father risk his reputation by running to his son? To protect him from the Kezazah Ceremony! He runs to get to the son before the rest of the community gets to him. He wants to protect him from the broken pottery, the rejection, and the statement by the community that it has broken relations with the son. He wants to show his son that he is not rejected, that the father will heal the son’s shame, and that he can return home. On reaching his son, the father “embraced him and kissed him” (Luke 15:20b). In unimaginable grace he embraces and kisses his son. He doesn’t care that the son smells like pig manure. He throws his arms around him and welcomes him home.

Perhaps like this runaway, you’ve been a bit of a prodigal yourself lately. If so, don’t you think it’s time to come to your senses? Return home, my friend, because a compassionate Father awaits you. While many churches are happy to further shame the sinner through their own version of the Kezazah ceremony, we can rejoice knowing the heartbeat of God is for His church to be a healing center, not a shaming center.

Other Recommended Resources On This Topic

How Can Jesus Be the Only Way? (mp4 Download) by Frank Turek
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
Was Jesus Intolerant? (DVD) and (Mp4 Download) by Dr. Frank Turek
Jesus vs. The Culture by Dr. Frank Turek DVD, Mp4 Download, and Mp3
Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible by J. Warner Wallace (Paperback), (Investigator’s Guide).

Bobby serves as lead pastor of Image Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is well known for his YouTube ministry called, One Minute Apologist, which now goes by the name Christianity Still Makes Sense. He also serves as the Co-Host of Pastors’ Perspective, a nationally syndicated call-in radio show on KWVE in Southern California. Bobby earned his Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, his Doctor of Ministry in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from the University of Birmingham (England) where he was supervised under David Cheetham and Yujin Nagasawa. Bobby’s also written several books including: The Fifth Gospel, Doubting Toward Faith, Does God Exist, and Fifty-One other Questions About God and the Bible and the forthcoming Christianity Still Makes Sense to be published by Tyndale in April 2024. He’s married to his lovely wife Heather and together they have two grown kids: Haley and Dawson.

June 19, 2023/by Guest

Is Scientology Compatible with Christianity?

Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Bobby Conway

I’m often surprised to hear some of the beliefs that Christians contend are compatible with Christianity. One such belief is Scientology. As Christians we are expected to remain discerning about the various beliefs that come our way. That’s why it’s worth asking, “Is Scientology compatible with Christianity?” To all those Christians who’d say, “yes”, I’d respectfully disagree, and here’s why.

First, the Auditing Process Contradicts Scripture

Unlike scientologists, Christians don’t believe they existed as immaterial souls before their bodily existence on earth. Auditors hook adherents up to an E-meter, leading them through a process called auditing, which is supposed to connect them to their pre-existent lives by addressing the traumas they accumulated, which are now apparently blocking them from being CLEAR of these traumas called engrams. A Christian can’t go through auditing to come to terms with a life he never had to discover freedom. Scientologists assume the narrative the E-meter confirms through the auditing process reflect the reality of one’s past lives.

Second, Scientologists Require You to Purchase Your Salvation

Why pay potentially tens of thousands of dollars to get CLEAR from an existence you never had when grace awaits you for free at the table of Christianity?

Third, Scientologists Teach Reincarnation

Scientologists deny heaven and hell, rather teaching reincarnation, a concept foreign to the Bible. As Hebrews 9:27-28a says, “Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many” (NIV).

Fourth, Scientology Reveres L. Ron Hubbard Over the Biblical Jesus

The Church of Scientology denies the Bible and magnifies its founders works as the be all end all guide to truth. As Christians we can’t put the works of a science-fiction writer on par with Scripture unless we’re willing compromise the truth of God’s Word.

Fifth, Scientology rejects the Trinity and the Biblical Jesus

Scientologists deny the Triune God and reduce Jesus to a good moral teacher. For that reason alone, why would we want to tinker with an auditor on an E-meter to the tune of L. Ron Hubbard’s teachings?

Sixth, Scientologists Misrepresent Our Sin Nature

Scientologists deny human depravity, contending our real issue is we’re not clear of past traumas (engrams). While we may have trauma it’s not trauma collected from some past life. And our ultimate issue is not that we need to be saved from the trauma of a pre-existent life we never had, but from the trauma of sin.

Seventh, Scientologists Deny that Jesus Is the Only Way to Salvation

They reject John. 14:6 where Jesus says he is “the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” For Scientologists, freedom comes through being freed from the cycle of reincarnation. Jesus as the only way can be circumvented the L. Ron Hubbard way, so they think. Therefore, comparing the teachings of Scientology with the Bible, we see that the two have very little, if anything, in common. Scientology is a sure path to lead one away from the Gospel of Christ. Scientology, while sometimes disguising its beliefs in Christian-sounding language, is diametrically opposed to Christianity on every core doctrine. The only thing we need to be CLEAR about is this. Scientology is not Christian.

What is Apatheism?

Atheism, Culture CrossExamined

Apatheism was a term coined by the late philosopher Robert Nash.[1] It’s meant to describe the indifference or apathy some people have toward the question of whether God or gods exist. To be an apatheist is to be spiritually indifferent about the subject matter of God altogether. So much so, that adherents are uninterested in broaching a conversation regarding God’s existence. For them, it’s a moot point. Not worth entertaining. It’s as if there’s nothing to be gained since you can’t prove God’s existence in such a way as to make an ultimate difference. So, the apatheist reasons, “Why bother?”

Apathy and ET

An apatheist stance is equivalent to people uninterested in talking about whether extra-terrestrial life exists on other planets. Why concern yourself? We can’t know. It’s a fool’s errand. Not surprisingly then, you won’t find the apatheist pondering the divine in search of life’s meaning. No, this is a closed mindset, limited by the observable world for matters of meaning. As a result, apatheists are left looking inward to make the most of life and to make moral sense of the choices confronting them.

Is It an Attitude or a Belief?

Ironically, adherents to this ideology like to think their outlook is more of an attitude than a belief. But herein lies the problem. As much as apatheists may want to evade belief-status by calling it an attitude, that’s not so easy. While hesitant to call it a belief, apatheism is a belief, in that apatheists (1) believe God isn’t worth the search. Apatheism is (2) the belief that God can’t or doesn’t make a difference in their life. It is (3) the belief that God has no say on moral matters. And beliefs such as these cause apatheists to have the attitude they do about all things divine.

That said, the next time you find yourself in a conversation with an apatheist who readily flaunts his commitment to apatheism, don’t let him fool you into thinking he is bereft of belief. While it may be a convenient smokescreen for adherents to circumvent conversations about God, it is also a contradictory attitude which can render them stuck in deception. Apatheists don’t just have an attitude that the topic of God doesn’t matter, they believe the topic of God doesn’t matter, which in turn forms their apathy.

Belief Shapes Attitude

The apatheist isn’t alone. Beliefs shape all our attitudes, be it the agnostic, atheist, pantheist, theist, or apatheist. You can’t have a set of beliefs, which in turn form your attitude, and then lop off the beliefs that determined your attitude by simply claiming, “Only my attitude remains.” Talk about self-deception. Don’t let the apatheist fool you. Instead, point out the futility of trying to separate one’s beliefs from one’s attitude.

Having clarified that, hopefully you can enter the real discussion over which of the various beliefs under consideration are true. That’s not a matter of indifference. It’s a belief which can make all the difference. But to do so, the apatheist needs a change of attitude about his attitude. That his attitude about God has been shaped by his beliefs. With one crack at life, apathy toward our Creator is an unwise move.

Plugging one’s ears doesn’t erase the noise.
It just makes the person dull to it.
Ephphatha, “Be opened!”

Endnotes

[1] Robert J. Nash, Religious Pluralism in the Academy: Opening The Dialogue (New York: P. Lang, 2001), 27.

Is the God of the OT the Same God of the NT?

Atheism, Theology and Christian Apologetics

There’s no shortage of accusations claiming the Bible depicts a vision of two Gods: the grumpy, moody, and often volatile, curmudgeon like God of the Old Testament, and the mushy, judge free, glorified sugar daddy God of the New Testament. Is this the case? Does the Bible present a clash of the God’s? The malevolent God of the Old Testament and the benevolent God of the New Testament? Or does God suffer from a bad case of bi-bolar disorder, is he the first mental health patient, exhibiting fits of schizophrenia, or some sort of split personality disorder? Not quite.

Progressive Revelation

What the Bible presents is a God who reveals himself in both Testaments through progressive revelation. As the story unfolds, the revealed nature of God crystalizes, elucidating in greater detail who God is. While it is true that one may capture clearer glimpses of God’s grace in the New Testament due to his ultimate grace coming to fruition at the cross, this does not mean the Old Testament is bereft of God’s benevolence toward humanity. Throughout the Old Testament the Bible presents a God who tirelessly pursues his people even after countless rejections of his warnings of impending judgment.

Mercy in the Old Testament

Yes, judgment comes, but it does so after they ignore his warnings to turn toward him. Even the prophets of the Old Testament as they rail against the nations, are in many ways messengers of mercy, by warning people and giving them a heads up, in advance, to make things right. When they don’t, sure judgment ensues. But so does the great hound of heaven, with another invitation to align to him once again.

Judgment in the New Testament

As you come to the New Testament, it’s not like God is morally indifferent. Like some pushover deity wrapped around our finger whose only aim is to indulge our hedonistic impulses. Not in the least. One’s not hard pressed to find God’s judgment at work there either. A cursory read of Romans 1-3, or Jesus’s clearing of the temple (Mark 11:15-17), or the hardening of the Jewish nations heart as seen in Romans 11:11-24 are a few salient examples. Not to mention the book of Revelation, which unfolds God’s plan of justice in the eschaton (Rev. 20:11-15) or the fact that Jesus addressed the topic of hell more than heaven. In the end, the Bible does not portray of dual headed god, but the entire canon unveils for us the fuller picture of One God who is both just and loving and of course so much more.

Three Ways to Recognize False Guilt

1. Does Truth Exist?, Culture CrossExamined

Lord knows we have enough true guilt going around that we hardly need to concern ourselves with this extra layer of toxic false guilt, which is seemingly all too ready to accuse us. But how can we know whether the guilt we are experiencing is true or false? What are some of the signs to be aware of? While this list is far from exhaustive, here are three ways to recognize false guilt.

First, False Guilt Masquerades As True Guilt

This form of false guilt is not true guilt, in that we are not truly guilty of committing a moral trespass, but merely a disguised version of it that claims we are guilty when we are not. In today’s culture, there is a new kind of guilt being pawned off on those who fail to comply with the moral revolution being advanced. Ours is a culture whose motto could be Get with our moral program or get cancelled. More and more we are watching how those who ascribe to a Christian worldview are caught in the middle of a false dilemma by today’s moral police. It’s as if these two options: Get with our moral program or get cancelled are the only options on offer. By exposing this false dilemma, one can only hope to circumvent these options. Today’s culture calls evil good and now those that don’t comply with the morality of the day are rendered the truly guilty one’s.

Second, False Guilt Creates Paranoia and Irrational Worry

John Steinbeck captured the idea of false guilt precisely when he said, “I have never smuggled anything in my life. Why, then, do I feel an uneasy sense of guilt on approaching a customs barrier?”[1] This sort of irrational guilt can be very paralyzing and does not serve us well. False guilt is the toxic combination of feeling guilty when our minds know otherwise. Sadly, some people feel plagued by guilt that isn’t theirs to begin with—or it’s not real. It’s pseudo guilt. It’s false guilt posing as the real thing and crippling its victims with paranoia and irrational worry.

Third, False Guilt Is Obsessive

It is well known that before his conversion Martin Luther scrupulously sought to obtain forgiveness. He states, “I went to confession frequently, and I performed the assigned penances faithfully. Nevertheless, my conscience could never achieve certainty but was always in doubt and said, ‘You have not done this correctly. You were not contrite enough. You omitted this in your confession.’”[2] Not surprisingly, he was a man racked by a lot of false guilt. Prime candidates for this type of false guilt are those who struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Such individuals, perhaps Luther included, struggle and overly obsess on the minutest details. In turn, this can cause one’s relationship with God to be marked by misery, rather than enjoyment.

In the end, the ultimate source of false guilt is the devil, the father of lies, who loves to condemn and accuse (Revelation 12:10). If you’re someone all too familiar with this form of guilt here’s a gentle warning to be aware of. Sadly, some who have felt emotionally traumatized by false guilt have little to no stomach left for the topic of guilt and have consequently swung the pendulum to the opposite extreme, denying guilt altogether.

That is neither wise, nor good. It’s best to discern the difference.

Endnotes

[1] John Steinbeck, Travels with Charlie in Search of America, p. 51 (Penguin), 1980.
[2] Walter von Loewenich, Martin Luther: The Man and His Work, p. 76 (Minneapolis: Augsburg), 1986.

Recommend Resources Related to this Topic

Legislating Morality: Is it Wise? Is it Legal? Is it Possible? by Frank Turek (Book, DVD, Mp3, Mp4, PowerPoint download, PowerPoint CD)
When Reason Isn’t the Reason for Unbelief by Dr. Frank Turek (DVD and Mp4)
Can Moral Guilt Feelings Ever Be Objective by Bobby Conway (Blogpost)

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Bobby serves as lead pastor of Image Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is well known for his YouTube ministry called, One Minute Apologist, which now goes by the name Christianity Still Makes Sense. He also serves as the Co-Host of Pastors’ Perspective, a nationally syndicated call-in radio show on KWVE in Southern California. Bobby earned his Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary, his Doctor of Ministry in Apologetics from Southern Evangelical Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion from the University of Birmingham (England) where he was supervised under David Cheetham and Yujin Nagasawa. Bobby’s also written several books including: The Fifth Gospel, Doubting Toward Faith, Does God Exist, and Fifty-One other Questions About God and the Bible and the forthcoming Christianity Still Makes Sense to be published by Tyndale in April 2024. He’s married to his lovely wife Heather and together they have two grown kids: Haley and Dawson.

May 1, 2023/by Bobby Conway

Is The God of the Old Testament The Same as the God of The New Testament?

Atheism, Theology and Christian Apologetics

There’s no shortage of accusations claiming the Bible depicts a vision of two Gods: the grumpy, moody, and often volatile, curmudgeon like God of the Old Testament, and the mushy, judge free, glorified sugar daddy God of the New Testament. Is this the case? Does the Bible present a clash of the God’s? The malevolent God of the Old Testament and the benevolent God of the New Testament? Or does God suffer from a bad case of bi-bolar disorder, is he the first mental health patient, exhibiting fits of schizophrenia, or some sort of split personality disorder? Not quite.

Progressive Revelation

What the Bible presents is a God who reveals himself in both Testaments through progressive revelation. As the story unfolds, the revealed nature of God crystalizes, elucidating in greater detail who God is.

While it is true that one may capture clearer glimpses of God’s grace in the New Testament due to his ultimate grace coming to fruition at the cross, this does not mean the Old Testament is bereft of God’s benevolence toward humanity. Throughout the Old Testament the Bible presents a God who tirelessly pursues his people even after countless rejections of his warnings of impending judgment.

Mercy in the Old Testament

Yes, judgment comes, but it does so after they ignore his warnings to turn toward him. Even the prophets of the Old Testament as they rail against the nations, are in many ways messengers of mercy, by warning people and giving them a heads up, in advance, to make things right. When they don’t, sure judgment ensues. But so does the great hound of heaven, with another invitation to align to him once again.

Judgment in the New Testament

As you come to the New Testament, it’s not like God is morally indifferent. Like some pushover deity wrapped around our finger whose only aim is to indulge our hedonistic impulses. Not in the least. One’s not hard pressed to find God’s judgment at work there either. A cursory read of Romans 1-3, or Jesus’s clearing of the temple (Mark 11:15-17), or the hardening of the Jewish nations heart as seen in Romans 11:11-24 are a few salient examples. Not to mention the book of Revelation, which unfolds God’s plan of justice in the eschaton (Rev. 20:11-15) or the fact that Jesus addressed the topic of hell more than heaven. In the end, the Bible does not portray of dual headed god, but the entire canon unveils for us the fuller picture of One God who is both just and loving and of course so much more.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

Resurrection: Fact or Fiction – An Easter Sermon

Jesus Christ, Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Bobby Conway

Following Easter Sunday, it didn’t take long for skeptics to fabricate fictitious claims to debunk Christ’s resurrection. It’s easy to understand why. These critics knew that if they could dispel the resurrection, Christianity would crumble. And they weren’t wrong about that. Even Paul indicated, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17). The problem is none of the objections raised by skeptics have been able to explain the resurrection away. That’s because they’re flimsy. For a mere sampling, here are three such theories.

First, Some Skeptics claimed, “Jesus’s body was stolen”

This was the first theory to emerge which attempted to deny Christ’s resurrection. But think about it, if Jesus’ body was stolen, don’t you think the thieves would have brought the body to bear once the disciples claimed he’s alive? No doubt, their bluff would’ve been called. And if the disciples stole the body, what motivation would they have to die for a hoax which they created? As we’ve all heard before, “Many will die for what they think to be true, but who will die for what they know to be false?”

“Many will die for what they think to be true, but who will die for what they know to be false?”

Second, some skeptics claimed, “The People Were Hallucinating”

Now we’re getting desperate. Perhaps one could argue in this fashion if there were only a few random encounters. But that’s not the case. In fact, Jesus appeared to his disciples on several different occasions, and one time, even appearing to 500 people at once. To think that a crowd that large collectively believed they set their eyes on the resurrected Christ is seemingly absurd. Adding to this, it’s hard to interpret the radical life change experienced by disciples such as Saul following his encounter with Christ on the Damascus Road, or the transformation of James, the half-brother of Jesus, or Thomas, or even Peter apart from an actual resurrection.

“Hallucination theory doesn’t explain the radical life-change of some Jesus’s harshest critics like Saul the Pharisee and James brother of Jesus?”

Third, some skeptics claimed, “Jesus Merely Passed Out.”

This is known as the “swoon theory.” A view popularized in the 18^th century, which suggested that Jesus never died on the cross, but merely passed out. To cast aspersion on the resurrection, adherents to the swoon theory contend that after Jesus was placed in the tomb and mistaken for dead, he was restored to consciousness at which point he then rolled away the tomb stone and announced, “Check it out, folks, I’m alive.” Are we so naïve as to think after being severely scourged, having his hands and feet nailed to a cross, his head punctured by a crown of thorns, his side stabbed, and his body wrapped in 75 pounds of burial cloth following his death, that Jesus somehow mustered the strength after regaining consciousness to unwrap himself, move a two-ton stone out of the way, bi-pass the guards only to then convince his disciples that he’s alive? I don’t think so. If that did happen, the only place he would’ve been discovered is at the nearest hospital.

The fact is, these desperate attempts to explain away the resurrection show that it’s easier and frankly, even more rational to simply believe the truth than to ascribe to one of these far-fetched fictional theories.

Happy Easter!

Can Moral Guilt Feelings Ever Be Objective?

Atheism, Culture CrossExamined, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Bobby Conway

The feeling of moral guilt is a universal experience – that inward gnaw or inner ouch that we have done something wrong. It is that feeling a line has been crossed, a law has been broken, which leaves one wondering if we are genuinely guilty. But are these feelings just that—feelings? A mere subjective experience? A cognitive disrupt? A snafu?

**Are Guilt Feelings only Guilt Feelings?**

Well, that depends. A person can feel guilty and not be guilty, i.e., pseudo guilt, while a person can also be guilty and not feel guilty. This may be the result of an anesthetized conscience, one’s moral ignorance, some level of psychopathy, or whatever the case may be. In the event we feel guilty, how can we know if our feelings are objective? The answer is surprisingly simple. We should look for a corresponding link between our feelings of guilt and our moral actions. For example, if Steve feels guilty for robbing a local bank that he never did, then he’s not experiencing objective guilt, but from a bad case of pseudo guilt. However, if Steve feels guilty for robbing a bank because he did, then his feelings of guilt are objective in that his feelings correspond to reality. In other words, there’s a corresponding link. An objective match. The reason Steve feels guilty is because he is guilty.

Unfortunately, some people wrongly relegate our feelings to the subjective department, while claiming only reason is objectively dependable. That’s not only wrong. It’s naïve, really naïve.

Just as our reason can provide logically informative thoughts that are either true or false, objective, or subjective, so to our feelings can provide emotionally informative thoughts that are also either true or false, objective, or subjective. Therefore, it’s patently false to assume all our feelings are subjective and can’t provide objective intel. Just as it’s patently false to assume that our reason provides only true thoughts and is always objective.

It’s patently false to assume all our feelings are subjective and can’t provide objective intel. Just as it’s patently false to assume that our reason provides only true thoughts and is always objective.

Feelings Aren’t All Bad

While our feelings certainly can mislead us, they also have the capacity to capture our attention and rightfully so. And this is especially true relating to feelings of guilt. From the Christian worldview perspective, our feelings of guilt are God’s way of grabbing our attention. Like a check engine light, these feelings are meant to alert us to the objective fact that we have failed to make good on our moral obligations. That we have offended our Moral Lawgiver. That we have fractured our relationship with him and need moral repair. But fortunately, God has not left us without a remedy. There’s a way to unload our guilt. And that way is through Christ. Via his atonement, believers can both acknowledge their moral trespass and ask for forgiveness and subsequently experience both forgiveness for their objectively morally guilty action, while also expecting to have their feelings of guilt soothed on account of Christ’s atoning love and grace.

Who Made God?

2. Does God Exist?, Atheism, Theology and Christian Apologetics

By Bobby Conway

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with a skeptic only to be asked in gotcha fashion, “Well, who made God?” Asking the question, “Who made God?” is like asking, “How did Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata taste?” It just doesn’t fit. The question is a classic category mistake. God wasn’t made and Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata can’t be tasted. Adding to this blunder, the famed atheist Bertrand Russell notoriously said, “If everything must have a cause, then God must have a cause.” Yet, it’s not true that everything must have a cause. Only that which begins to exist must have a cause. And herein God is perched up in a category all His own.

God is the uncreated Creator.

He is the beginning-less Beginner.

He is the uncaused Cause of all that began to exist.

Think about it. Everything that had a beginning had a cause. And every beginning had a Beginner. And every product has a Producer. And every initiative must have an Initiator. If there is an origin, there must be an Originator. And since there is a genesis, there is a Generator.

That generator my friend is, well, you guessed it.

God.

The Scriptures exclaim from the very first verse, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Far from being made, God is the maker of all things made.

Again, note the distinction. The difference between God and everything else that exists is everything else began to exist whereas God just exists. Do you remember what God said to Moses when He appeared to him in the burning bush? Moses said,

“If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘I am has sent me to you’” (Exodus 3:13-14).

What was God saying to Moses? He was revealing Himself to Moses as the self-existent one. As the one who wasn’t made. God was saying, “Moses, go tell them that the One who never began to exist sent you. The unmade One.”

Unlike us, God is what philosophers refers to as a necessary being, an independent being. And each of us, unlike God, are contingent beings and, therefore, dependent. The universe is also contingent because God spoke it into existence. This means that all things that began to exist are dependent on God for existence.

It turns out there is a problem with the question, “Who made God?” The word made can’t be said of God. For God is the unmade Maker. As expected, he’s in a league of his own.

Tag Archive for: Bobby Conway

Observe Prayerfully

Begin by Seeing the Big Picture

Select the Style of Literature

Explore any Commands to Follow

Record any Warnings Given

Venture to Find Promises Proclaimed

Ask and Answer Questions of the Text

Target Key People and Places

Inspect for Contrasts, Comparisons, and (Apparent) Contradictions

Overview your Discoveries in Light of the Context

Note Words that are Repeated and Emphasized

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**Are Guilt Feelings only Guilt Feelings?**