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  • To Do or Not to Do | Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 19 2009

    Another combination of statements that could look like a contradiction shows up in the Sermon on the Mount.
    First Jesus encourages his followers to “let their light shine before others” so that others can see the good that they do (Matt 5:16).
    But then a few statements later the Teacher begins an extended emphasis in which he [...]

  • Studies in Contrast | Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 14 2009

    Does the Bible contradict itself?
    More than a few people have written books or hosted websites to say that they lost their faith after seeing how often the Bible contradicts itself. Some have spent a lot of time compiling lists of apparent discrepancies in both Old and New Testaments.
    Collections of alleged Bible contradictions are apt to [...]

  • Let There be Light… and Darkness | Posted by Mart De Haan on Nov 07 2009

    Have been thinking that one way to understand the Bible is to see the way it tells the story of light and darkness.
    The first quoted words of the God who brought something out of nothing and order out of chaos are, “Let there be Light.” Then God divided the light from the darkness in a [...]

  • The Wisdom of the Second Opinion | Posted by Mart De Haan on Sep 09 2009

    While thinking lately not only about some bloody 15th and 16th century periods of church history, but also about the way church people continue to bitterly divide over theological and political differences, I’m reminded how important it is to try to attach authority to no more and no less than what the Bible says.
    In this [...]

  • Paperless Spirituality? | Posted by Mart De Haan on Aug 05 2009

    Sony Corporation came out this week with the announcement of two new E-readers that it hopes will mount a formidable challenge to Amazon’s Kindle (paperless book). According to an Information Week article, the handheld electronic readers will be able to store about 350 books with a two week battery life.
    The announcement leads me to [...]

  • Working to Rest | Posted by Mart De Haan on May 01 2009

    It takes effort to be at peace with ourselves, with our God, and with others.
    That may be one reason the New Testament author of Hebrews encourages us  to work to rest in the living Word of God.
    Used to think that the reference to the Word of God as a two-edged sword referred only to the [...]

  • Listening to One Another | Posted by Mart De Haan on Apr 29 2009

    In an earlier post I mentioned that a first meaning of words translated “obey” in the Bible is “to listen” and “to be attentive, as one listening for a knock at the door.”
    As I’ve  thought about the relationship between listening and obeying, I’ve  imagined hearing a knock at the door in the middle of the [...]

  • Slavery and the Bible | Posted by Mart De Haan on Feb 26 2009

    As a follow-up to our discussion about interpreting and applying the Bible to a changing world, let’s look at the way the church has re-focused its view of the Bible and slavery.
    Looking back, we now see the inhumane and horrendous nature of the abduction-and-racially-based slave trade supported by many church members for a significant period [...]

  • Smart Dog | Posted by Mart De Haan on Jan 17 2009

    When you get a chance I wish you’d watch this brief YouTube clip called “Smart Dog” and then see if it helps to illustrate the following perspective on the Bible. And if you’re wondering whether the dog’s “intelligence” is faked, here’s an in the studio before a live audience angle that is more convincing.
    Seems [...]

  • Gaza, Samson, and Us | Posted by Mart De Haan on Jan 04 2009

    As the US turns over control of the Green Zone to Iraqi authorities, and as another powerful earthquake shakes Indonesia, the eyes of the world have shifted once again to a small strip of land on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean.
    Around the world, in London, Paris, and New York, shouting crowds have taken to [...]

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