As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
Paul the Apostle was from the tribe of Benjamin. In Luke 2:36a, we read about a widow named Anna who prophesied about the infant Jesus. “There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher.” The priests were from the tribe of Levi. The largest of all the tribes, however, was the tribe of Judah. We see these particular tribes mentioned in the New Testament (obviously excluding Revelation 7, where all the tribes are mentioned except Dan).
“I gladly admit that I am simply bewildered whenever I meet someone who claims to be an evangelical Christianity but rejects substitutionary atonement as the latter is so intrinsically tied in with the former—historically and theologically.” - Roger Olson
“Abuse is much worse than abandonment…. Abuse of a spouse or a child is exactly what God condemns everywhere in the Bible—the leveraging of power to hurt the vulnerable (Ps. 9:18; Isa. 3:14–15; Ezek. 18:12; Amos 2:7; Mark 9:42; etc.).” - Russell Moore
“…a long tradition before them—from Augustine to C.S. Lewis—considered themselves Christian Platonists…. philosophy capable of defending Christianity’s belief in an eternal, unchanging first cause whose goodness, truth, and beauty explain reality and give this life true meaning and purpose.” - Credo
“…avoiding these texts doesn’t make them disappear. Eventually you or someone you love will want an explanation.” - TGC
Most Old Testament translations rely on the Masoretic Text. Some sometimes modify that text based upon the Dead Sea Scrolls and even the Septuagint. Although I think most of us favor the Masoretic Text (MT), can the other traditions be of textual value?
We know there are many principles involved in Biblical criticism, so we are painting with a broad brush.
There seems to be a renewed movement toward respecting the LXX text as a tradition to be reckoned with.
“…should we concur with Geisler that the CSBI is in no need of revision? Has there been no positive advance in the doctrine of Scripture since 1978 that may help strengthen the CSBI for future theological and ecclesial use?” - TGC
The discovery and publication of ancient Near Eastern literature has shed much light upon the religious beliefs and practices of earliest civilization. It has also generated much discussion about the relationship of Mesopotamian and Egyptian religion to that of the Old Testament. In fact, many scholars view the similarities in cosmogonies, flood accounts, cultic ritual, legal texts, wisdom literature, and belief in the afterlife as proof that the Old Testament writers borrowed from or adapted the literary corpus of Israel’s neighbors.
Discussion