Tag Archives: veracity

March 19, 2014

Framing John the Baptist

By John Paine

John Paine's avatarLessons in Lent

The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1499 The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne and Saint John the Baptist, Leonardo da Vinci, c. 1499

Today’s Lenten devotional by N.T. Wright (Week 2, Wednesday), focusing on Matthew 11:1-19, explores the character and mission of John the Baptist, and the love of our Lord.

Two Gospel writers (Matthew and Luke) relate the account of John the Baptist sending his followers to ask Jesus if He was indeed the true Messiah. So John had doubts when the heat was on. Got it—he was human.

In response, Jesus cited His miracles as proof of His messianic authority. (You can’t get away from the purpose of miracles in the Bible.) But Jesus went further than merely answering the question—he set John the Baptist apart as the greatest man born of women. He recognized John’s doubt, addressed it, and restored John’s reputation. That grace in the face of doubt reveals how…

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March 16, 2014

Cosmos: Sagan, Tyson, and the Bruno Affair

By Clarke Morledge

I was a senior in high school when Carl Sagan entered my world on a PBS NOVA special, associated later with the memorable catchphrase, “Billions and billions“.

Carl Sagan had an incredible love for science, and he was a genuine humanitarian. It was Sagan’s imaginative vision that partly inspired me to pursue a science-related career. However, it was not until I had grown further along in my walk with Jesus when I finally realized how much Carl Sagan had bought into the tragic line that pitted a love for science and the world we live in against a belief in the God of the Bible.

Thirty-four years later, one of Sagan’s students, Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, is attempting to remake the famous Cosmos series for a contemporary, 21st century audience, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. Tyson has all of charm and imaginative vision of a Carl Sagan, but he sadly also has the same misguided view that Christian faith and science are irreconcilable. If you do not believe me, you need to view this Bill Moyers interview with Tyson, and then read my initial review of the first episode of the new Cosmos series….


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March 15, 2014

Resurrection: Dick Woodward

By Clarke Morledge
Dick Woodward

Dick Woodward. Evidence #1 for the Hope and Truth of the Resurrection.

My favorite Dick Woodward story goes back to my days just out of college, about 25 years ago. Dick and I met for lunch at Taco Bell. After I had taken his scooter out of the car and we got into the restaurant, Dick immediately ordered five large tacos.  I leaned over to Dick and said, “You know, I am not really in the mood for tacos, as I was just hoping to get a quesadilla or two“. Dick, in his most charming way, replied, “Well, actually I was just ordering for myself.”

The man could put away some food.

If you have not read John Paine’s tribute to Dick Woodward yet, I would encourage you to do so. Today, our church held a service celebrating the life and legacy of Dick Woodward. I have a few thoughts of my own to add…
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March 15, 2014

Storm of Doubt

By Clarke Morledge

For many living in our secular culture, there is widespread doubt about the Bible. There is a perception that we as Christians must somehow defend the Bible against all critics.

Wow. I get tired just thinking about it.

The problem is that the Bible is a big book and so many people simply feel overwhelmed by the task, including myself, and I spent several years in seminary!

So while such efforts at “defending the Bible” are well-intentioned, and they still serve an important purpose, they can distract the Christian from the main task in evangelism. In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul summarizes the Gospel to his readers: Jesus Christ, and him crucified, and then risen from the dead. Remarkably, the evidence for the Risen Jesus is so strong without a belief in “biblical inerrancy”, that I am willing to concede for the sake of the argument just about any criticism of the Bible so long as I can get someone to take seriously the claim of the Risen Jesus. If someone can in view of the evidence grasp in faith the reality of the Risen Jesus, then I firmly believe that any other problems we have with the Bible will in time be resolved.

The following posting on our church’s Lenten series gets to the heart of the matter…

lathamta's avatarLessons in Lent

Rembrandt (1606-1699). The Storm on the Sea in Galilee.               Rembrandt (1606-1699).             The Storm on the Sea in Galilee.

Jesus “replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.” (Matthew 8:26)

Have you ever struggled with doubt? I know I have, and I still do.

In Matthew 8:23-34, we read about Jesus sleeping on a boat while he was with his disciples. A storm picks up and the disciples wake him, pleading with him to do something. Jesus speaks and the wind and waves grow silent. The people are stunned.

I would be, too.

The problem is that I live in the 21st century. We have Science, Doppler radar, the Weather Channel, and Google now. By nature, I am
skeptical:

Surely, there must be a natural explanation for…

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March 13, 2014

Matthew’s Gospel Truth

By John Paine

I’ve had multiple conversations over the past two weeks on witnessing and evangelism, all centering on how we present Jesus and the Gospel. One thing that strikes me is how many Christian brothers and sisters seem to be without a plumb line when it comes to presenting the Gospel. Some sound doctrine would greatly help. Here is a post I contributed to our church’s Lenten blog series that speaks to the issue.

John Paine's avatarLessons in Lent

“One of the great lies of our time is to suppose that because Jesus brings forgiveness, and urges us to be forgiving people, meek, and gentle, there is no sharp edge to his message. To hear some people, you’d think the whole of the Christian message was simply a call to accept one another, never to judge another person.”
N.T. Wright, Lent for Everyone, Matthew, Year A

Personally, if I had to pick one word to sum up Jesus Christ (and the Bible, and the Christian faith for that matter), it would be ‘veracity’—partly because Jesus called Himself “the truth” in John 14:6. We’re dealing with the truth when we’re dealing with Jesus. Really.

Certainly as much as any other Gospel writer, Matthew gives us a fully-developed, true picture of Jesus Christ and His message—and it’s not the saccharine depiction many people make it out to be (just wait until…

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