skip to content or search.

Open Source Theology

To a people about to be destroyed

Wednesday, October 5th, 2005

I know not many people actually read through long passages of the Bible when I post them, but oh well. For some reason, this statement, made by God about Israel (spoken through Jeremiah the prophet) just really seemed applicable to me. The rest of the passage around it speaks of Israel’s impending doom, [...]

How to Worship

Monday, July 11th, 2005

Coming off the heels of my post about “The Great Commisssion”, and off of an article I just read about worship by the first Vineyard worship leader, I have been reflecting on comments I recieve when about worship (specifically, the singing/music aspect of it).

Most notably, people mentioning (complaining?) to me about how they do/do not [...]

“Obey all that I have commanded you.”

Wednesday, July 6th, 2005

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

~Jesus of Nazareth, to his disciples, as recorded [...]

ESV Bible Interview: What about the Textus Receptus?

Thursday, June 23rd, 2005

An intersting question was addressed by the ESV translation oversight committee today.

How did you determine the Greek text used for translation—did the Textus Receptus play any role?

The answer is pretty simple:

In almost every case, we used the standard critical text used in scholarship today, represented by the United Bible Society’s Nestle-Aland people. And so we [...]

ESV Bible Interview: Footnoted verses?

Monday, June 20th, 2005

Another good Q/A from the ESV Bible Translastion Oversite Committee Interview, on the subject of Footnoted Verses

There are several places where “extra” verses are placed in the footnotes, e.g., Matthew 12:47, and others like Mark 16 where the “extra” verses are bracketed out but in the main text. How did you make decisions like that [...]

Youth Ministry for Big People

Friday, June 17th, 2005

I’m becoming increasinly convinced that the way to reach the emerging generation is to have a vibrant inter-generational ministry, that is focused on reaching the emerging generation (rather than catering to the desires of the older generation.)

I read this great article called “A Mad Multi-gen Strategy that Works, Dude: Bring generations together and reduce 20-something [...]

Does doctrine of tranlators affect the translation?

Wednesday, June 15th, 2005

The first in a series of questions being asked to the ESV translation oversight committee has been posted on Adrian Warnock’s blog today.

The following questions was asked to the committee.

It is of note that the group of scholars who wrote the ESV include some great giants of evangelicalism. I wonder how important to [...]

*Sigh* evolution.

Sunday, May 15th, 2005

I didn’t ever want to do this, but I am going to post about evolution.

A comment I was making on a previous post in reponse to Dave’s question:

I have seen many people argue evolution motivated by secular belief. I have never seen anyone argue creation based on anything other than a religious belief…

Any secular [...]

Promises and Commands in Colossians

Friday, May 13th, 2005

By way of a little “open-source theology”, I have compiled a list of commands and promises found in the book of Colossians, and I have phrased them in my own words. Feel free to chime in and let me know if I’ve missed something, or where I might be off.

Fishers of men

Wednesday, April 20th, 2005

On Monday, Todd had a great post about some context of the “fishers of men” quote of Christ. It’s a tad “Upside down” from the way we think about it :)

His main point: when we think of being fishermen, we think of a guy out on a lake or river, by himself, with some [...]

Everything I Know about Faith

Thursday, April 14th, 2005

I am talkingg at the Rock this week about Faith. As such, I have been doing a couple week long bible study on it. Here’s the results of said study:

Outcome is the Salvation of your Soul (1 Peter 1:9) A prayer of faith can heal the sick (James 5:15) Without works (actions corresponding to it) [...]

Holy Week: Maundy Thursday

Thursday, March 24th, 2005

Maundy: Old english derived from the Latin “mandamentum do vobis”: “A new commandment I give you”…

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love [...]

Holy Week: Wednesday the Silent Day

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2005

It occurred to me yesterday that the significance of the Easter holiday is FAR more important that Christmas. Yet we give it roughly 1/10th the thought that we give Christmas.

In retrospect, I wish I would have paid a little more attention this week. Meditating on this part of the gospel for an extended [...]

Proverbs 28

Monday, February 28th, 2005

“If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law, even his prayers are detestable.”

-Proverbs 28:9

This verse has particular interest to me as a worship leader. If we “new testamentize” it… if we aren’t obeying Christ’s teachings and commands, and yet sing praise songs on Sunday morning, that is DETESTABLE (some translations: an ABOMINIATION, yes [...]

Death and Taxes

Monday, February 21st, 2005

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.

Proverb of King Solomon.

To die for

Thursday, February 17th, 2005

Adam asks himself a really good question (and thereby asks his blogosphere).

It is a question born out of a crisis of faith, of trying to figure out where he fits.

“What did people in the early church believe so much so that they were willing to be thrown to the lions?”

I have a feeling that part [...]

In need of THE physician

Tuesday, February 1st, 2005

Okay God

you got my attention.

I’ll shut off the noise

to hear what you have to say.

(Matt has been sick since Saturday. This has allowed for some time of personal reflection that has led to a media fast. This means that he will not be using the Internet, except for work-related purposes, will not be [...]

The End.

Saturday, January 29th, 2005

I wrote this a while back, in a moment of “righteous” indignation. Found it tonight while working on my next message for the Rock (in two weeks). This has nothing to do with my message, but I just thought I’d share it anyway.

Everything that has a beginning has an end.

Whether you have bought [...]

Etymology of “Gospel”

Thursday, January 27th, 2005

gospel

a word of Anglo-Saxon origin, and meaning “God’s spell”, i.e., word of God, or rather, according to others, “good spell”, i.e., good news. It is the rendering of the Greek evangelion, i.e., “good message.”

-Easton’s 1897 Bible Dictionary

Just thought you should know. I used to contend that gospel and evangelion (euaggelion is a more accurate [...]

Thoughtfulness

Wednesday, January 26th, 2005

Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that [...]