The Bible uses the word “uncircumcised” in ways that go far beyond the physical procedure. It speaks of uncircumcised hearts, ears, and lips, describing a spiritual condition that has nothing to do with the body and everything to do with the orientation of a person toward God. Understanding what uncircumcised means in Scripture requires following … Read more
Simon of Cyrene did not volunteer for the most significant moment of his life. He was seized from the crowd by Roman soldiers while walking into Jerusalem, a stranger caught at the wrong moment in the most consequential day in human history. Or the right moment, depending on who is doing the arranging. Who Simon … Read more
The church is described in Scripture as many things: a body, a building, a bride, a kingdom, an army, a flock. But one description shapes how all the others work: the church is a family. Not like a family. Not similar to a family. A family, in the most theologically precise sense the Bible offers. … Read more
This is one of the most confronting stories in the entire Old Testament. A people who had just witnessed the ten plagues, walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, eaten manna from heaven, and stood at the foot of a mountain that was on fire because God was on it, decided within forty days … Read more
Most Christians learn this commandment as a rule against swearing. That reading is not wrong. But it is dramatically incomplete. The third commandment addresses something far larger than what comes out of your mouth when you stub your toe. It touches how you represent God, how you use his authority, how you live under his … Read more
The Bible records three men who ascended into heaven: two were taken without tasting death, and one rose from death under his own power. Together, Enoch, Elijah, and Jesus Christ form a complete picture of everything Scripture promises about life beyond the grave. Each account is different. Each carries its own weight of meaning. And … Read more
Hannah said it standing at the temple, holding the son she had begged God for and then gave back to him. “I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.” Five words are carved on nursery walls and stitched on baby blankets across the world today. But to … Read more
Few sentences in Genesis carry more weight in fewer words. Cain had just committed the first murder in human history, and when God asked him where Abel was, his response was not grief, not confession, not even a convincing lie. It was a question thrown back at God: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Understanding why … Read more
Few sentences in the Bible are quoted more confidently and understood less precisely than this one. Christians put it on bumper stickers, post it after news headlines, and repeat it in prayer meetings, often without stopping to ask what the psalmist actually meant or what peace he was asking for. Getting the answer right changes … Read more
Jeremiah 29:11 is probably on a mug in your kitchen right now. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It is the most quoted verse in American Christian culture. It is also the … Read more