Twenty-four years ago (1998), I attended a small Christian church in Kyongju, South Korea. It was only a temporary involvement because I was part of the church’s ministry of helping immigrant workers learn Korean. Although I occasionally sensed the theological eccentricity of the pastor, he was a nice man. The real shock came when he … Continue reading God Does Not Show Favoritism
Arrogant Sin of Rejecting Christ
Imagine traveling from Canada to, say, Japan by a paper plane. It is impossible. We need a passenger jet. Even with it, it will take more than ten hours. Imagine then you're flying from Toronto to Tokyo with your friends. One of them--let's call him Tom--however, shows up at the airport with a bag of … Continue reading Arrogant Sin of Rejecting Christ
Male and Female God Created Them
I was reading, as usual, Halliday (1925-2018) when I came across the following statement which had nothing to do with linguistics: "There are many ways of finding patterns among people. Some patterns are obvious: everyone is either male or female, with a fairly clear line between the two" (Michael A. K. Halliday et al. Linguistic … Continue reading Male and Female God Created Them
Three Perspectives on Paul’s Relationship to Judaism
The traditional view (Old Perspective) presents Paul as being in a hostile relation to Second Temple Judaism; according to the Old, the Apostle Paul left Judaism because Judaism was legalistic. So, in the Old Perspective, Judaism and Christianity parted ways and exist as distinct entities. The so-called New Perspective, too, pits Paul against Judaism, but … Continue reading Three Perspectives on Paul’s Relationship to Judaism