Jephthah’s Vow (part 2): His Daughter’s Faith
In part 1 of this study, I reviewed the account of Jephthah's life and activities recorded in Judges 10–12. His public career began in faith, but later descended into self-inflicted…
Jephthah’s Vow (part 1): Faith & Failure
The Judges of Israel In the book of Exodus, God powerfully delivered Israel from oppression in Egypt. In Joshua, we read how He defeated enemies as Israel entered the Promised…
Are the Parables of the Kingdom Mostly Positive or Negative?
Question: Are the “Parables of the Kingdom” in Matthew 13 supposed to be read positively, or negatively? What I mean is that some preachers and writers talk about growth and…
Four Hard Questions: Standards for Women in the Bible (Part 3)
A friend of PT described four difficult questions that others have presented to her in discussions. Today I present Part 3 (of 3), answering the third and fourth of the…
Four Hard Questions: Standards for Women in the Bible (Part 2)
A friend of PT described four difficult questions that others have presented to her in discussions. Today I present Part 2 (of 3), answering the second of the four questions.…
Four Hard Questions: Standards for Women in the Bible (Part 1)
A friend of PT described four difficult questions that others have presented to her in discussions. Today I present Part 1 (of 3), answering the first of the four questions. Question…
Dinah, Bathsheba, & Tamar (Part 3): What was going on in David’s house
Question: What happened to Dinah with Shechem (Gen. 34), Bathsheba with David (2 Sam. 11), and Tamar with Amnon (2 Sam. 13)? I think two (for sure) describe rape, maybe…