Category Archives: History

the status of homer in the ancient world

Posted on May 3, 2014 by christopher fisher

Homer wrote the Odyssey and the Iliad between 750 and 650 BC. Around 570 BC, Xenophanes introduced the notion that the Greek gods were false. Instead, the real god was without body: Clement of Alexandria Miscellanies 5. 109: Xenophanes of … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, Greek History, Plato, Textual Criticism, Theology | 1 Comment

peter enns and a fake letter to paul

Posted on April 28, 2014 by christopher fisher

From Peter Enns’s blog, he imagines what a return letter to Paul from the Romans may have looked like: Dear Paul, We read your letter with great interest, and it sparked no little amount of commotion among your fellow Jews. … Continue reading →

Posted in Church History | Leave a comment

the conditional eternal kingdom of israel

Posted on April 19, 2014 by christopher fisher

In 1 Samuel 8, Israel demands a king. God feels rejected (1Sa 8:7) but appoints Saul (possibly a late fulfillment of Deuteronomy 17:15). God planned to use Saul and set Saul’s kingdom up forever. But Saul fails. God then revokes … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, God, History, Immutablility, Jewish History, Omniscience, Open Theism, Theology | 3 Comments

mosaic sex laws

Posted on April 11, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Deuteronomy 22 we find the primary Mosaic laws on adultery, rape and consensual sex. The first scenario that is presented is a man marrying a woman. The issue at stake is if she advertised herself as a virgin and … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish History, Morality, Theology | 2 Comments

when the jews were embarrassed by God

Posted on April 6, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Exodus 32, Moses encounters God on Mount Sinai. God burns in wrath over Israel, who was turning to false gods at the foot of the mountain below. In the text, God wants to destroy Israel, but Moses lays out … Continue reading →

Posted in Church History, Theology | 1 Comment

God creates a cascading contingency plan

Posted on March 30, 2014 by christopher fisher

Throughout the Bible, God prides Himself on leading Israel out of Egypt. God’s prophets point to the event incessantly, God highlights His own power by pointing to the event, and the Bible repeatedly links this event with God. Israel seems … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Calvinism, God, History, Jewish History, Omnipotence, Omniscience, Open Theism, Theology | 4 Comments

the worst failed Biblical prophecy

Posted on March 25, 2014 by christopher fisher

The scene is the turn of the first century AD. Israel is under the rule of the Roman Empire. Certain Jews are confident that God will soon save them and restore a righteous kingdom (Luk 1:71). Angels are seen prophesying … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church History, Dispensationalism, History, Jesus, Jewish History, Open Theism, Prophecy, Theology | 4 Comments

the rape of dinah

Posted on March 21, 2014 by christopher fisher

In Genesis 34, a story is told of the “rape of Dinah”. The story can be briefly told as such. A local prince has sex with a daughter of Jacob. The prince wants to marry that daughter and comes to … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish History, Morality | 3 Comments

predatory pricing and public schools

Posted on March 14, 2014 by christopher fisher

Predatory pricing is when one organization under-prices their goods or services at below cost in order to drive competition from the field. This is seen by many laymen as an effective tool that works to build monopolies. Without any concrete … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, History, prices | Leave a comment

john the baptist gives advice to soldiers

Posted on March 7, 2014 by christopher fisher

Luk 3:14 And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages. In Luke 3, the text … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Jewish History, Morality, Theology | 2 Comments