The Wisdom of Jael

Judges 4 and 5 tell the story of Jael. She is in the Bible for a reason.

And that reason is not to give male theologians an opportunity for “mansplaining.”

“Mansplaining” is typically a pejorative word used to cow men into silence. As such, it is a manipulative and cowardly expression. But sometimes men communicate in such a bad way and/or with such bad content that the insult seems justified.

So Tim Keller:

A video debate: Is Postmillennialism Biblical?

Many thanks to Lucas Curcio of the Method Ministries Podcast for the opportunity to exchange views!

What do you mean, “prunes”?

“Prunes” is the word used in the ESV and other English Bible translations for a word in Jesus’ discourse in John 15:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1–2 ESV).

The meaning of this passage commonly understood to refer to life’s trials that God sends our way to refine us (like in James 1:2).

But I have to wonder if something more might being also hinted at.

How Blood Moves History Forward

Admittedly, this is a macabre headline, but it does allude to a Biblical issue.

I recently tweeted about Matthew’s Gospel, arguing that Jesus literally told his followers to expect violent death before that entire age was judged. This is explicitly in Matthew 23 and 24, but by the time you read through chapter 10, the message is obvious.

In this post, I want to point out in this post is that this [major!] aspect of Matthew’s Gospel fits with other Biblical patterns.

An Obstacle to Reading the Bible No One Talks About

Christians are supposed to read their Bibles. They are supposed to listen to Scriptures read in public worship by a minister called to speak to them for God, but they should also augment this by their own regular reading.

An advantage to hearing someone else read the text is that he might be able to explain it better than what you would get reading on your own.

The Future of Jesus 3: The “Millennium”?

I have written a brief introductory case for the world being destined to become Christian in history (followed by a case for a general resurrection and judgment at the end of history). In my first post, I briefly discussed Revelation 20:1ff to bring up a possible implication of the Devil being released “to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth.” But I could have easily constructed my case without mentioning anything from that chapter in Revelation and I have done so in the past.

However, a common label attached to the view of the future for which I am arguing is “postmillennialism.” That name is entirely derived from Revelation 20:4, 6, 7. The millennium refers to the “thousand years” mentioned in those verses.

Justification, Sanctification, and the Illusion of Timing

Ever heard the expression, “There’s no such thing as being a little bit pregnant”? It’s used to expose people when they try to underplay something in an inappropriate way. (“I sort of told a lie.”O The fact is, some things are simply either/or. Either you told a lie or you didn’t. Either you’re pregnant or you’re not.

But, then again, pregnancy is progressive–from conception to delivery.

Is that a contradiction? No. We’re comparing apples and oranges. The development of a fetus is not in conflict with the status of being pregnant. One is either/or and the other is gradual but they both reflect the same reality.

This simple illustration might show you why I was so frustrated to hear of educated theological popularizers who demanded a “nanosecond” between justification and sanctification in order to “protect” one from the other–typically to protect justification from sanctification (no one seems really to worry about the integrity of sanctification that much).

The Future of Jesus 2: The Bodily Resurrection as Essential Context

Before I go any further on what the Bible tells us about the future history of the mortal human race, I must address the end of that history: the final resurrection.

When Paul was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem, he soon realized they weren’t going to give him a fair trial. (They started torturing him and then self-righteously accused him of insubordination when he objected to this behavior.) So he had to make a strategic move:

The Future of Jesus 1: Discipling the Nations before the Second Advent

What kind of future should we expect before the return of Christ and the general Resurrection and Final Judgment?

in Daniel chapters 2 and 7, we have two visions representing future history from the time that Daniel lived. Both visions give us a timeline of four successive empires that are Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Greek, and Romans. In the time of Rome this history is brought to an end. In chapter 2, it is said to be ended by a rock from heaven that is thrown to earth and then grows into a great mountain.

Discipline Is Overrated: It’s Not an Alternative to Motivation

Some form of “Discipline > Motivation” is a perennial feature of “self-improvement” and especially “fitness journey” social media. It is not as helpful as as it is pumped up to be.

It is not helpful because people think of “discipline” as some version of “will power” or a problematic conception of “self-control.” The narrative is:

I should do a thing.
I don’t want to do the thing.
But because I should do the thing I force myself to do the thing despite my lack of motivation.

No one does this for any real length of time. It is a boastful myth. It gives credit to the person for his success as if he conquered an unwilling person and forced him to be his slave. We could even attach Bible verses to this like: “But I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Corinthians 9:27a). That the ESV. The footnote gives a more literal translation: “I pummel my body and make it a slave.”

So why do I object to the narrative?