Isthatinthebible.wordpress.com Website Review

I don’t usually post articles about website maintenance, but I’ve just added a topical list of almost all the articles I’ve written and I’ve also added it to the primary menu at the top of this website. Since Christmas is upon us, I would also like to suggest some topical articles to new readers as well as longtime regulars. My pieces on the nativity stories and genealogies in Matthew and Luke might come in useful for answering questions about the nativity that come up as we Merry Christmas to all, and watch for a new article in the coming weeks. You can follow me by all the usual methods — RSS, email, Twitter, and keeping an open browser tab that you refresh every hour. Few biblical characters are as obscure as Shamgar ben Anat. To be sure, there are many names that appear just once or twice in the genealogies, but Shamgar is a character whose actions distinguish him within the biblical narrative, and not just a forgotten name on a list. Although he is mentioned in only two verses, he is supposedly one of the judges of Israel who was remembered for a mighty feat in battle. However, I knew practically nothing about him beside the name before I set about writing this article, and I chose him as an experiment to find out how much biblical studies could tell me about such a marginal character.  Continue reading “Shamgar Son of Anat. BIBLICAL TO*GUES AND MODERN GLOSSOLALIA: FROM PENTECOST TO PENTECOSTALISM. Speaking in to*gues is one of the strangest behaviours that is regularly practiced in modern Christianity. Is it the initial evidence of a believer’s salvation? A futile charade? A demonic manifestation? A tool for missionary work? All these views and more can be found in the official and unofficial doctrines taught by various churches. For better or worse, to*gues and other gifts practiced by charismatics have radically reshaped the religious landscape over the last century. Both defenders and detractors cite the Bible to support their views of the nature and purpose of to*gues without coming to agreement. The most extreme views on either side are