For Your Edification is a (bi)weekly set of resources on the subjects of Bible, Theology, Ministry, and Family Life. Let me know what you think or if you have other resources that growing Christians should be aware.
Bible & Theology
The Temple In Jesus’ Day. Take 8 minutes to take a panoramic view of the Temple in Jesus day. It will give you an inkling of the size and layout of the temple.
Genesis 1 and 2. Human origins have been in the news a lot recently. Questions about the historicity of Adam–whether or not Adam was a real, unique person or not–have been debated at length, which has led to questions about Genesis 1 and 2. Here is a short post reaffirming what Bible-believing Christians have always believed, that these two chapters, written by Moses, are in harmony with one another.
Latin Prologues. Ever wondered how we know anything about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Of course, church history fills in much of the details, but specifically, “prologues” describing the gospel writers are a helpful start. The earliest prologues were appended to Jerome’s Latin Vulgate (circa fourth century), and subsequent “monarchial” prologues were written shortly after in the 4th or 5th century. On this website, you can read the introductory reflections about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in Latin, Greek, or English.
Family, Church & Ministry
Should LifeWay carry The Blindside? Recently, LifeWay decided to remove The Blindside, a true-to-life story of a football player “redeemed” by a Christian family in Memphis, TN, from its shelves. Why? Because a Southern Baptist pastor petitioned LifeWay Christian Bookstores to do so, on account of the rough language and behavior associated with the urban settings depicted in the film. While many, including Fred Luter (President of the SBC), have affirmed this decision, I wonder about the value of this “family values” decision. While we must stand against the onslaught of impure entertainment, I wonder if such a resolution to remove this movie is more a symptom of uninformed fear rather than biblically-reasoned faithfulness. Just saying.
Here are few commentaries that explain the naivete of this decision. First, John Stonestreet—who I once met in a Chattanooga Chick-Fil-A —points to some helpful reasons and resources why such a response grossly misunderstands the gospel in cinema and in real life. Some of the articles he cites take a look at the relationship between Christianity and art: Kinkade, Sayers, and the Fall and The Dark Light of Thomas Kinkaid. Second, Eric Metaxas gives his response in a thoughtful piece entitled, “Headed toward Cultural Irrelevance.”
Forgotten Founders. Reflecting on America’s religious freedom, Thomas Kidd, whose book, Patrick Henry: First Among Patriots, has received much praise, introduces us to five forgotten founders. Many in the American revolution where strong believers in Christ, and Kidd gives us five biographical briefs.
Where Should We Salute the Flag? Douglas Wilson, Lisa Velthouse, and Russell Moore offer three different perspectives on the place of the American flag in the local church. This is a good article because it calls to ask good questions and to stop making assumptions.
In The News
Pentagon Celebrates Sodomy Pride (Touchstone Magazine)
Student Loan Slavery (Encounter Books via Denny Burk). Something all students and parents should watch.
Could ‘gay marriage’ drive young Christians from church?
Did Scientists find the “God-Particle”? For a brief summary of why this matters and a hilarious comic to help explain the Higgs Boson phenomena, see Joe Carter’s ‘God and the God Particle’.
Via Emmaus 