Preamble from Brad: the B-Lines were a Vancouver-based punk band featuring two of my beloved nephews, Ryan and Bruce Dyck. Question I was listening to the B-Lines fastest song (“Wealthy Barber”) and realized the chorus is a Bible verse: “the branch that bears no fruit is cast into the flames.” They seem to be referencing Matthew 3:10, […]
Q&R – Why did you reject “Eternal Conscious Torment”
Question I saw you in the documentary movie Hellbound? What caused you to reject the doctrine of eternal conscious torment? Response First, to readers who’ve not seen the documentary, created by my friend Kevin Miller, here is a trailer: Now to your question, and my answer here is very abbreviated, but here are the highlights […]
Radical Empathy – Felicia Murrell
“….when they suffer, we suffer with them. Whether we know it or not, we suffer with them.” –The Dearly Beloved, Cara Wall I don’t know if this truth is THE key, but surely it’s a key to awakening compassion and radical empathy. To understand that when “they,” whoever “they” may be, suffers, I also suffer. […]
The Church: “She” or “It” – In conversation with my godfather
“When He had come and fulfilled for our sake the entire plan of salvation, on the night in which He was delivered up, or rather when He delivered Himself up for the life of the world,…” (Orthodox divine liturgy). The following is my transcription of some deep wisdom from my godfather, David Goa, in a telephone […]
“The Gospel According to Hermes” by Ron Dart, Bradley Jersak, et al
New Book Release: The Gospel According to Hermes: Intimations of Christianity in Greek Myth, Poetry and Philosophy by Ron S. Dart and Bradley Jersak with Simon Oliver, Wm. Paul Young, and Abp. Lazar Puhalo AVAILABLE NOW! CLICK here to order from Amazon.com CLICK here to order from Amazon.ca CLICK here to order from Amazon.co.uk Note: […]
Q&R: How does Habakkuk 3 point to Christ?
Question I’m doing some research on the prophet Habakkuk and I was wondering if you have some thoughts on it. In chapter 3, there seems to be a prediction about a lot of violence that God will supposedly bring. How might we see Christ in the midst of these verses? Response Habakkuk is […]
“Judas, with the piece of bread, left.” Lore Wilbert
There’s some debate on whether Judas took and ate the bread and wine Jesus offered. Whether he partook of the sacraments, I don’t know, and I don’t know if we can know. But here’s what every translation of John 13:30 says in some form: he left with the bread. It seems like every week another […]
Q&R: Blessings or Curses? Deuteronomy 11:26-28
Question I’d like to know if there is somewhere you have addressed Deut. 11:26-28? I’ve heard you say that God let His people tell the story. But what about God promising blessing or judgment on the land, based on their obedience to Him? Response I have not written on this text before. Let’s look at […]
Q&R: How Do You Read the Prohibitions to Women (1 Timothy 2)?
Question How do you understand 1 Timothy 2, where Paul tells Timothy that he does “not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over men”? Response I really think you should try to get hold of Gordon Fee’s little hermeneutics book, Gospel and Spirit, where he spends a chapter directly addressing the issue of […]
Where Are Our Departed Loved Ones? “Present. With the Lord.”
In grateful memory of my friend Paul Redekkop. I shared the following at the virtual graveside service of my friend, Paul Redekopp, and I am told that it would be helpful for a broader audience to (re)consider how we approach the departure of loved ones based on a more biblical and apostolic foundation than what […]