It's all gone now
Broken into a thousand
Glittering pieces
The fairy food
No longer enchants
And the paper covering
No longer astounds
It's all shattered now
The glass house
In a glass world
All of it
The prize
The pleasures
The foundations
The things of decency and normality
They have all lost their gleam
The illusion is gone
And only worthless trinkets remain
Every stable thing is gone
A thousand feet below
The make-believe world
The true landscape is splayed out
Awesome and fierce
With heroes and monsters
It's all so terrifying
But what else is there to do
But to jump
It's all or nothing now
No
Not even that
How could I go back to that sham?
That time is past
Now it's just
All
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
1 Kings 19:11-13
You should run now
My God is coming
I know I can never hurt you
I know that you are stronger
That you are smarter
That as long as I stand
On my own strength
You have nothing to fear from me
But the El Shaddai is coming
The Annointed One
My Bridegroom approaches
There is a wind
A wind as sharp as any blade
As strong as any machine
It splits boulders in two
And blasts mountains to rubble
But God is not in the wind
There is an earthquake
A trembling as if a thousand giants
Were all dancing in celebration
Or as if the Hosts of Heaven
Had broken down into the infernal depths
And the celestial armory displayed it's terrible might
But God is not in the earthquake
There is a fire
Like the blazing sun
Like Baal's furnace
Blazing like never before
And sent out in mockery
Against those who lit it
The waters disappear
Stone walls turn to ash
When I close my eyes
I see them still
And just as bright
But God is not in the fire
There is a whisper in my ear
So beautiful I weep to hear more
And a cool, soft touch
Like a rose petal
Falling across my cheek
Every word melts away the lies
Every touch softens the calluses
His kiss undoes my pride
God is in the whisper
You should run now...
My God is coming
I know I can never hurt you
I know that you are stronger
That you are smarter
That as long as I stand
On my own strength
You have nothing to fear from me
But the El Shaddai is coming
The Annointed One
My Bridegroom approaches
There is a wind
A wind as sharp as any blade
As strong as any machine
It splits boulders in two
And blasts mountains to rubble
But God is not in the wind
There is an earthquake
A trembling as if a thousand giants
Were all dancing in celebration
Or as if the Hosts of Heaven
Had broken down into the infernal depths
And the celestial armory displayed it's terrible might
But God is not in the earthquake
There is a fire
Like the blazing sun
Like Baal's furnace
Blazing like never before
And sent out in mockery
Against those who lit it
The waters disappear
Stone walls turn to ash
When I close my eyes
I see them still
And just as bright
But God is not in the fire
There is a whisper in my ear
So beautiful I weep to hear more
And a cool, soft touch
Like a rose petal
Falling across my cheek
Every word melts away the lies
Every touch softens the calluses
His kiss undoes my pride
God is in the whisper
You should run now...
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18- Like the rest of the passage, this verse is cheifly concerned with the simple fact that the wisdom of God is not the wisdom of the world. Since the epistles consistently demonstrate submission to the laws of logic in the way that they are written, it can be safely assumed that those laws are not the issue, in which case the disagreement between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God must lie not in the structuring of thoughts but rather in the basic axioms of the two. Basically, this means that the problem with worldly wisdom is that it starts out with a false understanding of what is good, what is trustworthy, and other such things.
At the same time that this verse discusses the contrast between worldly and heavenly wisdom, however, there is also something more subtle which sets this verse apart from the rest of the passage. That is the claim that the wisdom of God is power. This means that, unlike the wisdom with which the Greeks were accustomed, the wisdom of God is active. Not only the subject of that knowledge, but the knowledge itself is an active force upon the believer.
19- Essentially this is about the greatness of God and the fallenness of the world. On the one hand, we see how God surpasses all human wisdom, displayed here by the way in which the worldly authorities failed to recognize Jesus and the way in which He frequently proved His greatness through His teachings and discussions. The Lord also displays His supremacy by actively confounding and thus making a mockery of the wisdom of the age. However, that particular example of God's greatness occurred in response to human sin since such action would not have been necessary if the intellect of the world had not been a stumbling block and a distraction from God.
This verse also establishes the Old Testament as holy scripture for Paul's Gentile audience and shows how the Messiah was anticipated by it.
20- The particular rhetorical question of where the philosopher or teacher of the law is seems to imply a particular answer which is both obvious and favorable to Paul's argument. At this point in history, we can say that the wise men would have been the Greek philosophers and the teachers of the law would have been the Pharisees. Both of these groups are clearly past their prime at this point, overshadowed by their greater predecessors, and are also under the rule of Rome which has similarly past its prime by entering its imperial age.
21- Here is becomes particularly clear that it "pleased God" for the wisdom of the world to be blind to the Gospel. There's a lot that can be said on this, but to me it seems that this verse breaks down to the issue of pride. God wanted the wisdom of the world to be at odds with true wisdom because He did not want the gift of His Son to be a point of human pride for us. Even on an intellectual level, accepting the Gospel constitutes a complete and total surrender and an abandonment of worldly understanding.
22-23- Since the Gospels are overflowing with both wisdom and signs, it cannot be that signs and wisdom are somehow inherently sinful in God's sight. The problem is instead that the Jews were more interested in signs that in the One giving them and the Greeks were more interested in wisdom than in the One whom wisdom is ultimately about.
24- No matter how many times I look at this I still can't make sense of the grammar so I'm just going to ignore that aspect. This verse once again affirms Christ as the Savior and the one for whom we have all been waiting but it also adds on that He is the "power of God and the wisdom of God" meaning that He has all that the Jews and the Greeks were both looking for, even though they were too focused on the characteristics of the Messiah and not enough of the actual Messiah.
25- This passage is a powerful statement concerning Christian humility, love, and faith. In the eyes of the world, all these things are weak and foolish and sometimes they are if they are taken out of context, but at the same time history has shown us that these things which the world sees as foolishness and weakness can overturn the institutions of the world.
26-29- There are a lot of things packed into this passage. First of all, there is the affirmation of the Beatitudes as we see that it was the poor and the lowly of the Corinthians who have been called by Christ; the rich and esteemed have found their most renowned features to be nothing more than a stumbling block. After this there is a commentary on the way in which God functions. Throughout history, God has consistently chosen to raise up the weak and lowly as heroes of His Kingdom (David, Moses, Joan d' Arc, etc.,) and in these verses Paul tells his readers that this has not been done thoughtlessly or by accident but instead that it has been done deliberately as a demonstration of God's power and the world's futility. In fact, in describing the victory God gives His servants Paul says that He chose "the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are." This to me is a very shocking statement as he says that God (to put it in my own words) "uses the things of no substance to undo the things of great substance." It is as if the person being used was literally nothing but a shadow or a reflection in the mirror being given the power to not only defeat the "great" people of the world, but to wipe away every trace of them. And when it comes down to it, what is left of so many worldly kings anyway?
30- And now we are reminded of something we absolutely must never forget and something which we seem to never remember: that all our salvation and all our goodness comes from God. Yes, we did choose Messiah, but it was He who chose us first, it is He who transforms us into His image-bearers now, and it was God who provided us with enough goodness to want salvation in the first place. In other words, all that we have is a gift.
31- But finally, we are reminded to celebrate. In these final words we are told not just how to boast but that we are able to boast at all, that there is glory to be had and to be delighted in. And that is the glory of God.
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written: “Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord.”
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
18- Like the rest of the passage, this verse is cheifly concerned with the simple fact that the wisdom of God is not the wisdom of the world. Since the epistles consistently demonstrate submission to the laws of logic in the way that they are written, it can be safely assumed that those laws are not the issue, in which case the disagreement between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God must lie not in the structuring of thoughts but rather in the basic axioms of the two. Basically, this means that the problem with worldly wisdom is that it starts out with a false understanding of what is good, what is trustworthy, and other such things.
At the same time that this verse discusses the contrast between worldly and heavenly wisdom, however, there is also something more subtle which sets this verse apart from the rest of the passage. That is the claim that the wisdom of God is power. This means that, unlike the wisdom with which the Greeks were accustomed, the wisdom of God is active. Not only the subject of that knowledge, but the knowledge itself is an active force upon the believer.
19- Essentially this is about the greatness of God and the fallenness of the world. On the one hand, we see how God surpasses all human wisdom, displayed here by the way in which the worldly authorities failed to recognize Jesus and the way in which He frequently proved His greatness through His teachings and discussions. The Lord also displays His supremacy by actively confounding and thus making a mockery of the wisdom of the age. However, that particular example of God's greatness occurred in response to human sin since such action would not have been necessary if the intellect of the world had not been a stumbling block and a distraction from God.
This verse also establishes the Old Testament as holy scripture for Paul's Gentile audience and shows how the Messiah was anticipated by it.
20- The particular rhetorical question of where the philosopher or teacher of the law is seems to imply a particular answer which is both obvious and favorable to Paul's argument. At this point in history, we can say that the wise men would have been the Greek philosophers and the teachers of the law would have been the Pharisees. Both of these groups are clearly past their prime at this point, overshadowed by their greater predecessors, and are also under the rule of Rome which has similarly past its prime by entering its imperial age.
21- Here is becomes particularly clear that it "pleased God" for the wisdom of the world to be blind to the Gospel. There's a lot that can be said on this, but to me it seems that this verse breaks down to the issue of pride. God wanted the wisdom of the world to be at odds with true wisdom because He did not want the gift of His Son to be a point of human pride for us. Even on an intellectual level, accepting the Gospel constitutes a complete and total surrender and an abandonment of worldly understanding.
22-23- Since the Gospels are overflowing with both wisdom and signs, it cannot be that signs and wisdom are somehow inherently sinful in God's sight. The problem is instead that the Jews were more interested in signs that in the One giving them and the Greeks were more interested in wisdom than in the One whom wisdom is ultimately about.
24- No matter how many times I look at this I still can't make sense of the grammar so I'm just going to ignore that aspect. This verse once again affirms Christ as the Savior and the one for whom we have all been waiting but it also adds on that He is the "power of God and the wisdom of God" meaning that He has all that the Jews and the Greeks were both looking for, even though they were too focused on the characteristics of the Messiah and not enough of the actual Messiah.
25- This passage is a powerful statement concerning Christian humility, love, and faith. In the eyes of the world, all these things are weak and foolish and sometimes they are if they are taken out of context, but at the same time history has shown us that these things which the world sees as foolishness and weakness can overturn the institutions of the world.
26-29- There are a lot of things packed into this passage. First of all, there is the affirmation of the Beatitudes as we see that it was the poor and the lowly of the Corinthians who have been called by Christ; the rich and esteemed have found their most renowned features to be nothing more than a stumbling block. After this there is a commentary on the way in which God functions. Throughout history, God has consistently chosen to raise up the weak and lowly as heroes of His Kingdom (David, Moses, Joan d' Arc, etc.,) and in these verses Paul tells his readers that this has not been done thoughtlessly or by accident but instead that it has been done deliberately as a demonstration of God's power and the world's futility. In fact, in describing the victory God gives His servants Paul says that He chose "the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are." This to me is a very shocking statement as he says that God (to put it in my own words) "uses the things of no substance to undo the things of great substance." It is as if the person being used was literally nothing but a shadow or a reflection in the mirror being given the power to not only defeat the "great" people of the world, but to wipe away every trace of them. And when it comes down to it, what is left of so many worldly kings anyway?
30- And now we are reminded of something we absolutely must never forget and something which we seem to never remember: that all our salvation and all our goodness comes from God. Yes, we did choose Messiah, but it was He who chose us first, it is He who transforms us into His image-bearers now, and it was God who provided us with enough goodness to want salvation in the first place. In other words, all that we have is a gift.
31- But finally, we are reminded to celebrate. In these final words we are told not just how to boast but that we are able to boast at all, that there is glory to be had and to be delighted in. And that is the glory of God.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Walking by Faith
A man walks along an island of sand. All around him there are fruit-bearing plants and bushes with twigs and leaves that are perfect for building fires, but he knows he cannot build a home there because even though the island is very large it still never rises more than a few feet above the ocean and there could at any moment come a wave capable of completely reshaping the whole place. As he goes along, the man drags his feet through the sand, feeling his way along. Eventually he finds a rock buried beneath the sand. He still can't see it, but after a while he is able to get a rough understanding of size and shape of the rock. He may look around and see fruits ripe for the picking in the distance while the only trees that grow on the rock are thorny and uninviting, but he will make his home on the rock nonetheless. He does this because even though his sight is telling him that the rock is a barren place, he knows from experience and from speculation that when the storms come the sand will simply wash away and give him no safety while the rock will hold firm. The trees may look unpleasant, but if he can build a shelter using them for support or rely on them to discover the rock's hidden holes and crevices, that shelter will easily outlast any built in the appealing places of the island.
"For we live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
"For we live by faith, not by sight." 2 Corinthians 5:7
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27
Monday, August 15, 2011
Neither can I
To the people
Who say
That's great
For you
It's so awesome
But it's not for me
To all the people
Who say
I just can't do that
Neither can I
I can't carry that cross
I can't live that life
I can't surrender everything
I can't even begin
To want to do it
I can't make that jump
Or walk that road
It's too far
Too hard
I can't open the closet door
And look that monster in the eye
Much less
The one in the bathroom mirror
I can't face the light of day
Without a thousand little lies
Without those many other truths and ways
I can't do it
I can't break these chains
Or even admit their existence
Not out of my own Strength
But there is Someone else
Whose movements shakes the world
Whose words have authority
To rebuke every evil
Whose breath
Gave you birth
Whose death
Can give you it again
He can carry you
Across burning deserts
Over treacherous mountains
And through thorny wilderness
He can crush
Every single thing
That is pressing you down
That is keeping you from Him
All your chains
Are like paper in His hands
Your monsters
All assembled together
And multiplied by a million
Can do nothing before Him
But beg for mercy
And
The most wonderful
And terrible
Thing of all
Is that He
Can break
My cold
Wretched
Evil
Heart
Who say
That's great
For you
It's so awesome
But it's not for me
To all the people
Who say
I just can't do that
Neither can I
I can't carry that cross
I can't live that life
I can't surrender everything
I can't even begin
To want to do it
I can't make that jump
Or walk that road
It's too far
Too hard
I can't open the closet door
And look that monster in the eye
Much less
The one in the bathroom mirror
I can't face the light of day
Without a thousand little lies
Without those many other truths and ways
I can't do it
I can't break these chains
Or even admit their existence
Not out of my own Strength
But there is Someone else
Whose movements shakes the world
Whose words have authority
To rebuke every evil
Whose breath
Gave you birth
Whose death
Can give you it again
He can carry you
Across burning deserts
Over treacherous mountains
And through thorny wilderness
He can crush
Every single thing
That is pressing you down
That is keeping you from Him
All your chains
Are like paper in His hands
Your monsters
All assembled together
And multiplied by a million
Can do nothing before Him
But beg for mercy
And
The most wonderful
And terrible
Thing of all
Is that He
Can break
My cold
Wretched
Evil
Heart
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Terrible God
Do not ask where God has gone
Do not plead for His presence
You do not know what you ask
You do not know the mercy He is showing
For He is a terrible God
Terrible
Able to incite terror
To make the foundations
Of the earth
Tremble
He will come for you
Be assured of that
He will save you
Romance you
Rescue you
But that is not the end
Know this
You are in rebellion
You are at war with Him
You have taken up every good thing
And every worthless thing
All the delights and treasures
Which it is His joy to bless you with
And placed them upon an altar
So if He comes to save you
He will also come to conquer you
He will not do it any other way
He cannot
So tremble
He is not a genie to grant your wishes
He is not a kindly grandfather
He is not a tame lion
He will take you as you are
But He is not content to leave you there
The sun is rising
And we have lived too long in darkness
Our eyes are dull
And our skin is sickly
The light is good
It is wonderful
But it shall burn
It shall sting and ache
And we must leave our darkness behind
The things made for the night
Must perish
We must let them go
All of them
Without exception
For in the light of day
They will crumble
Our God is a terrible God
He will have no part
In the comfort
And safety
And good repute
Of this dim, rebellious world
He will not stop short
He will not ease up
In His war
His wrath burns bright
Against all that turns us from Him
Whether greed or lust
Or lies
Or ambition
Or relationships
Or the very powers of Hell
He will smash it all to ruins
The love of the Cross is not weak
It does not incite mere "ooh"s and "ah"s
It is a love that convicts
A love that unmakes
The strongholds of the world
A love before which
All pride must perish
It is a terrible love
Our God is a terrible God
And He is all the greater
All the more wonderful
All the joyous
Because of it
Do not plead for His presence
You do not know what you ask
You do not know the mercy He is showing
For He is a terrible God
Terrible
Able to incite terror
To make the foundations
Of the earth
Tremble
He will come for you
Be assured of that
He will save you
Romance you
Rescue you
But that is not the end
Know this
You are in rebellion
You are at war with Him
You have taken up every good thing
And every worthless thing
All the delights and treasures
Which it is His joy to bless you with
And placed them upon an altar
So if He comes to save you
He will also come to conquer you
He will not do it any other way
He cannot
So tremble
He is not a genie to grant your wishes
He is not a kindly grandfather
He is not a tame lion
He will take you as you are
But He is not content to leave you there
The sun is rising
And we have lived too long in darkness
Our eyes are dull
And our skin is sickly
The light is good
It is wonderful
But it shall burn
It shall sting and ache
And we must leave our darkness behind
The things made for the night
Must perish
We must let them go
All of them
Without exception
For in the light of day
They will crumble
Our God is a terrible God
He will have no part
In the comfort
And safety
And good repute
Of this dim, rebellious world
He will not stop short
He will not ease up
In His war
His wrath burns bright
Against all that turns us from Him
Whether greed or lust
Or lies
Or ambition
Or relationships
Or the very powers of Hell
He will smash it all to ruins
The love of the Cross is not weak
It does not incite mere "ooh"s and "ah"s
It is a love that convicts
A love that unmakes
The strongholds of the world
A love before which
All pride must perish
It is a terrible love
Our God is a terrible God
And He is all the greater
All the more wonderful
All the joyous
Because of it
Friday, August 5, 2011
The Mouse's Search for the Cat
Man's search for God
What a joke
As if we haven't been hiding out
Always trying to get away
From that terrible radiance
What drug won't we take
What idol won't we build
To conceal His face?
We were made to be with Him
Made for love
For eternity
And yet we can't bear to look at Him
Perhaps it is because of that glory
It reminds us how unclean we are
And our pride is irked
By it's own sinfulness
Or because our inheritance
Is unearned
Our dignity
Cannot accept such a gift
No
We are not searching for Him
It is He who searches us out
In His mercy and humility
What a joke
As if we haven't been hiding out
Always trying to get away
From that terrible radiance
What drug won't we take
What idol won't we build
To conceal His face?
We were made to be with Him
Made for love
For eternity
And yet we can't bear to look at Him
Perhaps it is because of that glory
It reminds us how unclean we are
And our pride is irked
By it's own sinfulness
Or because our inheritance
Is unearned
Our dignity
Cannot accept such a gift
No
We are not searching for Him
It is He who searches us out
In His mercy and humility
Sweet Enough
Another piece is off the board
Taken in an instant
Without hesitation
I try to defend
And in one move
He crashes through my lines
My every piece is in jeopardy
The lies are flowing freely
Desperately
Building up layer
After layer
Of defenses
All the arguments are assembled
Lined up and ready
He is unimpressed
He dismisses them all
One after another
Systematically
Relentlessly
Rebuke after rebuke
Devastates my stronghold
The tables are overturned
Gold spills out across the floor
Your friends are nowhere in sight
The monument to your strength
And sweat
And willpower
Lies in ruins
No stone is stacked upon its brother
All of it has failed
Strength, knowledge, friendship, love, money, ambition
All of it
It has all failed
It has all been overturned
He is relentless
Whatever chains are binding you
Whatever idols you have bowed to
Whatever it is you rely on instead of Him
He is sweet enough to make it crumble
Taken in an instant
Without hesitation
I try to defend
And in one move
He crashes through my lines
My every piece is in jeopardy
The lies are flowing freely
Desperately
Building up layer
After layer
Of defenses
All the arguments are assembled
Lined up and ready
He is unimpressed
He dismisses them all
One after another
Systematically
Relentlessly
Rebuke after rebuke
Devastates my stronghold
The tables are overturned
Gold spills out across the floor
Your friends are nowhere in sight
The monument to your strength
And sweat
And willpower
Lies in ruins
No stone is stacked upon its brother
All of it has failed
Strength, knowledge, friendship, love, money, ambition
All of it
It has all failed
It has all been overturned
He is relentless
Whatever chains are binding you
Whatever idols you have bowed to
Whatever it is you rely on instead of Him
He is sweet enough to make it crumble
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Secularist Myths About the Bible
The Bible is Obscure
The best example of how this is blatantly wrong is in the Book of Daniel. For the very beginning, this book is about how God gives us knowledge and clarity as Daniel gains the king's favor by explaining the meaning of a dream the king had been given. In the later half of the book Daniel has a series of visions which are beyond his understanding, but each one is followed up by a simple and understandable explanation from God, usually delivered by an angel. In addition to these visions, the Bible also makes of point of explaining why many of the people portrayed in it have the names they do, why God does some things or allows things to happen (for example, God hardens Pharoah's heart in order to display His wonders and ensure that the Hebrews leave Egypt entirely instead of simply going into the desert to worship, Satan is allowed to torment Job so that Job's faithfulness can be proved, and the Jews are scattered in order to be disciplined), and what certain symbolic actions or ceremonies mean.
Skeptics also make this claim about the laws of the Bible, and while many laws are not explained (sometimes because they are so basic they do not need explaining) there are still many that are. The New Testament is a good place to look for learning how to understand the Law, especially in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Paul. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains the basic essences of the major laws, and the two greatest commandments He tells the Pharisees of explain the essence of the Law as a whole.
The Old Testament God is Too Harsh and the Ideas of the New Testament are Inconsistent
Firstly, if you actually read the Old Testament with an open heart you will be surprised at how merciful God is. When Cain was sent into exile, he was given a mark so that everyone would know God loved him. Jacob was extremely sinful and deceptive, but God forgave him and gave him the name of Israel along with a nation to bear that name. The Hebrews whom God delivered out of slavery with quite possibly the most astonishing and spectacular series of miracles in history complained that they had been led out of Egypt to starve in the desert, built pagan idols to worship when Moses was up on the mountain for too long, and backed out of their inheritance because they feared big soldiers more than they trusted God, and the Lord still kept heaping blessings on these people.
There are still many bloody parts of the Old Testament, but in reading them we must realize four things. Firstly, we have to realize that we live in a post-pagan world; our views on how to properly treat one another, love for the less fortunate, and ethics in general have all been shaped by Christian doctrine. In other words, when we imagine the people who were put to death in the Old Testament, a decent, average person is not the image that should come to mind. In fact, even the decency of the modern world is a moral sham; Nazi Germany was filled with decent people. Secondly, we have to understand how tribal the ancient world was. The reason that many enemies of the Jews were judged as a people was that they were, in fact, very unified by their ethnicity and in that respect "innocent" parties were both responsible for the behavior of their kin and were almost certain to avenge any judgement carried out against those kin, leading to endless, bloody feuds (in fact, this precise process is at the root of many biblical conflicts). Thirdly, God is not just a really good person who happens to have infinite power, but is rather the source of all goodness and worth. I won't go into detail on this, but basically when we ask what our purpose is, the only answer that works is God; if someone has turned away from the ultimate purpose of their life and everything else (and no, we are not good enough to be our own reason for existence, otherwise we wouldn't keep asking what our purpose is) what value do they really have? Plato is a good source to learn more about this characteristic of God. Finally, we must keep in mind that every time God commands the deaths of either those who turn away from Him or the enemies of the Israelites, He is doing it to set the stage for the coming of Messiah, whose life and death are the ultimate demonstration of God's love.
In regards to claims that the love of the New Testament is inconsistent with the rigidity of the Old Testament, there is the simple fact that both parts of the Bible have more of the quality frequently attributed to the other part than is widely believed. In the Old Testament, God frequently extends forgiveness to those who do not by any means deserve it, while in the New Testament, Jesus and the Apostles are very strict concerning the behavior of believers. In fact, while we tend to think of love and judgement as being totally separate, the topic about which the New Testament is actually most strict is love. We are commanded to submit with humble love to one another, to love our enemies, and to go out of our way to show love and grace for one another.
Jesus was a Hippie
Jesus was not a Hippie, primarily because the love of Hippies is an easy love. Hippies treat human beings as being their own moral authorities (except when their behavior directly harms others or goes against Hippie philosophy) and hold that everyone is really good deep down. Jesus, on the other hand, upheld a shockingly high moral standard (to look at a woman lustfully is adultery, love your enemies, do not swear oaths at all but simply stand by what you say, etc) and taught that we are all sinners who have rebelled against God. In other words, Jesus held that we absolutely do not deserve love but He still gave it away freely and delightfully. Morever, Jesus also rebuked his disciples quite sternly at times ("Get behind me Satan!") and on one occasion went absolutely beserk at the sight of what He deemed a desecration of the Temple. In fact, Jesus was so terrifying that when Legion saw Him approach he immediately surrendered and begged for mercy.
The Bible is Just Metaphorical
There are certain parts of the Bible that can be taken as metaphorical, such as the story of Creation for instance, but even in those cases critics must remember that to say something is a metaphor is not to say that it means nothing and most of the time the really controversial issues remain. More importantly, most of the Bible is clearly not written metaphorically but is written as historical accounts. Secularists may debate whether or not those accounts are accurate, but unless they can give good reasons as to why a particular passage was intended metaphorically and not literally, the intentions behind those accounts are another matter entirely. This is especially true when dealing with well-recorded and important moments in history since we can know that in those cases the story as a whole is not intended to be metaphor and as such it is unlikely that specific parts of those accounts can be picked out and said to be merely symbolic.
The claim that the Bible is metaphorical basically stems from the assumption among secularists that miracles do not happen and that the belief in them is inherently irrational. In making this claim, the skeptics are trying to force their own views on the biblical authors, but any objective reading of the Bible will find that those writers really did believe that God can and does perform miraculous wonders.
The New Testament was Written Hundreds of Years After Jesus Died and it is Mistranslated
As for the first part of this claim, the Bible was canonized hundreds of years after Jesus died, but the individual books were all written within a few decades after His death and resurrection. Granted, those few decades may still be considered untrustworthy by some, but in regards to the Gospels these doubts are unfounded for three reasons: the Israelite children were required to memorize the entire Torah and as such the Jews were highly reliable witnesses (studies have shown that cultures with oral traditions are well-equipped for precise memorization), the events recorded in the Gospels are nearly all either extremely memorable or easily committed to memory, and many of the key events had very large audiences. The remaining books are nearly all letters to various churches from one apostle or another and as such would have been kept and treasured by those churches.
In regards to the claim that the Bible is mistranslated, there is very little evidence in favor of the critics. For starters, there's the fact that we actually have quite a few original copies of the Bible and the individual books that make it up. If you happen to pick up a Bible and read through it you will find it filled footnotes saying "this could also be translated like this" or "it's unclear what this word means" because the scholars who issued that Bible had copies of those documents available to them (and no, the really important verses don't have those footnotes). In terms of the number of original documents, the length of time between when those documents were written and when the very first copies were written, and the amount of damaged or unclear text the Bible is literally thousands of times more reliable than any other ancient texts.
The best example of how this is blatantly wrong is in the Book of Daniel. For the very beginning, this book is about how God gives us knowledge and clarity as Daniel gains the king's favor by explaining the meaning of a dream the king had been given. In the later half of the book Daniel has a series of visions which are beyond his understanding, but each one is followed up by a simple and understandable explanation from God, usually delivered by an angel. In addition to these visions, the Bible also makes of point of explaining why many of the people portrayed in it have the names they do, why God does some things or allows things to happen (for example, God hardens Pharoah's heart in order to display His wonders and ensure that the Hebrews leave Egypt entirely instead of simply going into the desert to worship, Satan is allowed to torment Job so that Job's faithfulness can be proved, and the Jews are scattered in order to be disciplined), and what certain symbolic actions or ceremonies mean.
Skeptics also make this claim about the laws of the Bible, and while many laws are not explained (sometimes because they are so basic they do not need explaining) there are still many that are. The New Testament is a good place to look for learning how to understand the Law, especially in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of Paul. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus explains the basic essences of the major laws, and the two greatest commandments He tells the Pharisees of explain the essence of the Law as a whole.
The Old Testament God is Too Harsh and the Ideas of the New Testament are Inconsistent
Firstly, if you actually read the Old Testament with an open heart you will be surprised at how merciful God is. When Cain was sent into exile, he was given a mark so that everyone would know God loved him. Jacob was extremely sinful and deceptive, but God forgave him and gave him the name of Israel along with a nation to bear that name. The Hebrews whom God delivered out of slavery with quite possibly the most astonishing and spectacular series of miracles in history complained that they had been led out of Egypt to starve in the desert, built pagan idols to worship when Moses was up on the mountain for too long, and backed out of their inheritance because they feared big soldiers more than they trusted God, and the Lord still kept heaping blessings on these people.
There are still many bloody parts of the Old Testament, but in reading them we must realize four things. Firstly, we have to realize that we live in a post-pagan world; our views on how to properly treat one another, love for the less fortunate, and ethics in general have all been shaped by Christian doctrine. In other words, when we imagine the people who were put to death in the Old Testament, a decent, average person is not the image that should come to mind. In fact, even the decency of the modern world is a moral sham; Nazi Germany was filled with decent people. Secondly, we have to understand how tribal the ancient world was. The reason that many enemies of the Jews were judged as a people was that they were, in fact, very unified by their ethnicity and in that respect "innocent" parties were both responsible for the behavior of their kin and were almost certain to avenge any judgement carried out against those kin, leading to endless, bloody feuds (in fact, this precise process is at the root of many biblical conflicts). Thirdly, God is not just a really good person who happens to have infinite power, but is rather the source of all goodness and worth. I won't go into detail on this, but basically when we ask what our purpose is, the only answer that works is God; if someone has turned away from the ultimate purpose of their life and everything else (and no, we are not good enough to be our own reason for existence, otherwise we wouldn't keep asking what our purpose is) what value do they really have? Plato is a good source to learn more about this characteristic of God. Finally, we must keep in mind that every time God commands the deaths of either those who turn away from Him or the enemies of the Israelites, He is doing it to set the stage for the coming of Messiah, whose life and death are the ultimate demonstration of God's love.
In regards to claims that the love of the New Testament is inconsistent with the rigidity of the Old Testament, there is the simple fact that both parts of the Bible have more of the quality frequently attributed to the other part than is widely believed. In the Old Testament, God frequently extends forgiveness to those who do not by any means deserve it, while in the New Testament, Jesus and the Apostles are very strict concerning the behavior of believers. In fact, while we tend to think of love and judgement as being totally separate, the topic about which the New Testament is actually most strict is love. We are commanded to submit with humble love to one another, to love our enemies, and to go out of our way to show love and grace for one another.
Jesus was a Hippie
Jesus was not a Hippie, primarily because the love of Hippies is an easy love. Hippies treat human beings as being their own moral authorities (except when their behavior directly harms others or goes against Hippie philosophy) and hold that everyone is really good deep down. Jesus, on the other hand, upheld a shockingly high moral standard (to look at a woman lustfully is adultery, love your enemies, do not swear oaths at all but simply stand by what you say, etc) and taught that we are all sinners who have rebelled against God. In other words, Jesus held that we absolutely do not deserve love but He still gave it away freely and delightfully. Morever, Jesus also rebuked his disciples quite sternly at times ("Get behind me Satan!") and on one occasion went absolutely beserk at the sight of what He deemed a desecration of the Temple. In fact, Jesus was so terrifying that when Legion saw Him approach he immediately surrendered and begged for mercy.
The Bible is Just Metaphorical
There are certain parts of the Bible that can be taken as metaphorical, such as the story of Creation for instance, but even in those cases critics must remember that to say something is a metaphor is not to say that it means nothing and most of the time the really controversial issues remain. More importantly, most of the Bible is clearly not written metaphorically but is written as historical accounts. Secularists may debate whether or not those accounts are accurate, but unless they can give good reasons as to why a particular passage was intended metaphorically and not literally, the intentions behind those accounts are another matter entirely. This is especially true when dealing with well-recorded and important moments in history since we can know that in those cases the story as a whole is not intended to be metaphor and as such it is unlikely that specific parts of those accounts can be picked out and said to be merely symbolic.
The claim that the Bible is metaphorical basically stems from the assumption among secularists that miracles do not happen and that the belief in them is inherently irrational. In making this claim, the skeptics are trying to force their own views on the biblical authors, but any objective reading of the Bible will find that those writers really did believe that God can and does perform miraculous wonders.
The New Testament was Written Hundreds of Years After Jesus Died and it is Mistranslated
As for the first part of this claim, the Bible was canonized hundreds of years after Jesus died, but the individual books were all written within a few decades after His death and resurrection. Granted, those few decades may still be considered untrustworthy by some, but in regards to the Gospels these doubts are unfounded for three reasons: the Israelite children were required to memorize the entire Torah and as such the Jews were highly reliable witnesses (studies have shown that cultures with oral traditions are well-equipped for precise memorization), the events recorded in the Gospels are nearly all either extremely memorable or easily committed to memory, and many of the key events had very large audiences. The remaining books are nearly all letters to various churches from one apostle or another and as such would have been kept and treasured by those churches.
In regards to the claim that the Bible is mistranslated, there is very little evidence in favor of the critics. For starters, there's the fact that we actually have quite a few original copies of the Bible and the individual books that make it up. If you happen to pick up a Bible and read through it you will find it filled footnotes saying "this could also be translated like this" or "it's unclear what this word means" because the scholars who issued that Bible had copies of those documents available to them (and no, the really important verses don't have those footnotes). In terms of the number of original documents, the length of time between when those documents were written and when the very first copies were written, and the amount of damaged or unclear text the Bible is literally thousands of times more reliable than any other ancient texts.
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