S.D. Smith

Noah’s Flood is referenced multiple places in the Bible outside of Genesis, retold by Josephus, included in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and believed to be the same Flood account as recorded in the Epic of Gilgamesh. Details regarding Noah’s life and the Flood are also scattered throughout the books of Enoch, and I thought it would be fun to summarize them collectively. I did not include many of the repetitive passages on judgment but only those which may enhance our understanding o

Does Genesis 1-2 leave you with unanswered questions about the hows and whys regarding creation? Fortunately, other biblical passages provide details that Genesis omits. Perhaps you have noticed God’s involvement with nature described in Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Peter, or Revelation. Whereas a complete study could fill a book (and probably has), I will highlight Paul’s perspectives on creation. This will not focus on his teachings

When pastors describe the nature of God to congregants, when songs poetically describe God’s identity, or when statements of faith are written for virtually every protestant church in America, the trinity is included. The trinity is understood in modern times to represent the concept that God is three equal persons in one being. If you find this definition unsatisfying, you are not alone. After years of reading explanations about the trinity and discussing the biblical basis

All three of my children are growing up in the church. Yet, if you were to ask them about the author of The Gospel According to Mark (or Saint Mark ), they probably could tell you little. This is more evidence that “growing up in the church” rarely exposes our children and teenagers to extra-biblical information that helps them understand the Bible. But I will not divert into that deficiency now. Also, if you question whether Mark authored the Gospel bearing his name, I find

This image is taken from Exodus 20:14 of the 1631 KJV Bible. It represents one of the more egregious mistakes of early versions. Hence, this rare edition is commonly referred to as the "Wicked Bible." Another equally severe error was made in the 1653 edition of the KJV in 1 Corinthians 6:9, which reads, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall inherit the kingdom of God." This version is known as the "Unrighteous Bible." If you thought that all KJV Bibles were the same, you ar

I present reflections on the theology touched on by both movies entitled, Left Behind. Notwithstanding the many ridiculous elements in the storyline, I am isolating my comments to the theological messages of the films. Unfortunately, there are few theological lines to review. The movies appear to be made more for entertainment than education. If there is an educational goal, it seems to be to scare viewers into conversion. This may be difficult to do since the films are made

Is the universe expanding, and does the answer to this question have theological implications? Only as far back as the twentieth century do we see the first suggestions from scientists that the universe is expanding. The previous thought, given the stationary appearance, was that the cosmos is static (not in motion). Since then, countless astronomical observations have led to the conclusion that the universe is indeed expanding. Measurements provided by Hubble telescope image

I’m surprised at the number of times that Christians in positions of authority and influence say things that are either unsupportable, empty of meaning, or simply wrong. Almost as bad as the content is the absolute way with which we often phrase our proclamations as if to say that other viewpoints are not welcome. Jesus said, “But I tell you that for every careless word that people speak, they will give an account of it on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be ju

The Lamentations (of Jeremiah) speaks plainly for itself; nevertheless, I have chosen to reflect upon some of the themes and passages. Israel’s continual disobedience toward the Lord, idolatry, and perversion preceded Jerusalem’s destruction for multiple generations. We know this because Isaiah’s prophecies were written least 100 years beforehand. Were this a one-time season of rebellion, I may have a different outlook (which I’ll get to), but Israel repeatedly disgraces the

My teenage daughter recently told me of a Christian leader who spoke to a group in which she attended. She was moved by his insight regarding the Lord’s will for them, but there was a certain statement that particularly drew her attention. The guest speaker confided toward his audience that he had not intended to talk about God’s will regarding these young people; rather, he had prepared a different topic of speech that he now set aside because God’s spirit was leading him in