S.D. Smith

Introduction The book of Ruth is a Hebrew short story; meaning, it contains events as they happened historically: without poetic license or hyperbole. The ancient copies of Ruth in existence show consistency and few obscurities, contributing to the dependability of its accuracy. The Masoretic Text closely resembles the four manuscripts of Ruth found in the Qumran scrolls. Likewise, there is no disagreement over its canonicity, being categorized by Jewish and Christian author

I have never cared much for poetry. It seems so specific to the perspective of the individual that it has rarely made an impact on me. Not that poetry is meaningless (no pun intended for those familiar with Ecclesiastes 1), but it is not the sort of writing that is effective in communicating impactful sentiments upon a personality such as my own. There was even a brief period in my life when I wrote poetry. However, I was fully aware that others would be incapable of apprecia

Most of us know that we are supposed to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37). But actually living it out is challenging. It confuses us when loving God is hard. Shouldn’t loving a good God be easy? When we love God because we feel we should love Him, instead of genuinely loving out of our true selves, we have forgotten who God really is and why He merits 100 percent of our love. Ask yourself right now, is there something about God that confuses me or make

“Don’t believe everything you read,” is a common phrase that is not commonly followed, especially among Christians. It is my observation that if a Christian reads an article or book written by a Christian author, hears a sermon from a pastor, or learns theology from a Pure Flix film, then they likely believe that it is biblical and trustworthy. The following blog represents one Christian who represents how living a life of blind faith instead of reasonable faith has diverted

Tim LaHaye’s Left Behind series misled many evangelical Christians into thinking . . . well, to stop thinking. Unfortunately, LaHaye’s fictional works are not his only misleading writings. His scholarly defenses of his eschatological beliefs are also riddled with presumptions and contradictions. A serious study of Scripture reveals the emptiness with which he bases his interpretations. Following, are seven examples of the errors LaHaye made claiming that certain Bible passage

Did you know that God may not listen to your prayers? Our behavior may affect our prayers and worship as in biblical times. The Israelites often strayed from the Lord’s path in the Old Testament. Their behavior became so despicable that their godly deeds, religious celebrations, and even their prayers became repugnant to the Lord. It came to the point where Jerusalem was so corrupt that God’s people were unknowingly in rebellion against the Lord and weighed down with guilt (I

Do Old-Earth vs. Young-Earth Debates Matter? For many Christians, the question of whether or not the Earth is relatively young (6,000-10,000 years) or old (4.5 billion years) is irrelevant. After all, Genesis 1:1 proclaims the most important aspect by identifying God as creator: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (NASB). Why Does Debating Creation matter? American Christians enjoy the privilege of believing and teaching their own interpretations of th

Introduction Henry Morris, who revitalized young-earth Creationism (YEC) in 1961, wrote, “When confronted with the consistent Biblical testimony to a universal Flood, the believer must certainly accept it as unquestionably true” (The Genesis Flood , 118). For many believers, this quotation embraces the traditional attitude toward the global extent of the Genesis Flood. After all, Moses wrote, “The flood came upon the earth,” and “All the high mountains everywhere

“I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people” (1 Cor. 5:9, NASB) “For though I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it; though I did regret it— for I see that that letter caused you sorrow, though only for a while” (2 Cor. 7:8, NASB). Based on the above passages, it is believed that Paul actually wrote four letters to the Corinthians. The two that exist in our New Testaments are not genuinely the first and second, but are as follows

I read the entire Bible before turning thirteen years old. However, I understood very little of it because my motivations consisted of earning a Royal Ranger badge, feeling good about checking it off a list, and avoiding guilt if I did not read it every day. The church also pushed the idea that reading anything in the Bible bears fruit because God's word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11, NKJV), reinforcing my apathy toward understanding the content. Thus, it was not until m