PThU Bible blog
- Rule Over the Earth?The urgency of climate change and biodiversity loss raises increasing questions about how we treat the earth. Often, we hear the call to adopt a more humble stance: humanity has placed itself above and apart from nature for far too long. But can we really deny the power we now seem to have over all living things? And if we do indeed have that power, how should we use it responsibly? What does the Bible have to say about this?
- Luther's Understanding of the Bible: The heart of the Reformation?Luther's understanding of the Bible has had a lasting impact on Protestant theology and the church, even to this day. For example, the fact that we have Bibles in our own languages is thanks to Luther. As we celebrate the Reformation anniversary, we look back at his understanding of the Bible and ask what parts of it remain relevant today.
- When prophecy doesn't come trueIn the book of Ezekiel, there are some fairly specific predictions that did not come to pass. A notable example is the prophecy about the final destruction of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar's armies. Interestingly, the book of Ezekiel itself seems to acknowledge that things turned out differently than expected.
- Antisemitism: a modern phenomenon?In literature, both scientific and in the press, a distinction is often made between anti-Semitism and anti-Judaism. The latter is seen as primarily a Christian, pre-modern phenomenon, while the former is viewed as a modern development with explicitly racist characteristics. The formula is often presented as: anti-Judaism + racism = anti-Semitism. However, I want to argue that some forms of medieval Christian hatred towards Jews were indeed racist, and can therefore be called anti-Semitic.
- Jews as children of the devil?For years, New Testament texts about Jews have been interpreted in a literal way. This includes, for example, texts where Jews are associated with the devil, or the well-known verse "his blood be on us and on our children" (Mat 27:25). This led to stereotypical depictions of Jews, in writing and images, in which Jews, for example, are said to use blood of Christian children for their rituals, and poison wells. Today, such public depictions and statements are considered unacceptable. However, that doesn’t mean that such stereotypical images have disappeared. Can biblical scholarship help to counter this?
- Did Jesus walk on water?Walking on water is impossible, or so we learn in school. The church isn’t as sure. After all, the New Testament does describe how Jesus walks on the waves. How should we read this story? That question has been debated for centuries. Theology student and pastor Jacob Uilkens had a clear opinion about it more than two hundred years ago.
- Is Isaiah 52-53 a forbidden text for Jews?Is Isaiah 53 a "forbidden chapter" for Jews? This is a common, suggestive question, from the mouths of some Christians. The reason would be that these texts refer to Jesus and that Jews do not want to know this. In traditional Jewish literature, however, Isaiah's texts about the servant are also applied to the (Jewish) messiah.
- Does Paul tell us to always obey the government?A passage from Paul's letter to the Romans seems to say that you have to obey the rules of the government, even if they offend you. Does Paul mean it that way?
- “Whoever destroys a single soul, destroys an entire world”How is the story of Cain and Abel interpreted in Judaism and Islam? The two religions draw remarkably similar conclusions from this story about what the general effect is of killing a single person, or saving a single life.
- Does reincarnation occur in the Bible?The question of whether belief in reincarnation appears in the Bible will surprise many Bible readers. “Never read anything about it”, they will think. Yet this question is answered by many with 'Yes'.
- Who is my neighbour? The Good Samaritan in a different lightJesus’ parables are among the most beloved Bible stories. They seem simple and are easy to remember. At the same time, the interpretation of most of the parables is extremely controversial. The well-known story of the Good Samaritan is no exception. What are the standard Christian readings of this parable? And are they correct?
- Was Jesus married?Nowadays, when asked if Jesus was married, you are likely to get two kinds of answers: either an emphatic "Of course not!", or a response along the lines of: "Wasn't he married to Mary Magdalene?". My own answer is: Very probably Jesus was not married. I will explain on what considerations my judgement is based, but first I want to dwell on two other views that regularly surface: Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene. Or: As a Jewish man, Jesus was obviously married at a young age, but we do not know his wife's name.
- How can we explain the Trinity of Father, Son and Spirit based on Scripture?Many Christians imagine God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and speak of God's Trinity. But that term doesn't appear anywhere in the Bible. How can we explain the Holy Trinity based on Scripture?
- Colonialism in Bible translations?When Europeans began to colonise countries in southern and eastern Asia, it was customary to bring their religion with them. Along with the propagation of their faith, they began to produce Bible translations in the local languages. This happened also in the Indian subcontinent, which includes present-day Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. This blog shows that the Bible translators had good intentions, but that they did not take the local traditions into account. This caused unnecessary alienation.
- Why did God make humans?Why God made humans is an intriguing question. Strangely enough, the Bible doesn't say much about it. And churches don't talk much about it, either. It seems to be difficult to find a convincing answer. So should we simply concede this is something we can only speculate about?
- What language did Jesus speak?What language did Jesus speak? Was it Hebrew, the language of the Israelites since ancient times, in which the Tanakh (Christians: the Old Testament) was written? Or was it Greek, the language of the New Testament and the common language of the Greco-Roman world, to which Israel belonged in the time of Jesus? Or was it perhaps Aramaic, the Jewish language spoken in the Galilee, the region of northern Israel where Jesus grew up? Maybe it was even Latin? Opinions differ on the subject.
- What was the meaning of Jesus' death?In the New Testament and in the Christian tradition, Jesus' cruel death is not seen as senseless and tragic. It is expressed in various terms that he died for other people.
- The mark of the beast in Revelation 13The last book of the Bible, the Revelation of (actually: to) John, is full of wonderous visions. How should we interpret them? One reader had a question specifically about the conclusion of Revelation 13. What do biblical scholars think this means?
- Does Paul tell women to stay silent?Many churches now have female ministers. However, having a woman in the pulpit is still uncommon in many denominations of the Church. Because didn't Paul say that women should remain silent?
- Is there life after death?The great religions are known for having strong ideas about heaven and hell and about the judgment passed on man after his death. How, then, is it possible the Bible is so reticent about the afterlife? And that applies to both the Old and New Testaments. This reluctance is pretty amazing. How can it be explained?
