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?
