Lee Harmon's Blog, page 53

Hebrews 2:10, Jesus, the (Im)perfect Being

And it was only right that [God] should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

//Hebrews is a fascinating book, one of the deeper theological works of the Bible. While the New Living Translation is not my favorite by any stretch, it seems to be the only translation which makes clear the point of this verse. Consequently, many readers gloss over this verse without reaching its conclusion:

Jesus was not initially perfect, but was made perfect...

Proverbs 9:4-6, Is Wisdom an Adulteress?

“Let all who are simple come to my house!” To those who have no sense [Wisdom] says,”Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of insight.”

//Today’s verses describe Wisdom as a woman who stands at the door of her house, calling to the senseless, offering food and drink.

A strange picture … indeed, a very strange picture, given how close it matches this description just two chapters earlier of a adulteress:

At the window of my hou...

Book review: John’s Gospel: The Way It Happened

by Lee Harmon

★★★★★

My thanks to Susan Peck and My Cozie Corner for this five-star review of my latest book:

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Lee pens “John’s Gospel: The Way it Happened” in a story line that interweaves fact and fiction which is easy to understand, and I found quite enjoyable to read. It’s a fascinating way to take a look at the Gospel of John as it teaches you along the way. My only regret is that I wished I had read Lee’s first book “Revelation: The Way it Happened” as I had the feeling I was missin...

Matthew 6:24, The Only Wrong Religion?

You cannot serve both God and money.

//One time a Samaritan woman asked Jesus whether it was appropriate to worship God on the holy mountain of Samaria or the holy mountain of Judea? It was paramount to asking whether the Jews or the Samaritans had the right religion.

Jesus’ answer was neither.

One time the disciples of Jesus came to him, distraught that another person they didn’t know was baptizing in his name. Couldn’t Jesus make him stop?

Jesus’ answer was that the man was not against him, so...

Leviticus 7:30, How Much Should You Tithe?

And all the tithe of the land,whetherof the seed of the landorof the fruit of the tree,isthe LORD’s. Itisholy to the LORD.

//While there is no mention of tithing in the New Testament—instead, the apostle Paul boasted about preaching the gospel freely—many churches today continue to request donations in terms of a tithe. So, how much should you put in the plate? What’s the Biblical answer?

First, don’t put money in the plate. Bring one tenth of your garden, as today’s verse commands. The word “t...

1 Kings 9:15, Solomon Builds a New Egypt

Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build theLORD’s temple, his own palace, the terraces,the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer.

//Let me lead into this topic with an odd verse in Revelation.

And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom andEgypt, where also our Lord was crucified. –Revelation 11:8

This verse has long puzzled scholars, because by its context it’s clearly speaking of Jerusalem. Jerus...

Book review: Jesus is the Christ

by Michael F. Bird

★★★★★

So when did Jesus’ followers begin to proclaim him the Messiah? Michael Bird argues that Jesus deliberately acted out a messianic role, and that his followers would hardly have proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah against Jesus’ own self-understanding. I needed no convincing on this topic, but if I did, the introduction to Bird’s book alone provides evidence enough. Indeed, I found the long introduction to be the most thought-provoking part of the book!

After the introduct...

Genesis 11:9, Babel: Divinely Sanctioned Pluralism?

Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

//Here’s a different way of looking at the Tower of Babel.

In the days of Babel, the people of the earth had one religion, one goal, and were sharing together in their reach toward heaven. God had intended that mankind would “fill the earth,” and instead, mankind had consolidated in religious agreement.

God w...

Mark 6:5, Could Not or Would Not?

And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

//Jesus, as I’ve pointed out before, is the most human in the Gospel of Mark. In today’s verse, he is unable to heal, presumably because of the people’s unbelief. But when Matthew gets hold of the story, he rewrites it like this:

And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. –Matthew 13:58

So in Matthew’s rendition, Jesus chooses not to do miracles in his hometown of Nazar...

Ephesians 3:21, Did Paul Write the Book of Ephesians?

To Himbeglory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

//That’s how this book of the Bible ends: with praise to God and an exhortation for the church to give glory to God through the ages…”all generations, forever and ever.”

Huh? What happened to Paul’s admonition that people not bother to get married, or make any major changes in their life, because the present world was about to end? (1 Corinthians 7:25-31). Where is the Paul who wrote that many of the people...