Written by Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer |
Monday, June 10, 2024
Critics allege that we cannot reconcile Jesus’ words with the Gospel accounts of His death, which place it at the “ninth hour” (Mark 15:34), or 3 p.m. in modern terms. If Jesus died at 3 p.m. on Friday and was raised early Sunday morning, how can we square those facts with Jesus’ statement in Matthew 12:40? The Scriptures seem inconsistent here. Skeptics have long seized on this seeming contradiction to discredit the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. 

The celebrated church father, Augustine of Hippo, wrote, “What then is time? Provided that no one asks me, I know. If I want to explain to an inquirer, I do not know.”1 He made this observation after a lengthy discussion on the nature of time and eternity. While his discussion was more abstract than the question at hand, Augustine’s statement reminds us that the concept of time is complex. Still, we all operate with a pretty straightforward understanding of minutes, hours, days, weeks, and years.
But our way of counting time is not the only way. The Bible was written by authors from a variety of backgrounds, in a period and culture far different from ours. To be sure, none of these factors undermine the overall divine authorship of the Scriptures. On the other hand, recognizing these differences helps us understand what the authors meant—and did not mean—when they used everyday language to record when an event happened.
In fact, the New Testament is eager for the reader to understand that it is documenting events that occurred in space-time history, as we understand it in an everyday sense. Time markers abound in its pages, from when Jesus met the terrified disciples on the turbulent sea (Mark 6:48), to the time He was crucified (Matt. 27:45), to how long He was in the grave (Luke 9:22; 24:7; 1 Cor. 15:4).
As the texts above indicate, the biblical authors taught that Jesus was in the grave for three days. The Gospels tell us He was crucified on Friday and rose from the grave on Sunday (Mark 15:42–47; 16:1; Matt. 27:57–61; 28:1; Luke 23:50–56; 24:1; John 19:38–42; 20:1).
Read More
Related Posts:

Written by Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer |
Monday, November 6, 2023
The Bible is not a textbook of science, math, physics, or art. However, it gives us the only worldview that ultimately makes all those things possible. In other words, the Bible not only teaches us ultimate truths about man, the world, salvation, the future, and a host of other subjects that make up a worldview, it also gives us the very principles by which we can know what’s true. One more caveat. We will never believe the Bible is true unless we are born again.

“How can I know what’s true?” It seems like a simple question. But with the advent of social media, “fake news,” and a multitude of competing voices, it can be hard to discern the truth. But there is good news. The Bible tells us that we can and must know what’s true.
Looking to the Scriptures, theologians have discerned two different ways we can know what’s true. First, we know what’s true through general revelation. This term refers to what God has revealed in His world and in us (Gen. 1:1, 28; Ps. 19:1–6; Ps. 139:13–14; Rom. 1:18–21). Interestingly, this conviction about general revelation led to the scientific revolution. Biblical Christianity provided a worldview that encouraged mankind to investigate the world around us with the firm assurance that because the God who made it and upheld it is true, we could discover what’s true.
But we do not learn what’s true just from investigating the world around us. We also learn the truth by using our minds. This is another aspect of general revelation. Since man is made in God’s image, we can, as one theologian put it, think His thoughts after Him. So, we use the laws of logic, mathematical laws, laws of physics, and so on to discover truth.
Second, we know what’s true through special revelation (Ps. 19:7–11; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16). This refers to the way in which God has revealed Himself in His Word. Of course, God spoke other words to His prophets and Apostles that were not recorded in His Word. But the special revelation He wanted us to have, He has preserved for us in the Bible.
Read More
Related Posts:

Written by Gabriel N.E. Fluhrer |
Sunday, December 11, 2022
Eschatological living is life in union with Christ. Since Christ was the Spirit-filled last Adam (Luke 4:18; 1 Cor. 15:45), we who are joined to Him enjoy the same filling of the Spirit. Therefore, the moment we are united to Christ by Spirit-wrought faith (John 3:5), we are nothing less than Spirit-filled, Spirit-baptized, and Spirit-controlled. The Spirit’s indwelling is Christ in us, the hope of glory (Col. 1:27). As a result of this union, we live an “already/not yet” life in Christ. We have been crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6), but we carry the cross daily (Luke 9:23). 

The term eschatology and its meaning are the subject of unfamiliarity and confusion for many Christians. Much of this is because of how eschatology has been taught. Most of the time, it is limited to a study of the last events preceding the return of Christ. Certainly, it is not less than a study of those things, but it is also much more. Eschatology is woven into the warp and woof of every verse in Scripture. Therefore, eschatological life is the Trinitarian, covenantal promise of God’s revelation to us.

Still, many Christians wonder what the eschatological character of the Bible means for their daily lives. In this article, we will focus on two aspects of eschatological living. First, we will examine eschatological living as kingdom living. Second, we will trace eschatological living as it relates to our Spirit-wrought union with Christ.
The central focus of Christ’s ministry was the kingdom of God—anticipated in the Old Testament, inaugurated by our Lord’s first coming, explained in the rest of the New Testament, and consummated at Jesus’ second coming. Eschatological living begins with the understanding that Christians live as citizens of the kingdom of God (Phil. 3:20). How does this kingdom-centered mindset affect the way we live?

A handful of things come to mind. Being a citizen of the kingdom means that we are, above all, poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3). This is the nonnegotiable entry point, the “wicket gate” of the kingdom—which is why Jesus lists it first in the Beatitudes. Being poor in spirit means that we recognize our need for a savior from our sin and renounce all forms of self-reliance daily.

Related Posts: