What Does 666 Really Mean in the Bible?

FEBRUARY 1, 2021 BY STELUSHKIN The Devil’s Number. The Mark of the Beast. But what does the number ‘666’ REALLY mean? Research suggests that it is actually a secret code.  The number ‘666’ is originates in the Book of Revelation, the last book in the New Testament, known for its dramatic and apocalyptic imagery. The number comes up […]

Exorcising the Ghosts of Jesus Past

 OCTOBER 29, 2020 BY VANCEMORGAN One Sunday, toward the end of a particularly lively and deep seminar with my “Living Stones” adult Christian education group after the morning service, I asked the group “so what makes us think that we are anything special, that Episcopalians have a better angle on God than anyone else? What makes […]

What it Truly Means to be Free

 SEPTEMBER 6, 2020 BY VANCEMORGAN Iris Murdoch is one of my favorite philosophers and novelists, but I seldom get to use her work in my teaching. Murdoch claimed to be an atheist, but she also believed that true moral commitment requires belief in something greater than ourselves, something transcendent not subject to the vagaries and whims […]

A Mom is Irrationally Mad About a Bible Reading in Her Daughter’s English Class

BY HEMANT MEHTA  SEPTEMBER 13, 2020 Should the book of Genesis be part of a high school English class? An Indiana parent is complaining about it, and the lack of information isn’t helping her case. The unidentified parent told local news channel WSBT that her daughter was told to read Genesis chapters 1-3 for her English class […]

Recovering the Atonement

SEPTEMBER 4, 2020 BY GENE VEITH According to a new study, over half of Americans (52%) who describe themselves as “Christians”–including 41% of evangelicals–believe that salvation comes from doing good works, rather than from faith in the saving work of Christ. And no wonder.  The doctrine of the atonement–that on the cross Christ bore our sins and […]

Christianity, Because How the Heck Do You Explain the Resurrection Otherwise?

JULY 7, 2020 BY BOB SEIDENSTICKER Christian apologist Jim Wallace has an explanation for the Resurrection story. He gives his winning argument in a recent video, “Why Naturalistic Explanations for the Resurrection Are… Lame.” Here is his challenge to the skeptic: What is it that’s keeping you from thinking that [the Christian explanation for the Resurrection] […]

Why I Am Disobeying the Bible

Why I Am Disobeying the Bible I was brought up to believe, as I was taught, that a true Christian always obeyed biblical commandments with certain rare exceptions. One such exception had to do with the Old Testament. We did not believe Christians were expected to observe all the ceremonial laws of the Old Testament that pertained […]