In this series of posts on what should rightly be included in the Bible, several examples were given of items that, while not in all Bibles are in some. Given that there has been historical and/or significant acceptance for these texts, I feel there’s reasonable justification for their inclusion in the Bible; I think that […]
I sat in a coffee shop with a new friend who had just begun to follow Jesus. As we talked about what that meant and how it intersected with life, he suddenly digressed, blurting out, “I don’t really get this whole deal about Jesus dying for my sins.” I knew the answer, but could I […]
The discussion of the text that is not found in all Bibles concludes by addressing the books of Daniel and Esther. In some versions of the Bible, the book of Daniel contains 12 chapters, while in others there are 14. These two chapters are both interesting and insightful. Daniel 13 is the story of upright […]
Check out these books of the Bible, which are not found in all versions, but are in others, such as The Jerusalem Bible: Tobit Tobit is a story of Tobiah who journeys with Raphael to retrieve some money for his father (Tobit). Along the way he is attacked by a fish and gets married; when […]
While the New Testament of the Bible has small phrases or scattered verses that are not found in all of the ancient manuscripts, the Old Testament has a slightly different issue of inclusion or exclusion, which mostly relates to entire books. Here’s the short version of what happened. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew. […]
I enjoy reading the spiritual exploits of those from an earlier era, a time when the spiritual journey was more gritty, vibrant, and real. It was dangerous—often with life or death ramifications. These experiences are far different from most modern-day followers, whose journeys usually pale in comparison, where risk is small and reward, minimal. One […]
I think that all things are spiritual, but I am quick to assert that not everything that is spiritual is good. Sometimes it is abundantly clear when something is spiritual but bad; other times it is not so obvious, while occasionally it can be quite confusing. As a foundation of understanding, I use the Bible […]
In The Error of the Sadducees and Pharisees, it was noted that the Sadducees’s error was taking away from the Bible, dismissing or ignoring certain sections. Paul notes that the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection, angels, and spirits, even though all are addressed in the Old Testament. In order to challenge or trick Jesus, […]
In The Error of the Sadducees and Pharisees, it was noted that the Pharisees’ mistake was adding to the Bible and then esteeming their additions as more important. Jesus notes that they break God’s commands in order to keep their own, man-made traditions (that is, the religious rules they added to the Bible). He then […]
Two thousand years ago, the Jewish religious scene was comprised of two major factions, the Sadducees and Pharisees. Although their respective theologies about God were quite different, these two camps did coexist—albeit not harmoniously—within the same religion. The reason for their different perspectives of the same God, likely comes from how they treated the Bible. […]