Thursday, February 24, 2011

Richard Bauckham on the Nature of the Gospels (part two)

Lectures 2-4: The Gospels as Multi-Perspectival Micro-History ‘From Below’

In my last blog post, I shared in some depth the insights gleaned from the first of Richard Bauckham’s four lectures in the Julian Gay lecture series at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, last Tuesday and Wednesday (February 16 & 17, 2011). This afternoon, I want to share a few thought from his latter three lectures.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Richard Bauckham on the Gospels as (Reliable) Historical Biography

Richard Bauckham Lectures – What Sort of History are the Gospels?


This week Dr. Richard Bauckham (Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple) was in Louisville, Kentucky, to deliver the Julian Gay Lectures at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I had the privilege of taking in all four of his lectures, two on Tuesday, two on Wednesday. They were fruitful, illuminating, and enjoyable. I wanted to share some thoughts from Bauckham’s lectures, particularly the first one, but with some insights from the second and third ones as well.

Bauckham spent the first lecture discussing the genre of the New Testament Gospels.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

God is Greater Than Google

Praying to Almighty Google


I can’t remember how many years ago my son, now 10, first asked me a question that I think all Christians ask at one point or another in their journey of faith.

“Dad,” he asked, “when we pray, does God hear us?”

“Yes, son,” I answered wisely, “of course God hears us when we pray.”

“If you and I are both praying at the same time, does God hear us both?”

“Yes, son, of course God hears us both.”

“What if there are lots and lots of people all praying to God at the same time, Dad? Can God hear all of them praying at the same time?”

“Yes, He can.”

“But, dad,” he asked, “if Mom and I are both talking to you at the same time, you can’t hear us both.”

“That’s right, son,” I answered, “I can’t hear both of you at the same time."

“Dad - if you can't hear two people talking to you at the same time, then how can God hear lots of people praying to Him? How?”

That question, “How?” is a tough one to answer, isn’t it? I can’t make sense of what anybody is saying if there’s more than one voice coming to me at the same time. If I can’t do that, how is God able to sort the simultaneous prayers of millions of His children?

Last night I heard what I think is the best illustration I have ever heard that describes God’s ability to hear and respond to simultaneous prayer. It came from the lips of our BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) teacher in Louisville, KY—Richard Ross. What follows is a rough paraphrase of Richard’s illustration, with some of my own embellishments and additions.

PRAYING TO ALMIGHTY GOOGLE