Question:

Why was Jesus critical of the Pharisees? Provide some examples.

Answer:

Jesus’ relentless and oft times harsh (yet fair and truthful) critique of the Pharisees is most concisely understood by reading Luke 11:37-54. This is a dinner invitation “gone bad” for the Pharisee who invited Jesus to partake in a meal together. Prompted by the catalytic act “that Jesus did not first wash before the meal” (Luke 11:38), Jesus begins His rebuking of the Pharisees in a six-point thesis. Interestingly, we also see how Jesus doesn’t tailor His speech in private as He proclaims this same fundamental message in a public setting in Matthew 23. But perhaps we can begin by looking at the preamble and the “six woes” to understand from Jesus Himself why He was so critical of this group of seemingly pious people.

(Luke 11:39-41)  Then the Lord said to him, "Now then, you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness. You foolish people! Did not the one who made the outside make the inside also? But give what is inside the dish to the poor, and everything will be clean for you.
This is the most common condemnation that Jesus lays upon the Pharisees – hypocrisy. This hypocrisy is rooted in a more nuanced issue as the Pharisees were more concerned with outward appearances. Jesus calls…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

1. Why did Jesus use parables? What are the principles used to interpret parables? Choose a parable and illustrate its meaning.

Question:

Why did Jesus use parables? What are the principles used to interpret parables? Choose a parable and illustrate its meaning.

Answer:

Jesus’ use of parables (or allegorical stories) was an effective way for him to share deep truths in 2 seemingly contradictory ways. Firstly, so that His teachings could be easily understood and remembered. I have found in my profession in Marketing that the most effective presentations are always ones that have a “story” to tell. It can be explicit as one shares an anecdote or it can be in how a presentation/pitch is created to illustrate a business case or value proposition. A good “story” is crafted most effectively when one understands the audience’s mindset, vernacular, and tendencies and then uses this combined knowledge to present a simple and relevant picture to the audience. Jesus does this when He uses parables that took into account His audiences mindset (Jewish), vernacular (Hebrew, Aramaic, agricultural societies often), and tendencies (knowledge of the Scriptures and political sensitivities). Secondly, Jesus used the parable format to sometimes conceal the message (based on His choice timing) due to the hardness of people’s hearts (Matthew 13:10-17), and their potential quick reaction to His message.

When Jesus told His parables, He sometimes made them clear to everyone (Matthew 13:34-35), but at other times, He left a veil of understanding only to be revealed later (Mark 4:10-12). Or Jesus would…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

1. Why was Jesus critical of the Pharisees?
2. How to Interpret the Bible for All It’s Worth.

Post Features:

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“What was truth to Abraham is truth to us; what was truth to Paul is truth to us; what was truth to the martyrs is truth to us; what is truth to us will be truth to all generations of the world in all lands, and will be truth for ever. This fact, too, is a just foundation for universal praise…” - Albert Barnes

“The truth of the matter is that all truth is absolute—there are no relative truths. If something really is true, then it really is true everywhere and for everyone.” - Norman Geisler

“Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” - John 14:6

Key takeaway(s):

1. The nature of truth is absolute.
2. The nature of truth requires a decision.
3. We must apply the truth by: Living it, Defending it Without Fear, and Proclaiming it.

Overview:

Among the plethora of topics discussed on this site, Truth remains at the core of all that TiS stands for. The declaration of an absolute, unchanging, infinite and incarnate Truth is what TiS’ sole mission is founded upon (click here for details). Without an accurate and objective understanding of Truth as a philosophical concept, it is impossible to realize the need to seek Truth and understand that it demands exclusivity. For instance,…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

1. Theodicy or Fallacy? Suffering in a world of a loving God.

Dear Brothers & Sisters,

I am writing to you in celebration of Theology in Sneakers’ (TiS) one year anniversary! I would like to thank you for all your prayers and continued support offered since the launch of TiS.

In the past year, TiS has received over 12,000 visits from across the globe representing over 100 countries. Thank you to all of you for sharing this ministry with your friends and families and contributing to this humbling blessing. Additionally, I would like to affectionately thank the 50+ loyal readers that have subscribed to automatically receive new TiS posts through Twitter and e-mail.

TiS continues to strive to provide answers founded in accurate biblical interpretation, thorough research, and logic-based thought. It has expanded from 15 posts at launch to over 50 posts covering a wide range of topics, from evil and suffering in the world to effective witnessing. It has truly been a blessing to have God use TiS in order to defend, proclaim, and expand His Kingdom.

In the last 12 months, it has been exciting to launch several new features, including:

• Audio Narration – Listen to posts while reading along or multitasking
• Post Feature Icons – Single-click navigation on each post to available presentation slides, handouts, videos and audio recordings
• Online Radio Show (Ginsengradio.com) – Sit back and tune in to the “Theology in Sneakers” show as we discuss theological matters, current affairs, objections to Christianity, and more
• Video Gallery – Easy-to-use thumbnail index view of all

…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” - Usual Suspects (1995 move release)

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”  - 1 Peter 2:9

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” - 1 Peter 3:15-16

Key takeaway(s):

1. The church is in the business of disciple making.
2. Never let the primary cause of Christ become the secondary purpose of His church or His people.
3. Goal is not to bring people to “church” but rather to Christ.

Overview:

If one was to witness a crime, such as stealing, and yet did not come forward to provide their eye witness account in a court of law - what would we think of them? If we knew of someone who observed a heinous act such as rape and when asked to speak against the culprit in judicial proceedings they shirked their duties as a citizen in fear of retribution…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

Question:

What is the significance of the following prophecies - Isaiah 9:6, 53:3-7, 61:1-2?

Answer:

What wonderful passages to look to in the Old Testament (OT) as they perfectly exemplify the expression that the New Testament (NT) is the OT revealed and the OT is the NT concealed. These passages each speak to the coming glory of the King Messiah and the wonderful revelation of His full and complete humanity and divinity, the torture and meek condition He would assume, and the powerful redemptive message that He would bring forth.

Isaiah 9:6 – This passage speaks specifically to Christ being fully God and fully Man at the same time – this remains a fundamental theological stance that must be adhered to as many have attacked or modified what is perceived to be a conflicting statement. One seems to think one must be Aristotelian (disjunctive choice) in their thought process and state that it is either A or B. However, in this case we must understand the conjunctive choice (Jewish philosophical understanding) that is present and that it can be A and B. The reason we can understand this as we exegete the passage is the reference to “a child is born” and yet we see the terms used to describe that child. Unquestionably, the first 3 terms (Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, and Everlasting Father) have never been applied to humans and are a clear indication of Christ’s deity.…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

People often ask me why I care so much about theology. People often slouch back when one expounds on the finer theological details that function as the threads forming the tapestry that is the Gospel. People often sigh when one expresses a heart-felt desire to be a careful handler (exegete) of God’s Word. People often look at theology as a mind draining life sucking emotionally insensitive spiritually detached academic exercise. The objections to theology can be obvious in the acidity of the critiques such as “You are wasting time on the details when they don’t matter so much” or masked in sweetness evidenced in the claims echoed in phrases such as “I rather focus on the love of God”. To each of these groups of people I must humbly and yet confidently submit that theology must be important by definition - after all ‘theology’ is the composite of 2 Greek words meaning the “study of God”. How can one say that studying God is devoid of life when it is the study of the one who is the Source of all life? As St. Jerome so eloquently and simply once said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ.”

I understand the hesitation by some to dive into God’s Word but the fact that we are instructed to live based on the Word of God and that it is God’s revealed truth seems counter intuitive to the apparent desire…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

Key verse(s)/quote(s):

“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” - Epicurus, as quoted in “2000 Years of Disbelief”

“Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said: “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me. “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” - Job 38:1-4

“Then Job answered the LORD : “I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth. I spoke once, but I have no answer— twice, but I will say no more.” - Job 40:3-5

Key takeaway(s):

1. Humanity continually wishes to usurp God’s role as sole judge.
2. God’s sovereignty demonstrated by His role as Creator is a continual reminder that the created (humans) cannot have the same wisdom as the Creator.
   
3. Suffering can be used by God even if we can’t understand its purpose. His ways are higher than ours. (Isaiah 55:9)
   
4. Worrying or complaining or questioning God = epic logic fail = epic faith fail

Overview:…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

1. Is there any proof of God’s existence? If God does exist, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?

Question:

What was the role of the prophets in Old Testament history?

Answer:

To understand the role of the prophets in the Old Testament (OT) one must begin with the origin of the word “prophet”. This word stems from the Greek “propheme” which literally means “to speak”. Often one thinks of a prophet in terms of predictions of the future and this is not always the case of the prophets. God called the OT prophets to speak of Him and heed warnings upon His people if they strayed. In effect they served as His messengers. In the earlier times, often prophets were “ordained” by “the spirit of the Lord” as they spoke on God’s behalf (e.g., 1 Samuel 10:10; 1 Kings 22:24). In later times, the language used to describe the anointing of the prophets became phrased as “the word of the Lord came to” the person (e.g., Jeremiah 1:2, 4; Ezekiel 1:3). Regardless of the terminology, the prophet was one who spoke in the name of God. Interestingly, the professions of these prophets varied from sheepherder, priest, agriculturalist, to scribe and as such wasn’t a distinguishing trait. In terms of message delivery, many of the early prophets spoke only to individuals, especially kings or other officials, while other, later prophets heralded their message to large crowds or an entire city.

Simply put, the prophets acted as God’s guiding and rebuking voice to His peoples. In…

Copyright 2010. Theology in Sneakers. All Rights Reserved.

1. Is the “Old Testament God” mean and distant? Shouldn’t God fear us?

Question:

What message from God did Hosea deliver to the people of his day?

Answer:

Hosea remains a prophet often overlooked in much of Bible study compared to the Major Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, etc.) and yet, Hosea has a most unique story. To understand God’s message delivered through His prophet Hosea, one is required to begin with the shocking command God gave him - marry an “adulterous wife”. The Hebrew word used zânûn [pronounced zaw-noon] is unquestionably a harsh word that clearly communicates intentional infidelity and perhaps even a continual wilful adulterous individual. What a challenge Hosea was called upon to marry such a woman! With such a definitive and harsh God-given command, we must ask ourselves what the meaning is behind such a command. The prophet type that God set forth here is a clear illustration of Israel’s treatment of God and His continual rebuking and calling back which originates from the Love of God (Hosea 6:1-3, Hosea 3:1). In effect, Hosea became a living illustration of the relationship between God and Israel – one that was adulterous and sinful resulting in Hosea’s prophesying of judgment and restoration to God.

Simply put, God called out Israel (Hosea 4:1) for their lack of faithfulness (Hosea 5:7, 6:4, 11:12), love (Hosea 12:6), and knowledge of God (Hosea 4:6). The manifestations of these 3 criticisms came in the form of idolatry (baal worship – Hosea 9:10), lack of dependence on…

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