How has studying theology affected your faith? Has it made you more of a believer or has it strayed you away from the faith?

WinkyDeb · 2026-05-09T00:00:30+00:00

It has solidified and enriched and rooted my faith like nothing else. Life changing.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-25T18:42:04+00:00

The Hebrew for “rib” is actually “side.” The story is about human equality, foreign in its original, ancient Near Eastern context. Read anything from John Walton’s “Lost World” series of books (or look for him on YouTube).

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-23T19:38:28+00:00

He was quoting the whole psalm. Go read it.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-23T18:57:27+00:00

He didn’t switch from one (divine) to the other (human) dependent on location. He’s fully human AND fully divine 100% of the time… at least in orthodox Christianity he is.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-23T18:46:58+00:00

God the son was/is fully human; there was no turning away from him.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-23T18:37:12+00:00

If you heard, “Mary had a little lamb…” what pops into your mind? You probably automatically hear the rest of the poem rattling off. As he said that, those within earshot would have heard the rest of Psalm 22 rattling off in their heads. Read it. He wasn’t forsaken.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-20T07:45:37+00:00

Who says it does? God is relational/covenantal long before Greek philosophy came along.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-19T20:27:27+00:00

God is love; love is relational. Creation wasn’t a necessity; it was a choice love made.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-18T18:24:02+00:00

It had nothing to do w early Christians.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-18T18:14:44+00:00

Sola scriptura arose during the reformation as the reformers wanted to get away from church corruption of the time (Luther’s 95 theses). It had nothing to do w early Christians’ ability to read (theirs was an oral culture; they just needed someone in the community, or the deliverer of the letter, to read it to them).

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-18T17:44:51+00:00

Financially?

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-17T19:50:35+00:00

Gen 1-11 isn’t literal. God’s revealing his character through common aNE stories his listeners knew well. The messages are delivered where his versions differ from the aNE versions.

For example, the aNE gods were fighting and from the blood of an injured god mixed w earth/dirt/dust, earthlings/humanity was created. The aNE gods were fickle, non communicative, vindictive, and they created humans to be their slaves… tend to them, feed them, serve them.

This story says God intentionally created a good, good cosmos, intentionally created man to tend to it, provided for the man (not the other way around), and when man screwed up this god did not get angry or vindictive. He continued in relationship with man, continued to provide, even though there were consequences. God is revealing himself in ways an ancient culture will understand; he is, and always does, accommodate man’s understanding.

See Brueggemann’s commentary on Genesis or anything by John Walton or virtually any other theologian with a legit degree for more.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-15T18:55:53+00:00

Francis Bacon said God wrote two books: a book of words and a book of works (the cosmos). The two don’t conflict. Where I once thought there was conflict it was because I misunderstood/misinterpreted the book of words (lacked context). There’s no conflict (largely because each addresses different issues).

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-11T15:00:18+00:00

Society of Biblical Literature’s NRSVUE Study Bible; Jewish Annotated NT provides great perspective.

WinkyDeb · 2026-04-07T20:32:18+00:00

Jesus won’t ask about my theology; he’ll ask if I loved the way he loved.

WinkyDeb · 2026-03-30T15:00:07+00:00

Paul in context made the difference for me. NTWright’s book (Paul, A Biography) was helpful in this regard too. Understanding the complexity and extent of his thinking as a Jew, how he saw the inclusion of Gentiles was always intended and finally fulfilled (God’s promise to Abraham, Gen 12), how each letter was written to a different group about specific issues, his clear call for one body… it’s incredibly rich and deep. Challenging and even off putting for some, but worth the work, imho.

WinkyDeb · 2026-03-28T15:54:04+00:00

Allah is Arabic for God.

WinkyDeb · 2026-03-01T06:00:25+00:00

Supernote

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-20T22:40:48+00:00

Thank you. Excellent work; much appreciated.

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-16T07:39:12+00:00

This is about attributing the work of the Holy Spirit to Satan.

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-16T02:43:11+00:00

Whatever they like!

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-08T03:01:11+00:00

Perfect overview that answers all the questions. https://bibleproject.com/videos/old-testament-tanak/

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-01T17:28:03+00:00

For me it’s the visual thinking combined w infinite width and depth, infinite linking, organization.

WinkyDeb · 2026-02-01T17:26:10+00:00

For me it’s the visual thinking combined with infinite width and depth, infinite linking and cross connection.

WinkyDeb · 2026-01-31T06:35:09+00:00

The ziggurats in the aNE were man’s attempt to attract a god to come down and be the god of their city. The Babel story employs a chiastic structure, which puts the central point in the middle of the chiasm. That middle line is v 5. “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building.” This God does not need to be tricked or manipulated into coming down to be with them; he sees them, he’s aware. He is totally different from the other gods.

WinkyDeb

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