Was the birth of Moses as found in Exodus based on the Sargon birth story? In movies today heroes destined for greatness usually start with humble origins. Think about Spider-Man, Star-Wars, and The Hobbit. In these films, the heroes are generally modest people, who, when confronted with extraordinary circumstances, eitherContinue Reading

Monolatry is all over the text of the Old Testament. This has to do with the idea of God in the Old Testament, an idea that there are many gods in the world of the Ancient Near East, but only one god is worth your time to worship! The OldContinue Reading

There are all kinds of problems with the Old Testament if you are looking for this text to behave like a history book. To me, the narratives in this text are not always to be read literally, nor are they written for the Western mind’s perspective on story telling. TheContinue Reading

Compare Numbers 22-24 and Micah 6:5 to Numbers 31:8, 16; Deuteronomy 23:4-5; Joshua 24:9-10; Nehemiah 13:2, 2 Peter 2:15, Jude 1:11, and Revelation 2:14 Numbers 31:16 (a priestly text) is the only verse in the Old Testament that attributes the apostasy of Baal Peor to Balaam’s doing. Deuteronomy 23:4-5 saysContinue Reading

Lord’s Truths Are Hidden in the Scriptures From the Insincere For His own reasons, the Lord provides answers to some questions, with pieces placed here and there throughout the scriptures. We are to find them; we are to earn them. In that way sacred things are hidden from the insincere.Continue Reading

Who is in charge? Who owns this staff? Is this Moses’ staff or Aaron’s staff or God’s staff? (Exodus 4:2, 7:15, 17:20, 9:23, 10:13 versus Exodus 7:9-12, 7:19 versus Exodus 4:20) Exodus 4:2, 7:15, 7:20, 9:23, and 10:13 all indicate that the staff or rod involved in producing Jehovah’s signsContinue Reading

Slaves be obedient to your masters! Texts: 1 Corinthians 7:20-22; Ephesians 6:5-9; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; Titus 2:9-10; 2 Peter 2:18-19 I like to remind students that the Bible was written by actual people that lived in a certain time and place. The authors of these texts viewed slavery differently thanContinue Reading

Brigham Young conceded that the “revelations of God contain correct doctrine and principles, so far as they go; but it is impossible for the poor, weak, low, groveling, sinful inhabitants of the earth to receive a revelation from the Almighty in all its perfections. He has to speak to usContinue Reading