non-denominational Archives - Page 16 of 24

Bible Rebel: Curious Fearless Faith

November 14, 2025November 13, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

The Bible Rebel blog is a resource for those seeking original and curated content, including news and commentary, covering faith, biblical studies and interpretation, and the intersection of politics, culture, and the Bible.

Curious Fearless Faith

Curious faith asks questions. Fearless faith doesn’t blindly accept the religious status quo.

Is the Kingdom of God now, or future?

If Jesus Christ is God then isn’t Mary the mother of God?

Is the Christian’s destiny to die and ‘go to heaven’ – or to be transformed while alive or raised from death and corruption into the renewed and restored creation?

Our Mission

To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.

Biblical Literacy: Sayings, Not Bible Verses

November 12, 2025November 11, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are four common ‘old sayings’ that many folks mistakenly believe are bible verses. While these sayings may contain practical wisdom, and even reflect values taught by scripture generally, they are not inspired scripture.

“God helps those who help themselves.”

This one is commonly attributed to Benjamin Franklin (Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1736).

The Bible teaches dependence on God, not self-sufficiency (see Psalm 121:2, Proverbs 3:5–6). The phrase reflects a moral idea, but it’s not scriptural.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness.”

Popularized by John Wesley in a 1778 sermon.

While the Bible values purity of heart and spiritual cleanliness (James 4:8), it never equates physical cleanliness with godliness.

“This too shall pass.”

Likely from ancient Persian or Hebrew proverbs, but not found in Scripture.

The Bible expresses similar sentiments (e.g., 2 Corinthians 4:17–18, Psalm 30:5), yet the phrase itself never appears.

“Money is the root of all evil.”

This one is a misquotation of 1 Timothy 6:10.

What the Bible actually says: “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.” The difference is crucial — Scripture warns against greed, not wealth itself.

Separate God From His Power?

November 10, 2025November 8, 2025p.s. tryonLeave a comment

“Make sure to seek God’s presence more than His power…”, someone recently said.

I’m a bit befuddled. How do I separate The Creator from His power? He who is almighty, whose power spoke light and the earth into being, who infused man with His spirit, who BY HIS POWER raised our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, ummmmm WHAT??

It seems silly and futile and a waste of time to entertain such notions that don’t appear in any scripture. Just logically thinking, the power of God in the love of God saved me from a life of darkness and misery. Without His power, what is He?

He would be just one of the many gods, indistinguishable from the gods of the Greeks and Romans. It would in fact be foolish to worship such a god.

When the Prophet Elijah said choose ye this day whom ye worship, and fire rained from heaven on his sacrifice and not on that of Baal, was not the presence of God power?

When Moses was on the mount, when the pillar of fire went before the children of Israel, when the sea parted, was not the presence of God power and did not the people worship?

I seek the presence of my God who is powerful, who raised Christ from the dead and whose Kingdom on earth is yet to come. Whose Son will return in Power and glory and righteousness. And I seek His son, who reflects the Father and who has the power to forgive my sins and heal me.

So when I seek God’s presence, I don’t worry about whether I’m splitting hairs between His presence and His character. How can I be in His presence and not be changed by His Power? Ultimately we seek the Father because He has the power to change us. His presence is perfect Love, who gave His only begotten son and raised him to be the first fruits of those that believe, and that, my friends, is power

They Said It: Four Quotes On Exodus

November 8, 2025November 7, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are some famous quotes about the second book in the Bible, Exodus.

“Exodus is the story of God’s power to deliver, not just from Egypt, but from every form of bondage.”
— Charles Spurgeon

“The Exodus is the central act of redemption in the Old Testament; it is to Israel what the Cross is to the Church.”
— Philip Graham Ryken

“The story of the Exodus is not only Israel’s story—it is the human story of liberation from oppression into the freedom to serve God.”
— Walter Brueggemann

“In Exodus, God reveals Himself not as an idea, but as a living Redeemer who steps into history to rescue His people.”
— A.W. Tozer

One More Thing About David And Goliath

November 5, 2025November 8, 2025p.s. tryonLeave a comment

Here’s a follow-up to the author’s previous piece from this week, ‘About David And Goliath’.

David killed Goliath. End of immediate story, right? We know David went on to become king of Israel (years later), but until recently mulling over this story, I overlooked the immediate end of the story of David and Goliath. It did not end with David and Goliath.

In fact, the beheading of Goliath was just the beginning of that story. Not only did David “get after it” by killing Goliath, the entire army of Israel had to then “get after it” by rallying to the battle and fighting the Philistines until the victory was won and the spoils of war were retrieved.

What if the army had failed to rally? Obviously the giant would have been dead but the battle would not have been won.

I don’t need to give the explanation of this lesson as a type for us. It’s enough to state the facts and allow ourselves to ponder the implications.

One final thought: King Saul offered David his armor and sword, which David refused because he had not “proved it”. The covering of men, even the king, was not going to win this fight. It was the covering of God’s goodness and grace upon David that he relied on, the strong arm of the Lord his God, rather than that of men.

Amen to that.

Your Life And What Comes After (4): ‘Unfolding His Glorious Will’

October 29, 2025December 13, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

I just read a great blog article by Dan Kent from a couple of years ago titled ‘Why Did David Pick Up 5 Stones?’. Good stuff, highly recommended reading, which you can find here.

Kent’s piece is a good meditation on faith and faithfulness as well as a thoughtful discussion on how God does and does not act and respond to His people in this age and broken world.

The last two sentences in the article really hit home for me:

“Don’t stand around waiting for God to act, or for God to win your battles for you: don’t stand around watching for what God might do: rather, show God what you can do. Gain wisdom, gather knowledge, develop skills, give the Lord something to use as he rumbles through the earth unfolding his glorious will.”
Dan Kent – thatdankent.com

If you’re wondering what your own individual purpose in life might be and what it is that you should be doing day by day, it’s hard to find a better, more succinct admonition than, “…give the Lord something to use as he rumbles through the earth unfolding his glorious will.“

As I pointed out in a previous post in this ‘Your Life And What Comes After’ series, God created man not only to reflect His image and add value to His creation, but we are to work together with Him to do so.

We are helping the Creator bring about His grand plan for His creation. That is our purpose. Look for your own individual purpose there and you will be delighted and amazed at what you find.

Your Life And What Comes After: God’s Grand Plan
Your Life And What Comes After: God’s Grand Plan Part 2
Your Life And What Comes After: Called To Someone

Digging Up The Past: Biblical Archaeological Discoveries

October 28, 2025October 27, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Bible Rebel keeps a watchdog’s eye on discoveries and news from the world of biblical archaeology and brings it to our readers.

Monumental Dam Wall in the City of David (Jerusalem)

Archaeologists in Jerusalem’s City of David uncovered a massive dam wall dating to around 805–795 BCE — the era of the kings of Judah, possibly King Joash or King Amaziah. The structure measures about 12 meters high, 8 meters wide, and over 20 meters long, making it the largest such dam ever found in ancient Israel.

This discovery supports Biblical references to Jerusalem’s advanced water systems during the First Temple period, including those mentioned in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles relating to royal construction and fortification near the Gihon Spring and the Pool of Siloam.

Sources:

5,500-Year-Old Flint Blade Workshop at Nahal Qomem (near Kiryat Gat, Israel)

A large flint-blade manufacturing workshop dating to the Early Bronze Age (~3500 BCE) was discovered near Kiryat Gat in southern Israel. The site includes hundreds of underground pits, large flint cores, and finished blades — evidence of full-scale organized production.

Although the workshop predates Israelite settlement, it reflects the advanced culture of the early Canaanite inhabitants of the land. The Bible frequently references the Canaanites as the people living in the land before the Israelites (Genesis 10:15–19; Exodus 13:5), making this discovery relevant background to the Biblical setting.

Sources:

Excavations at Sebastia (Ancient Samaria)

In 2025, archaeologists resumed excavations at Sebastia — the ancient capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. They uncovered remains including a paved street leading to the main city gate, decorative columns, and a monumental base structure, marking the first major dig there in a century

Sebastia (Samaria) became the capital of the Northern Kingdom under King Omri (1 Kings 16:23–24) and is mentioned throughout the Old Testament in accounts involving later kings and prophets such as Elijah and Elisha.

Sources:

Israel Hayom

They Said It: Famous Quotes About The Book Of Ephesians

October 24, 2025October 23, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Here are some famous quotes from influential faith leaders about Paul’s Epistle to the Ephesians.

John Stott (Christian theologian)

“The Letter to the Ephesians is a marvelously concise, yet comprehensive summary of the Christian good news and its implications. Nobody can read it without being moved to wonder and worship.”
— John Stott, “The Message of Ephesians”

Watchman Nee (Chinese church leader)

“Ephesians tells us what the Church is in Christ. God’s greatest work is not the creation of the universe, but the creation of the Church.”
— Watchman Nee, “Sit, Walk, Stand”

Charles Haddon Spurgeon (English preacher)

“There is no book more full of doctrine and experience than this brief epistle. He who would understand the mystery of the Church, let him read Ephesians.”
— C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon on Ephesians

Warren Wiersbe (Bible teacher and commentator)

“Ephesians is the believer’s bank book. In it, Paul explains the wealth we have in Christ and how to use it for God’s glory.”
— Warren Wiersbe, “Be Rich: Ephesians”

Free Bible Rebel Newsletter And YouTube Channel

October 22, 2025October 21, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Please take a minute to subscribe to the Bible Rebel monthly newsletter – it’s free and will keep you up to date on all our articles, videos, and features.

Our Mission at Bible Rebel

To monitor current news and events related to faith and culture.
To provide an alternative viewpoint to the world’s pervasive climate of darkness, nihilism, and hopelessness for those seeking truth, light, and purpose.
To examine and question the assumptions of religious tradition and provide a resource for information and inspiration for people of faith who have become dissatisfied with an increasingly lifeless and empty ‘churchianity’.
To present the Biblical truths which reveal God’s nature and purposes and proclaim the lifechanging, world-altering, radical message of Yeshua the Messiah – Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and Savior.

At Bible Rebel, this is our one and only creed:
Our living God is a loving God and the Bible is His revealed word and will.
Our hope and eternal salvation relies entirely on the work of God’s only begotten son, Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

So, expect some controversial viewpoints and uncomfortable ideas in some of the coming content from Bible Rebel.

Coming in October/November

More in our “Your Life and What Comes After” series.

More in-depth content on deeper biblical studies and theological issues.

You can find all of the current Bible 101 episodes and One-Minute Mini Messages here on our YouTube Channel, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel here.

We’ll also be continuing our regular features, guest articles, and series:

Biblical Literacy: What the Bible does and doesn’t say
They Said It: Poignant quotes on a variety of topics
Guest articles
And more…

Watchdogs

As always, we’ll be keeping a watchdogs eye on all of the latest political, religious, biblical archaeology, and cultural news and events from around the world and bringing to you in bite-size chunks to keep you informed.

Finally, are you interested in contributing content to Bible Rebel?

Bible Rebel is always looking for interesting, compatible content for our biblerebel.com website/blog. We are accepting writing and video submissions for review and possible publication on our platform.

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Biblical Literacy: 3 Kings For Baby Jesus?

October 21, 2025October 20, 2025Rick TryonLeave a comment

Kings or Magi?

The Bible does not actually say that three kings brought gifts to baby Jesus.

In Matthew 2:1–12, the Bible tells us that “wise men from the east” (Greek: magoi, meaning “magi” or scholars/astrologers) came to visit Jesus after His birth. It mentions that they brought three gifts — gold, frankincense, and myrrh — but it never specifies how many magi there were, nor that they were kings.

Here’s the key verse (Matthew 2:11, KJV):

“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.”

The Bible mentions magi (wise men), not kings.

It mentions three gifts, but not the number of visitors.

The idea of “three kings” likely came later from tradition and song (like “We Three Kings”), probably because there were three types of gifts.

Also, according to the Bible, the wise men (Magi) did not arrive at the same time as the shepherds. The shepherds came the night Jesus was born, but the Magi came later, possibly months — or even up to two years — afterward.

The Shepherds

Found in Luke 2:8–20.

The shepherds were in the fields nearby when the angel announced Jesus’ birth.

They immediately went to Bethlehem and found “the babe lying in a manger.”
This clearly happened the night of Jesus’ birth.

The Wise Men (Magi)

Found in Matthew 2:1–12.

They came “from the east” after seeing a special star that signified a new king.

When they arrived, they entered a house (not a stable) and saw “the young child with Mary his mother” (Matthew 2:11).

King Herod asked when the star appeared and later ordered the killing of boys two years old and under (Matthew 2:16), suggesting Jesus could have been as much as two years old by the time the Magi visited.

Summary

Group	When They Arrived	Where They Found Jesus	Biblical Source
Shepherds	The night of His birth	In a manger	Luke 2:8–20
Wise Men	Weeks or months later	In a house	Matthew 2:1–12

So, while Christmas pageants often combine the two groups for simplicity, the Bible clearly describes two separate visits — first by shepherds, then later by the Magi.