Part 5 of our Bible 101 series.
non-denominational
Biblical Archaeology Recent Discoveries
Bible Rebel is keeping a watchdog’s eye on the recent archaeological discoveries confirming the biblical record of history.
Abram, Father of Monotheism
“The Mari Letters (18th century BCE) indicate that the Amorites (one of the seven Canaanite nations) were nomadic pastoralists who moved across the Fertile Crescent quite frequently. Burial sites from this period (e.x.; tumuli or cairns) in parts of the Levant and Mesopotamia are associated with mobile pastoralist groups. Abraham’s movement is thus consistent with the broader socio-political and environmental conditions that existed at the time.” – Times of Israel
Ancient Roman Tablets Found in Israel
Archaeologists at Abel Beth Maacah in northern Israel discovered ancient Roman tablets that mention previously unknown towns named Tirthas and Golgol. The tablets are a Tetrarchic boundary stone from Emperor Diocletian’s reign. – Greek Reporter
Early Spread of Christianity Confirmed
“An 1800-year-old silver amulet with a Latin inscription invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ is being hailed as evidence of the early spread of Christianity. The amulet was discovered near Frankfurt, Germany under the chin of a man buried in a tomb dating to AD 230–270.” – Bible Archaeology Report
Death Row Letters: Dear Atheists Part 2
In my previous letter addressed to my atheist friends I promised we’d start looking at some of what the Bible says about the problem of suffering, which is a top argument against the existence of God.
Although, I’ll say here that folks arguing against the existence of God is akin to fish arguing against the existence of water.
Nevertheless, questions need to be answered so here’s some of the biblical answer to the problem of evil and suffering in the world today.
Romans 8:18 – For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Well, I reckon I agree with the Apostle Paul here.
If eternity is represented by the size and scope of the entire known universe, which contains billions of galaxies, each with billions of stars, and according to best estimates, is 93 light years across, then our short lives in this age by comparison would be the size of a grain of sand. Even smaller.
Actually there is no comparison that we can wrap our heads around to understand the eternal life God has promised us in relation to the short years of our mortal lives in this age.
And not only has our heavenly Father guaranteed us everlasting life, but everlasting life in resurrected, glorious, immortal bodies to live forever with Him, free of death, pain, and suffering.
So, while suffering and pain is hard to understand and bear while going through it, no matter how awful or how long one has to endure it, it is infinitesimally brief compared to what God has in store for those that love Him.
2 Corinthians 4:17 – For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory…
So, going back to what I said in my last letter – God is entirely just, and He has committed Himself, for now, to abiding by the conditions which allow for suffering and pain in our physical world and in our current time – but it all is as nothing in the face of the coming eternal glory.
Oh, look at where the time has gone. I’ll have to wrap it up for now, but next time I’ll get into a little more about what the Bible says about the two kinds of evil – human evil, and natural evil.
Sincerely yours,
Your fellow death row inmate
Religious Wolves In Clerical Robes
The Episcopal Church has become little more than a platform for far left cultural and political ideologues to ‘preach’ their ‘woke’, anti-scriptural nonsense to a rapidly diminishing congregation.
Yes, that’s Washington Bishop Mariann Budde on the right in the picture below from the Episcopal News Service. She was the subject of much attention, and an opinion I wrote here last month, stemming from the the political lecture, disguised as a sermon, that she aimed at President Trump, Vice President Vance, and both of their families during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral the day after Trump’s inauguration.
Read the article below outlining Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe’s (center in the picture) recent sermon, and I think you may end up with a few of the same conclusions and questions I did.
- How can you speak “out against contemporary political divisions as ‘not of God’…” while at the same time in the same sermon introduce rhetoric that includes divisive political language, specifically against President Trump and his agenda?
- Exactly where in the Bible does it say that “immigrants, transgender people, the poor and other marginalized communities” are “central to the kingdom Jesus envisioned…”? The King himself and God Almighty are at the center of the coming mediatorial and everlasting Kingdom of Heaven. The Bible says explicitly in Matthew 7:13-14 to, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” All are welcome. Jesus Christ is the gate.
- Furthermore, Bishop Rowe said, “Those who have been considered at the margins are at the center. They are the bearers of the salvation of the world. Their struggles reveal to us the kingdom of God.” Who is the bearer of the salvation of the world??? This isn’t just nonsense, it’s completely antithetical to everything the Bible explicitly teaches.
As I pointed out earlier, the Episcopal Church is bleeding membership and losing all spiritual credibility and standing.
The Episcopal Church has been experiencing a decline in membership over the past few years. According to the latest reports, the church saw a significant drop in membership, losing about 40,000 members in 2023 alone. This brings the total membership to approximately 1.547 million people.
Despite this decline, there has been a slight increase in average Sunday worship attendance, which reached nearly 411,000 in 2023, up from 373,000 in 2022. This increase is seen as a gradual recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, when worship attendance had significantly dropped due to lockdowns and public health concerns.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/episcopal-church-loses-40k-members-but-worship-attendance-grows.html
The decline in membership and attendance has been attributed to various factors, including the church’s increasingly progressive theological direction and the challenges of maintaining older buildings and utility costs.
https://episcopalnewsservice.org/2023/09/21/episcopal-churchs-latest-parochial-reports-highlight-denominational-decline-hope-for-future/
Bible 101, Part 4: The Old Agreement
Part 4 of the biblerebel.com Bible 101 series. Here Rick discusses how to better understand the Old Testament (Covenant).
Faith News From Around The World
Bible Rebel is keeping a watchdog’s eye on recent world events and religious/faith news and bringing it to you. Stay informed by checking in every day.
The Greek Orthodox Christian Network launches an online magazine. Interesting articles include a piece on ending homelessness.
From Christianity Today, a story about peace efforts in Russia-Ukraine war and persecution of Russian Christians.
The Parthenon in Athens, originally built to honor Athena, was converted into a Christian church from 500 AD to 1450. It became a pilgrimage center for Christians and was decorated with icons, mosaics, and frescoes.
https://greekreporter.com/2025/01/18/acropolis-parthenon-christian-church
Thousands gathered in Tirana, Albania, to pay their last respects to Archbishop Anastasios, who revived the country’s Orthodox Christian Church after the fall of communism in 1990. Anastasios, who was the Archbishop of Tirana, Durres, and All Albania, passed away at the age of 95.
Death Row Letters: Dear Atheists
Dear Atheists and Agnostics,
My previous two letters were addressed to anti-natalists and nihilists, but I think there’s a lot of common ground between those folks and y’all atheists and agnostics.
One of the most common arguments used by all four of those worldviews is the problem of suffering. How could anyone believe in an all-powerful, loving God who would allow so much evil and suffering in the world?
Well, that’s a worthy question and there are massive amounts of books, articles, sermons, doctoral theses, movies, songs, and philosophical/theological debates on that subject (referred to as ‘theodicy’) dating back centuries.
So, in the next several letters I’ll be writing to you, I’ll be giving you my take on the matter in as a straightforward and common sense way as I possibly can.
Let’s start by considering this simple proposition: In order for there to be a level playing field where human beings are able to exercise actual free will, the conditions that create the possibility for failure, tragedy, and death must exist. Free agency is meaningless if there are no negative consequences as a result of bad choices.
Matthew 5:45 – “For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.“
God is entirely just, and He has committed Himself to abiding by the conditions which allow free agency to operate in our physical world and in our current time.
God doesn’t break His own rules, and He absolutely has a grand purpose in mind which he will bring to pass by His own power and in His own time.
I hope you take some time to objectively think about that proposition. Just chew on it for awhile, kick the tires, and let it marinate a bit instead of immediately dismissing the idea entirely.
In my next letter we’ll start looking at some of what the Bible says about the problem of suffering.
Sincerely yours,
Your fellow death row occupant
Stop Digging, Start Climbing
Today’s mini-message.
Bible 101, Part 3
Bishop Budde’s Misplaced Sermon
Episcopal Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde is getting both criticism and praise for the political lecture, disguised as a sermon, that she aimed at President Trump, Vice President Vance, and both of their families during the National Prayer Service at the Washington National Cathedral the day after Trump’s inauguration.
Was that really an appropriate time and place for a minister to deliver a political speech designed to publicly criticize a newly inaugurated POTUS?
Some say that the pulpit is a perfectly appropriate platform from which to speak truth to power, you know, like Jesus did, right?
But to whom did Jesus direct his most withering truth bombs? To the Roman government officials occupying Judea? To Caesar, mighty Emperor of the known civilized world?
Nope. Jesus spoke truth to the power of the religious leaders of his people, because they were the corrupt and wicked ones, whom Jesus called children of Satan.
Maybe Bishop Budde should focus on speaking truth to the high powers of the Episcopal Church who have presided over several sexual abuse and other scandals involving staff and clergy over the years. Just Google “Episcopal church scandals”.
Or maybe her time would be better spent exploring the reasons why the Episcopal Church continues to lose members and adherents. She could then speak truth to the power of the causes of a dying, empty church with no answers for spiritual hungry people.
Here’s a truth that Jesus spoke and which is relevant to us all, including those like Bishop Budde who treat the pulpit as a self-serving political tool, rather than a moral and spiritual responsibility – “Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.”