As I have mentioned before, Satan is a creation of the early church. Satan never appears in the Old Testament. The closest we have is “The Satan” in Job, who does slightly parallel the figure from the aforementioned Christian fable. The Satan, literally the Adversary or Executioner, is a member of God’s divine council. His role is to test, tempt, or accuse human beings.  

But Job never refers to the satan as Lucifer. And the name Lucifer only appears in one verse in a handful of translations (KJV is the primary culprit). Yet, if you ask anyone in our modern world to define Lucifer, the answer will be “Satan.”  

It’s a rather odd and uncommon question to ask. My inspiration for this post is that I call one of my coworkers “Satan,” who in turn calls me Lukecifer. It’s a cool nickname and one that I wholly embrace (pun intended)… perhaps even more so now that I have done my research. Plus, it is always fun to deconstruct the tiniest lies Christianity has embedded in our culture. 

The Passage in Question: Isaiah 14:12 

“How did you come to fall from the heavens, 

morning star, son of the dawn? 

How did you come to be cut to the ground, 

conqueror of nations?” Isaiah 14:12 CJB 

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! Isaiah 14:12 KJV 

Notice a difference? I sure do. Fundamentalists have a rather toxic love for the King James Version; it’s the oldest English version we have, so it must be the most accurate! Although the Shakespearean tone does make the Psalms more emotional, it falters in numerous ways. Isaiah 14:12 is one, breeding a baseless story that has become accepted as the norm. 

It seems that the translator(s) of the KJV either did not know how to interpret Lucifer, forgot to translate it, or just thought it might sound cool. The text in its original Hebrew reads “helel ben-shahar.”¹ Scholars frequently translate the word helel as “shining one,” “day star,” or “morning star.”² The Septuagint, the earliest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible we have, renders it heosphoros, meaning “dawn-bringer.”³ 

This is strikingly similar to the issue with the Adversary in Job. Both Satan and Lucifer in Job and Isaiah, respectively, seem to be nouns that were simply not translated. Satan in Job comes from the Hebrew ha-satan, while Lucifer in Isaiah comes from the Latin luceo, meaning “to shine.”⁴ That the name Lucifer comes from Latin, rather than Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic, should be our first immediate clue that Christianity’s Satan/Lucifer theology is rather defective. 

Here we encounter an issue of biblical literalism and dogmatism. Fundamentalists believe every word of the Bible, especially the English Bible, should be taken literally. Moreso, fundamentalists believe every word of the Bible deals with the mythical cosmic war between God and Satan. Thus, Isaiah 14:12, rather than dealing with astronomical metaphor, is depicting the literal fall of Lucifer, an angel, to the leader of the underworld, Satan. Far-fetched, isn’t it? 

Finding Lucifer: Context is Key

The proper way we should read this verse is by examining it in light of the context of the full chapter. Perhaps more significantly, we need to read it as its original audience would have. Isaiah’s first Hebrew and Greek audiences would have never assumed the author is discussing Satan. The Lucifer title in 14:12 succinctly translates to, “Day Star, son of the Dawn.” Virtually all scholars agree that the author is describing the morning star, Venus.⁵ 

The major clue we find for interpreting the whole of Isaiah 14 is within in verse four. After a compassionate section describing Yahweh’s promise to the land of Jacob, the author states, “you will take up this taunt-song against the king of Bavel (Babylon).” The song begins, with our key verse centered right between a dichotomy of Sheol and the heavens. The author compares the evil Babylonian king to the morning star, which has “come to be cut to the ground” (Isa. 14:12). The chapter continues to explain how the great king, thinking he is god, will be sent to the depths of Sheol when he dies.  

Ishtar or Lucifer?

As with all biblical research, it is helpful to compare and contrast the text with other literature that originated during this historical period. One helpful example is the Mesopotamian myth of Istar’s Descent to the Netherworld. The protagonist of this story, Istar or Ishtar (arguably from where the holiday name “Easter” is derived), is the Akkadian goddess of love, fertility, and sex.⁶ Istar is also frequently associated with the planet Venus.⁷ The Roman goddess Venus, for whom the planet is named, is Ishtar’s later, Roman counterpart, sharing the title of goddess of love, fertility, and sex.

An ancient tablet contains the story of Ishtar’s Descent to the Netherworld. The story describe Ishtar’s visitation of her sister, Ereshkigal, who then holds Ishtar captive in the underworld. Finally, with the world suffering from the lack of her presence and thus, love and fertility, the god Ea intervenes and persuades Ereshkigal to release Ishtar. This myth has frequently been used to explain the disappearance and reappearance of Venus from the night sky.  

While Ishtar’s Descent to the Netherworld does not provide a perfect parallel for interpreting Isaiah 14:12, it does give us a hint as to why the Lucifer/Satan origin story became the accepted tradition. The problem we encounter in interpreting this verse is that Lucifer is a hapax legomenon, that is, a term which has only been recorded once.⁸ We find no other use of the term elsewhere in the Bible or extrabiblical literature of its time.  

Why is any of this important?

The Bible is a powerful book; in many ways, it has shaped the world we live in. But Christianity abuses its power. It is quite obvious that the Christian religion fosters cultural, historical, and literary ignorance. Modern beliefs and convictions are seemingly jammed into the biblical narrative; for what purpose, other than to gain notoriety? This is just a small example of the church infecting Scripture with presuppositional thinking. Sadly, the same process results in Christians using the Bible to defend racism and push anti-LGBT+ propaganda.

Pastors who preach that Lucifer fell from heaven and became public enemy #1 should not be leading congregations of believers. This concept might make for a cheesy Christian Marvel movie, but it has nothing to do with faith, mitigating suffering, or living like Christ. As I stated, the danger of pushing this message is that it boosts ignorance. Christians trust their pastors to be experts in theology; instead, we are stuck with the doctrinal brainwashing of Jonathan Edwards centuries ago.

There are far more important things to be discussing with believers. Mythical, biblical fairy-tales are not one. If we give pastors and church leaders the authority to preach small messages like this, then it is no surprise that messages will also be taught on “God hating the gays.” This is not the way it should be. This is not what the authors of Scripture had in mind. The Bible intends to provide insight for spiritual healing; instead, we get pastors preaching farcical tales that have nothing to do with our lives on earth.

Conclusion

In the now-traditional understanding of Isaiah 14:12, Lucifer parallels the Icarus myth I discussed in my previous post. Lucifer was, according to mainstream Christianity, the name of Satan as an angel in heaven, and he was the greatest of them all. However, thanks to a severe increase in pride and hubris, Satan flew too close to God and fell to the underworld. While this makes for a neat Christian mythology, it is not biblical.  

Lucifer is not synonymous with Satan. Lucifer is a word that was not translated, possibly due to the translators’ ignorance, the fact that the term is a hapax legomenon, or to fit the theology of the time. In the most literal sense, Lucifer is a reference to the morning star, Venus. The passage, or the chapter from whence it belongs, does not reference the fall of an angel called Lucifer. It certainly does not speak of the Christianized concept of a devil.  

1 Youngblood, Ronald F. “Fallen Star.” Br, 12, 1998. 25, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/magazines/fallen-star/docview/214716404/se-2.

2. Ibid.

3. Ibid., 26.

4. Peter Goeman, “Why Lucifer is Not Satan’s Name,” The Bible Sojourner, 2023, https://petergoeman.com/why-lucifer-is-not-satans-name/.

5. Quick, Laura. “Hêlēl Ben-Šaḥar and the Chthonic Sun: A New Suggestion for the Mythological Background of Isa 14:12-15.” Vetus Testamentum 68, no. 1 (2018): 129. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26566810.

6. Ibid., 131.

7. Ibid.

8. Ibid, 139.

For all I know, the driver of the truck does not match up to my stereotypical assumptions. But in the small Georgia town I live in, it is not uncommon for such vehicles to have stickers proclaiming Jesus while destroying the environment. As I’ve reflected on this the past few days, I’ve conducted some research on Christianity and environmentalism. Is it just American evangelicals that have no problem endangering nature? Why are evangelicals so opposed to having a cleaner earth? And is the contemporary evangelical interpretation of Genesis 1:26 correct?

Evangelical Christianity and Climate Change

Religion plays an enormous role in how humans act socially, culturally, and ecologically. The beliefs we assume regarding our basic needs, ontology, and identity engender our views on living, behavior, and responsibility.

The relationship between Christianity and climate change is complex and multifaceted, reflecting a diverse range of perspectives and beliefs across different faith traditions. Some religious communities emphasize the stewardship of the Earth, viewing environmental responsibility as a moral imperative rooted in their sacred texts. These groups often advocate for sustainable practices and environmental conservation as an expression of their spiritual values.

Conversely, there are individuals within certain religious traditions who may be skeptical of climate change or prioritize human dominion over the Earth, citing biblical interpretations that grant humans dominion over nature (i.e., Gen. 1:16).

The intersection of Christianity and climate change is continually evolving, with many religious leaders and communities increasingly recognizing the urgency of addressing environmental issues as a shared responsibility for the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants. Interfaith dialogue and collaboration have become essential in fostering a more comprehensive understanding of environmental challenges and promoting collective action across diverse religious communities.

Religion seems to outweigh ethnic and national identities in how individuals perceive environmental concerns. Many studies have revealed that American Christians are less likely to believe in contributing to environmentally conscious behaviors and actions. For example, the Pew Research Center revealed last year that American evangelical Protestants are the least likely religious group to say climate change is not a serious issue.¹

But it is not just American evangelicals who think this way. A scholarly study in Australia reveals that Christian literalists (fundamentalists) are the least likely to be alarmed or concerned about global warming and most likely to doubt that it is a serious problem.² A similar study in Indonesia shows Christian interpretation of the doctrine of imago Dei (man created in the image of God) correlates with more apathetic beliefs on ecological duties.³

Why are evangelicals opposed to bettering the climate?

Evangelicals tend to disregard the environment because of ontological beliefs. Generally, these beliefs are rooted in Genesis 1:26. This verse famously proclaims:

“Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image (imago Dei), in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”

The interpretation of this verse can influence attitudes toward climate change. However, interpretations vary, and most American evangelicals misconstrue this dominion as an unchecked authority, leading to environmental exploitation. The doctrine of imago Dei has become dangerous because it leads to the mindset that humans are the “crown of creation.” This leads to the belief that other forms of life and nature are to be used solely for the growth and advancement of humanity.

The prevailing Christian interpretation of Genesis 1:26 holds that nature has no other purpose than to serve humankind. The church uses this verse to assert human dominance and exploitation of nature, which is why Christianity is responsible for industrialization. The proper reading of this verse highlights that humans are to be stewards of nature. Why? Because God is spiritually present within nature.⁴

Genesis 1:26 is not the only verse to assert humankind’s responsibility to tend to nature. In the following chapter, God places Adam in the Garden of Eden to “work it and take care of it.” Job 38:34-38 (famous for God saying to Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?”) encourages humans to practice “cosmic humility” and safeguard the natural world.⁵ Furthermore, the Psalms acknowledge that the earth belongs to God. As stewards of the earth, should we be destroying it?

I am certainly no radical climate activist. For many years, I even believed the distorted interpretation of Genesis 1:26 as “the earth is ours, let’s do whatever we want to make us feel more powerful.” But as the climate worsens, all humans have a responsibility to practice stewardship of the earth. Not only should Christians be leading the fight, but they rank the lowest in understanding of ecological concerns!

Sure, we may have greater power over the earth, but that does not mean we should murder it. For those who believe God has given them dominion over the earth, think carefully about what that means. Remember that the same book you are using as an excuse to destroy earth also declares the earth to be property of the God who created you.

Conclusion

Genesis 1:26, with its directive for humans to have dominion over the Earth, should be seen as a powerful call for Christianity and climate change activism rather than an endorsement of unchecked exploitation. Recognizing the responsibility that comes with dominion, this biblical passage should inspire a sense of stewardship and care for the environment. Climate activism grounded in Genesis 1:26 involves advocating for sustainable practices, conservation, and policies that prioritize the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.

By embracing the notion of responsible dominion, individuals and communities can harness their faith as a driving force for positive environmental change. This interpretation encourages a proactive and ethical approach to climate action, aligning with the broader global effort to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change. According to Genesis, humans were given dominion over the earth; this should not mean destroying it, but preserving it.

1. Becka A. Alper, Pew Research Center, November 2022, “How Religion Intersects With Americans’ Views on the Environment,” https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/11/17/religious-groups-views-on-climate-change/

2. Morrison, Mark, Roderick Duncan, and Kevin Parton. “Religion does Matter for Climate Change Attitudes and Behavior.” PloS One 10, no. 8 (2015): 7, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4527763/

3. Pasaribu, Andar G., Roy C. H. P. Sipahutar, and Eduward H. Hutabarat. “Imago Dei and Ecology: Rereading Genesis 1:26–28 from the Perspective of Toba Batak in the Ecological Struggle in Tapanuli, Indonesia.” Verbum Et Ecclesia 43, no. 1 (2022): 2, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/imago-dei-ecology-rereading-genesis-1-26-28/docview/2715183412/se-2.

4. Ikeke, Mark Omorovie. “The Role Of Philosophy Of Ecology And Religion in the Face of the Environmental Crisis.” Journal for the Study of Religions and Ideologies 19, no. 57 (Winter, 2020): 87, https://go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/role-philosophy-ecology-religion-face/docview/2475948341/se-2

5. Jung, Ji Young. “Ecological Challenges and Injustice from a Missiological Perspective.” Transformation 38, no. 4 (October 2021): 287, https://doi.org/10.1177/02653788211038976.

I believe I have mentioned before that I took a class on church history in college. For one assignment, I was asked to summarize the history of the church in a rather brief essay. For my submission, I received a remarkably low grade compared to what I normally earned in my papers. Why? My professor, a stout evangelical, did not like that I included some of the church’s embarrassing acts, such as the Crusades and the Inquisition. I had attacked the church… by merely including details that were omitted in the course textbook.

The church is far from perfect. It has never been perfect. Like every individual being, it has fallen short of God’s grace. Being set apart does not negate this fact. David sinned. Jeremiah sinned. I have certainly sinned. And so has the church. History requires honesty—whether we like the truth or not. The church has done many great things in the past two millennia. But it has also committed horrendous acts. Israel, likewise, is a great nation. However, it is far from perfect. And in Amos, we find that, like the church, Israel has committed horrible deeds.

My last post differs from everything I have posted on Living by the Logos. I did not address the problem of suffering. I addressed the “problem,” if you will, of being set apart. I (briefly) addressed the prophet Jeremiah’s calling and mentioned not one word about suffering. This was intentional. I composed the previous post the way I did to set the stage for this post. Without a doubt, God calls people and sets certain people apart. But it is not always honorable, as we will see with Amos and the nation of Israel.

Do two walk together
    unless they have agreed to do so?
Does a lion roar in the thicket
    when it has no prey?
Does it growl in its den
    when it has caught nothing?
Does a bird swoop down to a trap on the ground
    when no bait is there?
Does a trap spring up from the ground
    if it has not caught anything?
When a trumpet sounds in a city,
    do not the people tremble?
When disaster comes to a city,
    has not the Lord caused it? Amos 3:3-6

The simple answer to each of these questions is “no.” Shalom M. Paul believes the questions are incorporated to display “the irresistible nature of cause and effect.”¹ I personally believe the last question is designed in such a way to demonstrate that even disasters are the result of God’s will. To paraphrase, if a city suffers, has not God set it apart to do so? Has not God set Israel apart to suffer because of its misdeeds?

As I discussed in earlier entries to the project, particularly concerning the oracles against the nations, Amos upholds the prophetic view of suffering. This prophetic view simply holds that God inflicts suffering upon those who are disobedient to him. If God punishes, then the punishment due to a particular people is inevitably God’s will. I doubt any believer wants to agree with me on this. We do not want to believe that harm, whether deserved or not, is something that God causes to fulfill his purpose. But, in the book of Amos and other prophets, it is indubitably God’s will to make people suffer.

“Can two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” (3:3). A few years ago, when I was in rehab for alcoholism, I did a quick reading of Amos. This is one of the verses that I highlighted. A simple question, yet something of the wording really struck a chord with me. In that moment, I was being punished. I had sinned. Waking up one morning after a night of heavy drinking to find myself naked on the floor, covered in cuts and bruises, and having to admit that I, indeed, had a problem. In that moment, I experienced a degree of suffering I had never known. I had no choice but to continue my rampage of drinking or humbly admit that I needed help. Lots of it.

Can I walk with God unless he and I have agreed to do so? Laid up in that clinic, I knew that I was trying to walk with God, and yet I had not agreed to. There was no mutual consensus. I wanted to walk with God my way, not his. And what was the result? I suffered. It was a tremendous struggle to overcome my addiction to alcohol. But I could not have recovered without that suffering. It was, I believe, God’s will to make me suffer so that I would correct my mistakes.

And for Amos, the nation of Israel had sinned. They took advantage of the poor, they desecrated the temple, and neglected the faithfulness God had shown them. And when judgment day came, they did not receive a happy Pureflix resolve. God did not simply bless them, leading them to realize what they had done. He, through Amos, announces that he will smite the nation and, as a result, humble them. And thus, God’s will is to crush them, “as a cart crushes when loaded with grain” (2:13 NIV). The nation’s pain and misery is God’s will. As a result of their sins, this is what they are set apart for.

Jeremiah was called. He was set apart to do great things for Yahweh. And so was Israel. But Israel was also set apart to suffer because they violated their divine laws. The church may be set apart. Indeed, when it was instituted in the New Testament, it was certainly set apart. It faltered in the Crusades. It faltered in the Inquisition. And it most certainly has faltered in the modern world, for a list of reasons I cannot even begin. It is not a holy place. It has no protection from God’s wrath. It is a very human institution, much like Israel in Amos’ day.

As I have discussed in this project, Israel received a greater punishment than its neighboring nations. Why? Because God set it apart. God selected Israel to accomplish his will. God gave Israel the Law, and stomped on it in Amos. He set the church apart, too. God is not going to rapture the church. If and when the end comes, the church will not escape his wrath. It will face the brunt of such fury.

1. Shalom M. Paul, “Amos 3:3-8: The Irresistible Sequence of Cause and Effect,” H AR 1 (1983) 203-20.

What… is your quest?

What… is the capital of Assyria?!

In case you are wondering, I just cited from my all-time favorite movie. No, it is not Star Wars (yes… you are my father, I know). No, it is not Die Hard. It is not Good Will Hunting, it is not Forrest Gump, it is not The Godfather. It is most certainly not Monty Python and the Holy Grail… oh wait, yes it is. Ni.

With the exception of the third question, these questions I ask at the beginning of this blog are rather easy to answer. For simplicity’s sake, Assur was the capital of Assyria. By process of elimination, these questions are easy to answer. What is your name? It should not take you more than half a second to answer that. What is your quest? This one might require some thought but, again, it should be fairly easy to answer. Every person reading this, and every person breathing at the time I write this, should be able to answer those two questions. The capital of Assyria, well yes, you may need to do some research on that. But for as long as you can remember, you know your name.

It’s all in a name

My name is Luke. When I started this website in July of 2022, I did not wish to reveal any information about me. In fact, I went by my inverted initials, S.L. Thirteen months ago, had I encountered the “Keeper of the Bridge” in the film I’ve referenced, I would have been cast down into the pit. At the very first question. I have been cast down into quite a few pits in my life, but not for answering that my favorite color is “Red… no, blueeee!”

If a stranger were to ask me, “What is your name?,” more than likely, I would casually respond, “Luke.” I am almost certain you would answer with your real name as well. But if the stranger skips the small talk and asks you, “What is your quest?” What will you answer? I can think of at least a few replies in this very moment. “To live a happy life,” “To have and support a family,” “To serve and honor my God,” or “To make sense of this very thing we call life.” In my personal opinion, each of these answers contains a degree of truth. Yes, I want to live a happy life. Yes, some day I hope to have and support a family. Of course I want to serve the God of my understanding. But what is my quest?

Let’s skip the medieval jargon. I’ll ask it plain and simple: what do you want to do with your life? What do you want people to remember you by? If you are anything like me, I am positive you do not want to be remembered by your favorite color, or your ability to recall the capital of an ancient kingdom. And I promise you, I am striving to make a point of this. Bear with me, please.

What is your quest? You are given a lifetime to answer this question. Numerous people have played a role, major or minor, in how you answer this question. You have completed an education, whether elementary or doctorate, to answer this question. And sadly, as I have come to realize, many people still do not know. With all the education, the love, the support, the forgiveness, the faith, you name it. There are millions, if not billions, of people who cannot answer the question posed at the beginning of this paragraph.

What can we learn from Jeremiah?

Seemingly, the prophet Jeremiah begged this same question thousands of years ago. One of my mother’s favorite verses, Jeremiah 1:5 (CJB) speaks from the mouth of God, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; before you were born, I separated you for myself. I have appointed you to be a prophet to the nations.” Based on this verse, it is easy to conclude that Jeremiah was “set apart.” This is a common theme in Christianity, one I have touched on in a few previous posts.

So common that at the age of sixteen, I attended a youth camp with my church under the theme “set apart.” I hardly need to include any details on how distorted this theme was. “If you are a Christian, that means God has set you apart!” That does not sound too bad, and in all fairness, it is mostly in line with what Scripture teaches. But, the caveat is that being “set apart” somehow makes a Christian superior to, say, a Jew or a pagan. If we are all created by the same, loving being, then how is one person greater than another? How is it that one person is set apart, but the other is destined for nothing?

Under the Christian mindset, are we not all created by the same being? Does not this same being value the Christian as well as the Jew? Here is the catch: Jeremiah was not a Christian! And, neither was Jesus! Yet, they were clearly set apart. The people of Judah in Jeremiah’s day likely experienced the same feelings contemporary Christians in the United States do; they believed they were set apart, but Jeremiah viewed the people of Judah as “covenant-breakers.”¹ Might I ask: who was truly set apart? Jeremiah, or the people of Judah?

There is much information to unpack in Jeremiah 1:5 alone. Before Jeremiah was conceived, God had set him apart. Before he was born, God planned his days. His calling is not determined by the counsel of humankind; not the people in his community, and certainly not the religious leadership of his day. As one researcher notes, “True prophets do not assume their calls, they acknowledge that unless God calls them, they are not his Prophet.”² Jeremiah did not assume he was called; he did not require a pastor to tell him he was set apart.

Conclusion: Set Apart for What?

The problem that I see today, as I witnessed at that church camp several years ago, is that the church enforces a purely human requirement to be “set apart.” Without your pastor signing a document confirming your faith, you cannot be called to God’s will. Without belonging to a church body, you are as good as one who does not believe. As I emphasize in my posts, I am not criticizing every individual church. I am, however, attacking the universal church for indicating you must belong to a local body to be set apart.

I believe every person has a quest. Every person is set apart. Whether they attend church, or synagogue, or nothing at all, the God who created them has set them apart in some kind of way. You will not determine your quest by sitting idly in a sanctuary once or twice a week. Your pastor cannot tell you what you were destined for. Jeremiah did not need human counsel to explain his purpose or mission. He needed only to listen to the voice of God and understand that he was not merely a number.

What is your quest? I cannot answer this for you. What I can tell you is that you do not need any person, regardless of education or ordination, to solve this question for you. If you believe in God, listen for his voice. You may not hear it audibly, but I can promise you that you will feel it somehow. If he has created you, he has set you apart. But you cannot be set apart if you do not listen for his calling. You cannot be set apart just because the man holding the Bible tells you that you are. From my personal experience, the beginning of my quest was seeking the counsel of God. And, I can assure you, it is an excellent starting point.

1. Ndishua, Julius. “The Call and Tasks of a Prophet: An Exegetical Analysis of Jeremiah 1:4-10.” E-Journal of Religious and Theological Studies 8, no. 2 (2022): 49.

2. Ibid., 53.

In and of itself, the idea that God punishes people because they sin is not a misconception. The problem is that, all too often, the church interprets this as the only solution to the problem of suffering. Surely, you are familiar with the free will theodicy. If everybody lived perfect, Christ-like lives, there would be no suffering. But, we would all be programmed robots. With free will, we have the choice to do good deeds or sin incessantly. In truth, I can understand why the church focuses so heavily on this singular topic. It’s the “easy way” to explain how an all-loving, all-powerful God can allow so much depravity in this earthly life.

In my last post, I discussed a topic very close to my heart. That topic is the loss of my mother to liver cancer. When she was suffering such excruciating suffering to this awful disease, I knew the free will defense completely. I knew that God punishes sin with suffering. But what I did not know is how God can allow the righteous to suffer. While I can admit that no person is perfect, my mother did not deserve this horrendous level of suffering.

She birthed ten children. She homeschooled all twelve of us. Unless she was sick, she never missed a church service. She was actively involved in the community. She understood her role as a churchgoer; not to sit and listen to a pastor once or twice a week, but to go out and help those who struggle. She was faithful to her husband, even when he treated her worse than the dust on his feet. She lived to serve; and for that, she was punished? Needless to say, I had many questions. A lifetime of questions. Was she perfect? Absolutely not. But I cannot think of one thing she would have done to deserve God’s punitive wrath.

The word “innocent” is a Latin word, literally meaning “not harming.” Yet, all too often, we see that the innocent are dealt more harm than the vilest of humans. Will it be made right in the afterlife? Maybe. I do not believe in hell because it is an invention of Western theology. Argue as you will, there is no biblical basis for a fiery pit of demons torturing the wicked for eternity. None. There is a certain level of suffering that troubles me, and that is the suffering of the innocent. A child dying of starvation when there is enough food in the world to feed everyone? A family torn apart by the loss of life in a natural disaster? A person tormented in war because of their religious preference or ethnic origins? How can free will explain any of this?

In the simplest response, it cannot. The free will theodicy can explain the bulk of suffering prevalent in the world, but it is not capable of explaining all suffering. In his book God’s Problem (and one of my favorite books on the subject), biblical scholar Bart D. Ehrman notes, “The Bible contains many and varied answers to the problem of why there is suffering in the world.”[1] Some of these answers, he contends, are at odds with one another. The response of Ecclesiastes, that everything in life is “meaningless” or “vanity” may be the surest answer as to why the innocent suffer.

Space does not allow a full treatment of this issue, but in a very personal sense, I am not satisfied with the view of Ecclesiastes. Like the free will defense, Ecclesiastes can explain a great deal of the suffering we see in the world. But as one who has walked through the dark path of grief and loss, I find it exceptionally hard to accept that my innocent mother suffered tremendously for no apparent reason. As one who earnestly believes that “everything happens for a reason,” I have a difficult time believing that my mother suffered in vain.

That is my rant on the issue. Coming back to the point of this entry, free will is not the only definite answer to the problem of suffering. This is a monumental problem that tugs at the heartstrings of each and every individual. It is not solved as simply as 2+2=4. As the Bible makes clear, the solution is as confusing as polynomials. There is not always an absolute answer. I recall struggling to understand how some equations in algebra can result in a positive or negative number. Either answer is correct, although the answers are opposites. I am no math genius, and I hate algebra with a burning passion, but as I learned from the subject, there can be multiple “right” answers to any problem.

The same goes for the problem of suffering. Free will may explain one facet of the problem, while responses from Ecclesiastes or the Prophets may explain another. As one who lived and breathed the church for the majority of my life, I know that the church believes in one absolute answer. You sinned, you failed, and because of that, God is making you suffer. It is ironic to me that this is the same answer Job’s friends gave, and they were condemned by God.

I do not think I will ever understand how God can allow, or even make, the innocent suffer. It is an eternal mystery to me. What I do know is that there is no “one size fits all” solution to the problem of suffering. This idea of divine retribution that the church proclaims certainly has its grounding in the biblical texts, but so do the multiple other solutions offered throughout. I can tell you that whatever you are going through, it is not only because you are a bad person and God is punishing you. There certainly is a reason, but frankly, it is one that you and I may never know.

[1] Bart D. Ehrman, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question – Why We Suffer, (New York: Harper Collins, 2009), 15.

Five years ago, my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 liver cancer. In the weeks leading up to the diagnosis, I was sure that I was about to experience my best days. I had just graduated high school, after dual-enrolling at my dream school and receiving my diploma and Associate of Arts. I was hired as a coach for the swim team I had been on for several years. I was doing excellent with my full-time job. I was accepted to the same school’s political science program (I was extremely passionate about politics at the time—gross!). I met a girl at my job who I was certain was “the one” for me. Things were going marvelous, and then my best friend, my mentor, my rock was given just a few weeks to live.

I will never forget the night I received the news. My mother called me to her room, closed the door, and explained the diagnosis to me. She recited Job 14:5, which speaks of God knowing the number of our days. She explained that she remained faithful to him and his will for her. She told me that she loved me and gave me a hug that I can still feel to this day. I did not know how to process this news. I remained calm, then went to my bedroom and stood still for a moment. Shortly thereafter, I collapsed on the floor, bawling my eyes out.

Depression entered me, and it has not yet decided to leave. The most obvious signs were the loss of weight and hair. I started drinking heavily. I lost the girl. My family started to fall apart. The only thing going well for me was my job at a grocery store. After the summer semester of studying political science, I quickly learned that I passionately despise American politics and wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. I was ready to drop out and pursue a career with my company, following the footsteps of many of my siblings. But my terminally ill mother would not let that happen.

I told her my plan to drop out of school. She did not want to hear it. She had homeschooled all twelve of her children, but I was the only one she taught from kindergarten to high school. She worked extremely hard to instill a passion for research and writing in me. And of course, I realized I could not let that go to waste.

As we all know, when we suffer, we learn to heavily rely on faith. Whether that is faith in God, in the people closest to us, or even just the faith in knowing that the darkness is only temporary. I had started attending a small Methodist church just months before mom was diagnosed. The church played a special place in my life and I eagerly became involved. In all honesty, I was a bit of a “Jesus Freak” at the time. My beliefs were of vital importance to me at the time, and religion was the other subject I always excelled at in school. After about a week of deep thought, I decided to pursue a degree in theology.

Central to this decision was the question I now deal with in every post on Living by the Logos: why do we suffer? How is it that a loving, merciful God could allow his obedient follower to suffer a terminal illness? How is it that the same God could allow an entire family to collapse at such devastation? How could he allow me to suffer when I was earnestly trying to follow the faith my mother possessed? How is it that he could create an entire species and subject them to endless suffering, from birth to death? Why does God allow suffering?

In this post, I have included a picture of a painting I started around the time I decided to study theology. Art and music have always played a tremendous role in my life. When my mom was sick, I found a new meaning in one of my favorite albums. The Christian rock band Red was and is one of my favorite groups. They released an album when I was going through a hard time in high school titled “of Beauty and Rage.” When mom was sick, I returned to this album and appreciated the deep insight conveyed on the record. There is beauty and rage in every aspect of life. There is good, there is evil. There is suffering, there is hope. There is hate, there is love.

This post is a bit of a mess. I am trying to explain the heart of who I am as a person, where I come from, and where I am headed in just a couple hundred words. There is so much more to expound upon, from this dark chapter in my life to the one I am seeking to close. As I have crawled from the pit of despair once more, I have found myself reflecting on the summer of 2018. At the time, I knew the road ahead was going to be dark and rocky. But I maintained hope that the good always overcomes the bad.

I mentioned in the previous post that I attempted suicide in April. It was not the first time. This time, it has been especially difficult to recover and find myself again. But take this as a word of hope in whatever you are going through right now: darkness is only temporary. You may only see the rage, but always seek to find the beauty in life. Whether that beauty is in God, in others, in nature, or anything else, always seek it out. It may not be apparent, but I can promise you that it is there.

It has been a great several weeks since I last posted. I have more than appreciated the support of those closest to me. I have seen a marvelous difference in the things I have struggled with. I have been able to appreciate my life. I have learned to appreciate the good times as well as the bad. I have been able to reconnect with old friends. I have learned to appreciate the past and embrace the future. Most importantly, I have been able to cling to the words that concluded my last post: there is hope. There is always hope.

I am still fighting my way back. That being said, my posts will likely remain infrequent for a bit longer. But I appreciate your support and the time that you have taken out of your day to read this blog and understand who I am. I hope to write to you soon. Until then, I will remain focused on the fact that my life is certainly a life worth living.

Yet, the church will not face this judgment. You are definitely familiar with the extrabiblical concept of the rapture. Before this day of judgment comes, God is going to rescue the church and place it in heaven. The sins of church-going Christians? Forgotten. Erased. As long as you attend church, proclaim the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and deny your former unbelieving self, you will not face the wrath due to, say, Hollywood.

In Amos, God does not save his chosen from justice. He does not move these people and then destroy the land in which they lived. Because they are his people, they are even more deserving of his wrath. We’ve covered the Oracles Against the Nations. The foreign nations are doomed, no doubt. But Israel, the nation God selected to fulfill his will, faces a lengthier and more painful fate than its neighbors.

Let me clarify that I am not arguing Amos is an apocalyptic book. Its focus does not lie in the end of the world. But it reveals an interesting aspect of God’s character that you will not hear about in the church. God does not overlook the sins of those who recite a statement of faith. Because they are committed to him, and yet continue to stray from his commands, they stand in greater judgment than those who do not know him or reject him.

Open your eyes to the evil of the modern evangelical church. The sex abuse scandals rocking the Southern Baptist Convention (which it tried to hide), the abuses of power and bigotry from Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church, the corruption in the Catholic Church that has defined it for centuries. And the list goes on and on. The church is supposed to be a safe haven, a reflection of what heaven is like. But every church I have attended is marred with scandals. And it isn’t just my luck.

A Timeless Warning from Amos

In the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, we find a time in history where God’s chosen were defined by their sin. And God does not rapture them. Consider what Amos prophesies for Israel:

“Now then, I will crush you
    as a cart crushes when loaded with grain.
The swift will not escape,
    the strong will not muster their strength,
    and the warrior will not save his life.
The archer will not stand his ground,
    the fleet-footed soldier will not get away,
    and the horseman will not save his life.
Even the bravest warriors
    will flee naked on that day,”
declares the Lord.

Israel will be crushed. The swift cannot escape. The archer will falter. And the bravest of the brave, the strongest of the strong will flee naked. They do not escape the wrath of God; they are at the very center of it all.

In the preceding verses (2:9-12), God reminds the nation of how he has cared for them. He destroyed their enemies. He orchestrated the exodus. He gave them prophets. He saved the nation from the punishment they deserved. But they continue to neglect him; and this time, he will not revoke the punishment due to them. Shalom M. Paul words this concept with great precision in his commentary: “The acts of kindness of God stand as a stark antithesis to their persistent deeds of disobedience.”¹

Like the previous oracles, we must interpret the oracle against Israel within a military context. The crimes for which the first six nations will suffer are war crimes; the crime for which Judah is indicted is theological. We find a sense of synergy in the oracle against Israel; because they are God’s chosen, the oppression and injustice the nation has caused will result in military defeat. God is not going to simply wipe Israel off the map with natural disasters; he is going to use its enemies to destroy it, and he will weaken the nation to ensure their defeat.²

What does this mean? Imagine you are an Israelite in the sixth century BCE hearing Amos’ proclamation. Surely, you would want to deny this impending doom. A nation is going to overtake us? Well, we have a great army, so good luck! But Amos does not simply say a nation will rise up against them. God, their God, will weaken their strongest warriors. As Tchavdar Hadjiev argues, “Under divine pressure human skill loses its usefulness.”³ And thus, Amos’ message challenges the idea that somehow, some way, Israel will avoid God’s wrath.

Let us return to the present. We hear that the church will avoid God’s wrath at the tribulation. Where do you find this in the Bible? Can you? Not without taking select passages out of context, as the church does with great ease. The church is hardly innocent. They bear the special status of God’s chosen, as Israel did in Amos’ day.

Does this mean the church will avoid God’s wrath? I believe Amos would agree that, no they would not. In fact, they should expect to face the brunt of it all.

Personal Reflection

Not all churches are bad. Not all pastors are scandalous liars. But can we say the global church is innocent? Look at its history. Look at the controversies going on in the present day. I do not think anyone can argue that the church is without sin. If and when the end comes, will the church avoid God’s wrath? A biblical answer would not support the idea of the rapture. A biblical answer would say that the church is due for an even greater punishment than those who do not know God.

I have spent the better part of my life attending church. For a few years, I even worked for a Southern Baptist megachurch. Regardless of denomination, the church concerns itself with lesser things. It’s all about attendance. It’s all about a show. It’s all about convincing the audience to overlook the crimes of the church and support its cause (especially financially!). The church is a business. It is not what the early Christians created, a haven of hope and justice.

It is characterized by rampant injustice. And maybe I’m just crazy, but I believe God will not save the church from what it deserves. I believe the God of the Bible, the God of Amos, the God of the church, will ensure that even the most prominent pastors flee naked on that day of judgment.

1. Paul, Shalom M. Amos: A Commentary on the Book of Amos, edited by Frank Moore Cross Fortress Press, 2016, 87

2. Hadjiev, Tchavdar S.. Joel and Amos : An Introduction and Commentary, InterVarsity Press, 2020, 114.

3. Ibid

If I fall again, will it be the end?

I know it’s wrong, you think I’m strong, but I just pretend

Is it takin’ over, will it bury me?

Or will clarity become the cure for my disease?

(Beartooth, “Disease” from Disease, 2018 Red Bull Records)

Fallen Again

My purpose in this post is not to exegete any Scripture. My purpose is to share with you, my beloved audience, where I am currently at. I do this with the goal of providing hope to you, in whatever you are facing, as well as for myself as I struggle to find who I am. It has been a tough couple of weeks. I have lost my closest friends, my job, and have found myself at the lowest depths imaginable.

It’s all too familiar. I have been here before, but this time it’s different. I stand before the shadow of death and cannot decide whether to accept or reject it. The scars, the broken relationships, the shattered bottles and broken records, spinning on repeat. What have I done this time? How have I fallen so low—again? I have forsaken God—has he forsaken me, too?

Jacob’s Ladder

At the back of my mind, the 1990 film Jacob’s Ladder plays over and over again. In this film, we meet Jacob Singer, an infantryman in the Vietnam War who struggles to cope with reality as he returns from war. Or at least, that’s what it seems from the beginning. Singer is a sufferer—he has lost his friends in war, his child in a devastating car accident, and the love of his life. Throughout the movie, these losses haunt him. Literally.

Near the end of the movie, we learn what has been going on with Singer. He was part of a military experiment in the Vietnam War. He and his allies were given a drug that turns them into monsters of war, literal killing machines. That was the goal of this drug. But instead of killing the enemy, they kill each other. By the end, you know that Singer is not struggling with reality; he is struggling to cope with the fact that he is already dead.

In the present, as we may call it, Singer is infatuated with the concepts of death and hell. Dante’s Inferno certainly plays a major influence in the movie. Our hero is seeing demons, having visions that the people close to him are, in actuality, out to destroy him. He cannot find hope. Until the end of the movie, when he accepts that his existence is no longer and he ascends the stairwell of his former home with his deceased son. In the last scene, we see singer laid up in an infirmary in Vietnam. His dog tag is taken, and he is pronounced dead, and at peace.

A Biblical Metaphor

The film’s title comes from the Old Testament. The source of inspiration is found in Genesis 28:10-22, where the patriarch has a vision of a mediator between heaven and earth. Verse 12 summarizes: “He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.” This story is open to interpretation, with many contemporary Christian scholars believing the ladder to represent Jesus, the mediator between God and earth.

My purpose here is not to focus on the symbolism, however. As I have struggled to recoup and regain myself, I have found myself examining the promises of God in the Bible. I try not to make too much of these in my content on Living by the Logos. My reason being, I seek to avoid the self-centered process of eisegesis; the method of looking at Scripture and asking “What does this mean for me?” Exegesis asks what Scripture means in its original context, and generally that is where my focus lies.

In Genesis 28:15, God tells Jacob, “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” To my knowledge, God has not made any promises to me. But should that stop me from trusting in him?

My last post focused on Jeremiah 29:11, the most overrated (and misinterpreted) passage in Scripture, I believe. When I wrote this post, I was in a dark place. I was in a state of utter hopelessness. I needed hope, and I found it. God is not speaking to me in Jeremiah 29:11, and he certainly isn’t in Genesis 28:15. But these are words of hope. These are the words of a God who saves and redeems.

Whether we are the direct recipients or not, I believe we can find practical use in the Bible. Even at my worst, I cannot deny that there is a God out there. A being greater than me, and certainly stronger than my weaknesses and shortcomings. I do not expect him to work miracles in my favor every time I mess up, and neither should you. But if you believe that he is out there, you can rest in knowing that there is hope. There is always hope.

I messed up—again. I found myself at the bottom—again. And that feeling that has overtaken me so many times overtook me once more. That feeling is hopelessness. And try as I might to fight it on my own, I will fail. The result is always death. Whether mental, spiritual, or physical, I know that I alone cannot fight it.

When I picked a domain for this website, I wanted a title that could provide hope. It may come across as prideful, but I think it is unique, especially in the modern world. When we think of faith, we think of the church. We think of dogma. We think of legalism. I am not a Christian, by definition. What am I, then? I am a follower of the Word, the Logos.

The Bible does not answer all of life’s questions and problems. It does provide something indispensable, however. That is hope. A hope that the troubles we face are not permanent. A hope that our suffering will end. A hope that there is a God, who understands our heartache and works to better us and the world around us.

If he was willing to watch over Jacob, what should make us believe he will not watch over us?

Wow! Is God speaking to me in this verse? He has a plan for my life, and I should not let my struggles discourage me from understanding that he is working things in my life for the greater good.

What I have just provided in a few short sentences is the contemporary Christian interpretation of one single passage from the Old Testament. But is this the way we should interpret the text? If you ask me, it seems rather self-centered. If you believe in God and if you believe that God has a plan for you, I do not wish to discourage you from this line of thought; what I would like to do, however, is correct the way we approach this verse from a modern perspective.

I will be the first to say it, and I will be rather blunt: Jeremiah 29:11 was not penned with you in mind. It is in the Bible and it may provide practical knowledge for navigating your life on earth, but the purpose of this passage is not the gratification of 21^st century readers. Its purpose is not to construct a theology of a God who intercedes on your behalf when you mess up or make the wrong decision. Like the rest of the Bible, it was written in a specific time, for a specific people, as part of the message of one of the biblical authors.

I’ve discussed the problems with isolating single verses before. When we do this, we ignore the greater context of the book and interpret it in the way we want to, rather than what it was written for. Again, I will use the trail-mix analogy. To read the Bible, you cannot pick out the pieces that you like and want and discard the rest. You have to take the whole scoop and process every part. Otherwise, you are doing yourself and the Bible a great disservice. You are seeing things only the way you want to, rather than for how they really are.

What Does the Text Say?

Jeremiah was written around the time of the Babylonian exile in 586 BCE. At the time of composition, the Northern Kingdom of Israel had fallen along with much of Judah.¹ The nation is in a dire state of suffering and continues to reject the teachings of the prophets, who preached repentance. The general message of Jeremiah is that Judah is going to be destroyed by Babylon if the nation does not repent; however, it will eventually recover, and Babylon will later be destroyed.² Jeremiah is attempting to wake the nation up so that they will not face doom, but the hearts of his audience are stone cold.

Now, let’s zero in on Chapter 29. Jeremiah 29:1-32 contains three letters. I will only deal with the first letter here, which comprises verses 1-23. It is believed that this letter was sent after the deportation of exiles around 597 BCE.³ Interestingly, there is no opening salutary superscription with this letter, leading many scholars to believe that what we possess in 1-23 is not a verbatim copy of the letter, but a general summary.⁴ Additionally, you will notice that the letter is preceded by an editorial superscription which describes the circumstances of the letter, what it concerned, who wrote it, and who delivered it.

In the letter, we find that God has orchestrated the exile (he has caused the suffering of Israel). He encourages the exiles to participate in the welfare offered by the land they have been sent to (29:7). He also warns them of false prophets active in the land, pleading with them to reject these teachings (8). He then explains that Babylon’s rule will only last seventy years, then he will fulfill his promise of returning them (10).

And then we have the verse in focus. God is aware of the plans he has made for these people, and he intends to bring them into fulfillment. After this promise, he continues to promise that he will listen when they pray, they will find him when they seek him, and, lastly, he will reverse their exile (12-14). And then, as is customary of the God of the prophets, he will incite violence against the Babylonians.

The promise of Jeremiah 29:11 is a specific promise. Does this mean that modern believers cannot find practical application of this text? Absolutely not. In the following section, I would like to offer my personal exegesis of this.

Personal Note

I have long noticed a very individualistic drive within the church when we interpret the Bible. Christians, including my former self, tend to ask “What does the Bible say to me?” It may not sound like there is anything wrong with asking this question, but there is. It promotes an individualistic worldview. It robs the Bible of its original context. And, most importantly, it promotes complacency.

When we read Jeremiah 29:11 from the perspective of the self, we fall into the trap of assuming “it’s just me and God; nothing else matters.” We lose sight of community. Our will to help others, and to be helped by others, diminishes. We become focused on the struggles of ourselves and reject that everyone is hurting. The Christian. The agnostic. The atheist. The pagan. Everyone is hurting. And while it is more than okay to be hopeful for ourselves, we need to think about how we can give hope to others. It doesn’t have to be religious hope. I am ABSOLUTELY NOT asking you to go converting people. Accept that there are differences and show love.

The Old Testament is the foundation of the three major Abrahamic religions. What Jeremiah 29:11 says will read differently to the Jew than the Christian, or the Christian than the Muslim. What I love about studying the Bible from a historical (and not religious) perspective, is that I find universal truths within it. I do not find truths confined to the church. This does not mean my view is greater than someone who reads it in a Christian or Jewish light, but it shows what I can apply from this text as a nonreligious person. And what I find is that there is something we can all agree on.

Lastly, and this point touches on a religious rendering of the text, I believe modern interpretations of Jeremiah 29:11 promote complacency. If God has a plan for me, then I do not have to do anything! Whether I love or hate, whether I attend church or don’t, whether I am active in my community or not, God has plans and he will bring them into fruition. This is dangerous. What will this do to minimize the prevalent suffering in the world? Nothing! If God has a plan for you, then he has a plan for the other person. For the Jew. For the Christian. For everyone. It is okay to believe that there is a god who has a plan for you, but please; do not become complacent.

Make a difference in this world. Every action, no matter how big or small, makes a difference. Make it a good one! Again, we all have trials. But let us not become so tied up in those or our hope to escape that we fail to help others in their suffering. God may have a plan for them, and that plan could be you.

1. Henry H. Halley, Halley’s Bible Handbook, 24^th edition, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1965, 307

2. Ibid., 308.

3. Kaiser, Jr., Walter C.. Walking the Ancient Paths : A Commentary on Jeremiah, Lexham Press, 2019, 242.

4. Ibid., 245.

The problem lives on… and so does God

Since the problem of evil originated before Christ, it has been used to demonstrate that the existence of an omnipotent and omnibenevolent deity cannot exist with all the evil in the world. Over the last decade, however, it has been demonstrated that using the problem in such a way creates problems of its own. So, you do not hear much about the problem of evil being used to discredit belief in God.

Why, then, is it so important to me and this blog? For starters, I am not out to disprove God. I believe the God of the Bible can still exist (although belief IN him- that’s a different story). If you believe in him, guess what? I WANT you to. I want you to have faith. Faith plays a vital role in our lives and leads us to become better people. I think the New Atheist movement, with the likes of Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, etc., is destructive. It has no aim but to remove the place of religion in the world. I think it has the wrong approach.

The problem of evil (and, more particularly, its subcategory, the problem of suffering) is what led me to question my faith in the first place. I was asking the questions posed by the problem well before I even knew about it. Subconsciously, I think we all do. Why me? What have I done to deserve this? Asking such questions begs the problem of suffering. Like countless others throughout history, I was lied to by the church. I wanted answers, but I couldn’t find them. There, at least.

In attempting to discredit faith, yes, the problems of evil and suffering are dead. But my aim at Living by the Logos is to encourage critical thought and action. I think the problem finds use there. These are hard questions that, let’s face it, we do not like to ask. It would be easy to do like the church and ignore the fact that suffering exists. But that is extremely dangerous, and it leads to harm. But we need to ask them. If God loves everyone, why do so many suffer unjustly?

Point #1: Critical Thought

Let me focus on the points of my mission I raised in the previous paragraph. Critical thought. Why should we think critically of the Bible? For clarification, I do not men critically in the sense of “Let’s find what we can to criticize it!” The Bible is a massive collection of writings, containing various viewpoints, theologies, and ideas. The church loves Paul. You can hardly hear a sermon that is not derived, or aligned with, the pastoral epistles. But Paul is not the only author. Jesus is not the only character. There are areas of the Bible that the church never touches on, or shies away from…. Like Amos!

I like to focus on what the church does not tell us. Sure, they may agree that the Old Testament God is a god of anger, but when do we hear the church discussing his violent rage against humanity? Or Israel’s failures as a nation? Or the failures of the disciples, Paul, etc.? At least in the multiple churches I have been around in my life, I never heard such teachings. And I know people around the globe who do not, either. But these are discussions we need to have. We cannot just accept a watered-down, filtered message like the church promotes. There is a ton of information in the Bible, and it is beneficial to examine all of it.

Additionally, we need to examine the context of the Bible. I do not believe in the apocryphal books, but they are some of the most helpful tools for understanding the world in which the Bible was written. I’ve been called heretical for even mentioning such books!

In addition, the Bible was not written as one book. I think there is a degree of danger in accepting the biblical canon the way the church promotes it. The Bible is not complete. There are redactions. There are contradictions in the books the church cherry-picked centuries ago. We need to make as much sense of these things as we can.

Point #2: A Call to Action

My second point is that I want to promote action. I do not want you to be a statistic. In the church on a Sunday morning, that is exactly what you are. It is all about attendance. It is all about the numbers. And it is all a show. That is not what Jesus would have wanted. He wanted his followers to be like him. We do not find Jesus sitting idly in the temple. We find him engaging those around him, helping those in need, fighting injustice, and seeking to better this dark world. Why don’t we do the same?

The church enforces legalism. You know it, I know it. Just like the Pharisees in the New Testament. And Jesus rejected that. I want you to enjoy life. This is all we have, and I want you to make the most of it. Be happy, if and when you can. Find the good in life and embrace it. Life is fleeting, and we should enjoy it. I do not want you to become complacent, and I certainly do not want you to enjoy it at the expense of others. But live. Life is precious and we only have it for so long; enjoy it.

But while you are enjoying it, seek to the better the world around you. Help those in need. Love on those who surround you. You and I can minimize the suffering in the world. We do not need the church to tell us how to. Go, and be a decent person. Do not wait on change from the church, or from the government. With every person you interact with, you have an opportunity to make the world a better place. And I want you to go for it.

Always keep in mind that suffering is real, and it is prevalent. Whether you yourself are facing it or not. But do not let it control you. Control the suffering. You have been given that ability. No, maybe you cannot create a cure for cancer. But you can show love to those who suffer, and that is how you change the world.

I have not set out to disprove God. I do not want you to become a skeptic like I am (unless you already are; you are not alone, friend!). If you love God, I want you to. And I want to help you know him—FULLY, as painful as it may be. Faith can be an essential tool, but it can also be weaponized as it is in fundamentalism. If you are not a believer of the Bible, I want to show you what the Bible really says.

I am not a Christian. I am no longer a believer. But I love and cherish the Bible. It is the most helpful tool in my life. Although I may disagree with parts of it, my goal is to live by it, because I still find lifechanging use in it. And that is the focus of Living by the Logos (as the name blatantly tells you).  I do not want you to live by the church. I do not want you to live by reason alone. Live by the Logos, and you will experience a tremendous change.