The mantra “by his stripes we are healed” is repeated endlessly in Christian circles. However, these words extracted from Isaiah 53:5 focus on spiritual rather than physical healing. First, a quick look at the context makes it clear that Isaiah had spiritual rather than physical healing in mind: Christ “was wounded for our transgressions, He [...]

The apostle Paul explicitly states that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Romans 9:17–18). That, of course, begs the question: If God determined to harden Pharaoh’s heart, then how is God just in holding Pharaoh morally responsible for his sins? First, though God promised Moses that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3), the Exodus account [...]

The very notion that God would command the obliteration of entire nations is abhorrent to skeptics and seekers alike. In context, however, God’s commands are perfectly consistent with his justice and mercy. First, a text without a context is a pretext. God’s commands to destroy the nations inhabiting the promised land of Canaan must never [...]