Category Archives: Bible

White Paper: The Earliest Historical True Crime Literature and What It Reveals About Readers’ Appetite for Crime and Punishment

Executive Summary True crime is often considered a modern genre, shaped by mass literacy and commercial printing. In reality, the fascination with recounting real acts of violence, theft, deception, and justice is nearly as old as recorded history. Across ancient … Continue reading

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White Paper: The Mothers of the Kings of Judah: A Biblicist Examination of Maternal Backgrounds, Status, and Theological Significance

Executive Summary The biblical record of the kings of Judah is unique among ancient Near Eastern royal annals in its consistent naming of the king’s mother (Hebrew: ’ēm hammélek). Far from being incidental genealogical detail, this pattern signals theological, moral, … Continue reading

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Rejoicing in the Birth of Jesus Christ Around the Feast of Trumpets: A Biblicist White Paper on Timing, Theology, and Liturgical Meaning

Executive Summary This white paper argues that rejoicing in the birth of Jesus Christ in connection with the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) is biblically defensible, theologically coherent, and spiritually fruitful—particularly within a biblicist framework that prioritizes scriptural patterns over … Continue reading

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Egypt’s Repeated Efforts to Project Power into the Levant during the Third Intermediate Period (c. 1069–664 BCE): A Biblicist White Paper

Executive Summary The Third Intermediate Period (TIP) marks Egypt’s transition from New Kingdom imperial dominance to a fractured landscape of Libyan dynasties, rival priesthoods, and regional strongmen. Modern historiography often emphasizes decline and disunity. The biblical record, however, fills in … Continue reading

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White Paper: Stewardship Without Ownership: The Dangers of Informal Authority Capture in Outlying Congregations

Executive Summary Outlying congregations often depend upon long-serving members who host, organize, fund, or sustain local gatherings. While such service is frequently sincere and indispensable, Scripture warns repeatedly of the spiritual and organizational dangers that arise when service hardens into … Continue reading

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White Paper: Called or Self-Appointed?: Distinguishing God-Raised Leaders from Self-Selected Teachers in a Biblicist Framework

Executive Summary Throughout biblical history, communities of faith have faced a persistent problem: the emergence of self-appointed leaders and teachers who claim divine authority without divine calling. Scripture repeatedly contrasts these figures with men whom God calls, forms, tests, and … Continue reading

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White Paper: Artificial Intelligence in Biblical Hermeneutics and the Essential Role of Proper Prompt Design

Executive Summary Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large-language models (LLMs), is rapidly becoming a central tool for those who study Scripture—pastors, scholars, lay teachers, and content creators alike. While AI can accelerate research, generate linguistic insights, and offer comparative perspectives on … Continue reading

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White Paper: Biblicist Grounds for Re-Baptism When Conversion Occurs After an Earlier Baptism

Executive Summary This white paper examines whether Scripture provides grounds for a Christian to be re-baptized if he or she believes true conversion took place after a prior baptism. A strictly biblicist approach reveals that Scripture neither trivializes baptism nor … Continue reading

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Before Me:  Living In The Presence of God

[Note:  The following is the prepared notes for a sermon given to the Dalles, Oregon congregation on Sabbath, December 6, 2025.] Introduction: The Depth of Hebrew Words and the Challenge of Translation The Hebrew Scriptures are composed in a language … Continue reading

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White Paper: The Authority Paradox: Why Those Who Struggle to Respect Authority Often Seek Authority Themselves

Executive Summary Across institutions—families, churches, workplaces, governments—one repeatedly encounters a persistent paradox: individuals who resist, resent, or reject legitimate authority are often the very individuals who most desire to be seen as authorities themselves. They frequently fail to perceive the … Continue reading

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