Author: kevingdrendel

I am sixtiesh, an English Literature major in college and an attorney by profession. Faith informs my life, and this blog is about my faith journey.

Words have Power

Both faith and science instruct us that words have power

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The phrase Words Have Power on a Blackboard

I find reminders of God in science. This article, Scientific Evidence Thoughts & Intentions can Alter the Physical World Around Us, provides another link between science and religion, demonstrating the creative and destructive force of words/thoughts. Christians talk about the power of prayer, and science backs it up.

I do not believe that these scientists have any religious inclinations; at least none that I am aware. The experiments do not necessarily mean that God is behind the phenomena. The experiments do show, however, a positive correlation between positive words and positive thinking; and they show a correlation between negative words and negative thinking and decay and degeneration. Continue reading “Words have Power” →

Slavery in the New Testament

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When I first tackled the subject of slavery in the New Testament, I missed many of the references and the larger context, so I have taken some time to revisit it and expand on what I previously did.

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hieroglyphics of slaves in Abu SimbelA recent conversation with one of my sons spurred me to consider slavery as it is addressed in the New Testament. The Bible is criticized by skeptics by pointing its treatment of slavery. Indeed, there are instructions given to the nation of Israel that seem to endorse slavery as an accepted practice. In the New Testament we do not see any statement condemning slavery. What does the Bible say about it?

Slavery was common among all nations through most of history. We tend to view slavery through the lens of racism in the United States, but servitude has taken many forms over the centuries (captors in war, indentured servants, etc.). Slavery was also common in the culture in the 1st Century AD.

For Christians, Jesus is the lens through which we view all of the Scripture. Jesus introduced a fundamental paradigm change, and so, for a Christian take on slavery, we need to…

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Slavery in the New Testament

Slavery was common in the culture in the 1st Century AD, and it is, therefore, not surprising to find references to it in the New Testament. Following are the references to slavery in the New Testament and some commentary to put it in perspective.

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hieroglyphics of slaves in Abu Simbel

A recent conversation with one of my sons spurred me to consider slavery as it is addressed in the New Testament because the Bible is sometimes criticized by skeptics who point to its treatment of slavery. Indeed, there are instructions given to the nation of Israel that seem to accept slavery as a practice, and the New Testament does not expressly condemn it.

So, what does the Bible really say about slavery?

Continue reading “Slavery in the New Testament” →

The Fountains of the Deep & Science

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Lake Michigan Sunrise 1

Certain biblical passages and phrases are difficult to decipher. We tend to gloss over them when we do not understand them, or we focus in on them with a skeptic’s eye, depending on our inclinations. Sometimes those passages are illuminated for us from unusual sources.

Consider the phrase “fountain of the deep” or “fountains of the great deep”   Continue reading “The Fountains of the Deep & Science” →