Jesus was born in the backwater province of Judea during the reign of Augustus. He
was no more than an insignificant census statistic hardly worth noting compared to
the grandeur of the Augustan age of imperial Rome. Yet in 300 years Christianity
would become the state religion of a divided Roman Empire. In 400 years, while the
Roman west lay crumbling, Christianity would lay the foundat . . .
It was no accident that God led Israel out of Egypt while the Sea People
battered the coast. It was no accident that God led them through forty
years in the wilderness, while their Creator-concept was reinforced and
while God prepared the most opportune time for them to enter and claim
the Promised Land. But all the while, they murmured and doubted God’s
Providence. After all, they s . . .
After the flood, man's actions produced a balance sheet of his own accounting.
After all, he ate of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil. Surely he had the
sense and good judgment for moral decency. But instead of judging his own
actions, he was always more inclined to mete out “justice” and punishment to
others. Law and government soon followed in the pre-civ dawning of civilizat . . .
After Adam and Eve ate of the fruit they were driven from the Garden. This means they were 'driven' from the hunter-gatherer stage. Agriculture began in the upper Tigris area between 8,000–7,000 BC. When it came down to the Persian Gulf area, the shift to agriculture felt like banishment from Eden.
God said, “By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread” (Gen.3:19 RSV).
By usin . . .
