Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | September 24, 2024
Helping Those Who Misuse Our Help Ever wonder if we should give money to those who might wrongly use it for alcohol or drugs? Besides God causing it to rain on the righteous and unrighteous (Matthew5:45), let’s consider another example. Sometimes helping others, doing them favors, and such, backfires. Despite us doing them a favor […]
PHall | September 19, 2024
Is there only one way to God? Contrary to popular thought, and recent comments made by the head of the Catholic Church, Jesus is the only way. But do we understand deeply what that means? Jesus is called the Way (John 14:6) and Jesus’s followers were so identified with their Lord that, what we call […]
PHall | August 31, 2024
An ethical dilemma is commonly presented to college students. A runaway train is on course to collide with and kill 5 people down the track, but a bystander can intervene and divert the train resulting in killing just one person on a different track. What choice should be made? 1. Do nothing and let 5 […]
PHall | March 1, 2024
Jesus Explains What He Preaches Heard an argument that born of water (John 3:5) cannot mean water baptism because there is no precedent for Nicodemus to connect Jesus’s words to. Well, if that is true, and I don’t grant that (3:10), then connect Jesus’s words to his follow-up actions: John 3:22 – After this (i.e., […]
PHall | March 1, 2024
Reading Past John 3:16 Do we sometimes miss a powerful point because we stop reading? John 3:16 is so well-known that people stop reading. What happens if we keep reading? Notice these contrasts: “For God loved the world” (John 3:16) vs. “People loved the darkness” (John 3:19) “He gave his one and only Son” (John […]
PHall | January 25, 2024
Does Jesus Turning Water Into Wine Condone Drinking Alcohol? I am biased against alcohol. It bothers me when people cite Jesus turning water into “wine” as evidence that drinking alcohol is acceptable. It also bothers me that I cannot find a scripture which says all and any alcohol is forbidden. So what should we do […]
PHall | January 23, 2024
Does the Israelite Temple and Tabernacle foreshadow the Trinity to prepare God’s people? 1. The temple/tabernacle is where Yahweh would “put His name” and “rest”. 2. The temple/tabernacle was a physical dwelling of God among His people. 3. The temple/tabernacle was filled with the Shekinah or Glory of Yahweh. Then Jesus appears: 1. Jesus is […]
PHall | August 22, 2023
What does it mean to be born again? To be born again is language from John 3. Some invoke Ezekiel as the background that this teacher should have known, as Jesus rebukes Nicodemus. I think the background is Genesis 1-2. Born of water and the Spirit is how creation begins. The Spirit hovered over […]
PHall | July 15, 2023
Have you noticed the similarities between the wedding scene and the crucifixion? 1. Both have Mary, Jesus’s mother, there: (2:1; 19:26-27). 2. Both are introduced by days: 3rd day (2:1) and day of preparation (19:31). 3. Both occur on special occasions: wedding (2:1) and high Sabbath (19:31). 4. Both have new homes are began in […]
PHall | January 21, 2023
A Pew Moments with Perry – Does Including the Spirit Exclude the Water? There are those who conclude water baptism can’t be for today based upon Jesus saying, “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now” (Acts 1:5). Does Jesus including the Holy Spirit exclude […]