Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | June 27, 2018
In a section of Atlanta we are reminded of America’s complicated past. Within a few blocks there are signs in memory of the Confederacy, Martin Luther King, and the Cherokees. The ideal of America has always been more glorious than its reality. This is the same for the church. Ephesians presents a glorious, unblemished, exalted […]
PHall | June 21, 2018
There’s an old story of a preacher who, frustratingly for the congregation, somehow managed to turn every text and sermon into one on baptism. So they hatched a plan. Playing to his vanity they challenged him saying, he was so smart he could preach on any topic or scripture without preparation. He accepted. So the […]
PHall | June 19, 2018
I have often wondered why God chose that peculiar sign of His covenant with Abraham and His descendants. Let me give three possible answers why. First, a covenant by definition means cutting. In biblical times these were often sealed by severing an animal, with the implication that the party who breaks the covenant will suffer […]
PHall | June 17, 2018
A type of damning legalism is…. Before I define this, let me add this caveat: In Romans Paul does not equate “obedience” with “works.” As always, we must let the user define his own words. “Obedience” in Romans is often tied to faith (i.e., “the obedience of faith” – 1:5; 16:26). Paul, however, is not […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
“You can’t obey good news” says the argument. This despite the Bible using the phrase “did not obey the gospel” (Romans 10:16; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17). People argue “obey doesn’t mean obey”. This is called semantics where people change the definitions to fit their argument. So let’s look outside the religious box. The […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
“After he left the synagogue, he entered Simon’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. So he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. She got up immediately and began to serve them” (CSB’17 Luke 4:38-39). “Typical male,” a wife said. “Jesus only […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
Miscellaneous Thoughts on the 2 Greatest Commands: 1) Why is loving God the greater command? It is because God is greater than ourselves and neighbors. 2) Loving God is not only the greater command, it is the foundation command. It is impossible to truly love God and not love our neighbors or ourselves. When we […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
“Not long ago, I was reading the Sermon on the Mount with a rabbi. At nearly every verse he showed me very similar passages in the Hebrew Bible and Talmud. When we reached the words, ‘Turn the other cheek,’ he did not say this too is in the Talmud, but asked with a smile, ‘Do […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
Jesus ate with “tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 15:2). Jesus ate with the religious folk of His day, the Pharisees (Luke 7:36). Bad exegesis says, “Wow, Jesus loved to eat!” Good exegesis says, “Wow, Jesus loves everyone!” That’s one key to getting people to listen. How are we doing on that? Recently the Supreme Court […]
PHall | June 16, 2018
If you know me, you know I have occasionally been known to make up words. Some of them were real words which I only learned later. Did you know God took an old word and made up a new definition? The word went all the way back to Homer, but was not used often until […]