Perrydox.com is devoted to the pursuit of truth, whether plain or paradoxical, whether simple or sublime, or simply absurd yet absolute.
PHall | July 6, 2012
In a bible study Thursday, we considered how Paul in Romans 4 juxtaposes justification by faith with creation and resurrection. As my tongue twisted itself, I accidentally said, “juxtafication.” In hindsight, I prefer calling this “a synchronization of human language with divine action to form a previously unknown expression coherently and succinctly expressing a cogent […]
PHall | July 5, 2012
It is always a challenge to teach certain Bible stories to children. How do you teach the lesson of David and Bathsheba, for example? Here are some general guidelines: 1) Tell the story as the Bible does; 2) Don’t explain some details unless asked; 3) Explain only in limited form until asked for more details; […]
PHall | July 3, 2012
From baptism, to temptation From God’s delight, to the Devil’s snares. From the voice of God, to the voice of Satan. From the voice of Heaven, to the voice from Hell. From God declaring, “This is my beloved Son,” to Satan tempting, “If you are the Son of God.” From the Holy Spirit descending upon […]
PHall | June 29, 2012
“I believe people are saved, not by objective truth but by Jesus.” “I don’t believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many (not all!) circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain with their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts….” (Blue Like Jazz) – a […]
PHall | June 28, 2012
I have been teaching parables to pre-school kids, and one blessing is the challenge in simplifying even the simple. In the parable of the prodigal son, both sons had the same problem, a lack of love. In the parable of the sheep and goats, the problem of the goats was not that they did bad […]
PHall | June 23, 2012
Janet and I have decided to adopt again. I would like to introduce you to our newest son, Sam. He is a shovel. More on Sam later. There are certain realities within the Bible that make our modern sensibilities uncomfortable or even offended. These “archaic” realities are either God-based or society-driven. “Wives be subject to […]
PHall | June 23, 2012
God created (1:1); God said (1:2); God saw (1:4); God separated (1:4); God called (1:5); God said (1:6); God made (1:7); God called (1:8); God said (1:9); God called (1:10); God saw (1:10); God said (1:11); God saw (1:12); God said (1:14); God made (1:16); God placed (1:17); God saw (1:18); God said (1:20); God […]
PHall | June 22, 2012
Never underestimate the ignorance of your…self. That is a perryphrase of a popular saying given to speakers. Everyone once in a while I discover something I didn’t know, and often it is simple. There is a phrase in the baptism scene of Jesus where He says to His cousin and baptizer, “Allow it for now, because […]
PHall | June 21, 2012
Sin is either thought or action; unlike love which is both thought and action. Since God is love, love doesn’t just think good thoughts and plan, it acts. In 1 Cor.14:25 the Holy Spirit was acting through people to prophesy the secrets of one’s heart. Love cannot prophesy the secrets, but it can show interest […]
PHall | June 16, 2012
“What Beethoven is in the realm of music, what Shakespeare is in the realm of literature, what Spurgeon was among the Victorian preachers, that is Isaiah among the prophets” (J. Sidlow Baxter, Explore the Book, v.3, p.217). Such exuberant praise is deserved and directed towards Isaiah’s “style – its grandeur and dignity, its energy and […]