Author: Skip Moen, Ph.D.

  • DOA

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he will never see death.” John 8:51  NASB Never see death – How can these words of Yeshua possibly be true, especially 2000 years later?  He died.  Everyone who heard the words died.  Everyone ever since has died.  Was he just a deluded apocalyptic prophet who…

  • Conduct Unbecoming

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,  1 Corinthians 1:23  NASB Stumbling Block – You certainly know that Paul’s choice of the Greek is a bit more outrageous than the typical translation, “stumbling block.”  The Greek is skándalon.  You can immediately see the English derivative, “scandal.”  We choose “stumbling block” because…

  • Sacrifice

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    To do righteousness and justice is desired by the Lord more than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:3  NASB Righteousness and justice – Jewish religion in the Old Testament (yes, I know that’s a Christian denotation) is all about sacrifice, right?  At least that’s what most of us were taught (along with the classification “Old” Testament).  And sacrifices—all that killing and blood…

  • Who Is That Masked Man? (2)

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.  Genesis 32:24  NASB Man – In one of the strangest verses in Scripture, no clue is provided about the identity of the “man” who wrestles with Jacob.  He suddenly appears.  No history.  No motivation.  No name.  We are immediately cast into the world…

  • Gaudi in Vercelli

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    Antoni Gaudi’s architecture challenged the idea that buildings needed geometrical design.  If you’ve visited Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, you know what I’m talking about.  On my trip to Vercelli, Italy, this reflection reminded me that twisted can also be beautiful.  The contrast with Greek columns offers two perspectives at once.

  • Who Is That Masked Man? (1)

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    Then Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.  Genesis 32:24  NASB Left alone – “Man is meaningless without God,”[1] wrote Abraham Heschel.  He could have written, “Man is totally alone without God.”  That’s more than just man is alone.  We all know we are alone.  Yes, of course, we have friends,…

  • The Search

    BySkip Moen, Ph.D.

    Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”  Genesis 3:9 NASB Where are you? – Hey, it’s Friday.  You have some time to actually study this verse.  So I’ve collected a few pointers about the importance of God’s question.  Can I make a suggestion?  Review each of these before you…