Category Archives: Christian faith

Measuring Worth

Christian faith, church, justice, missio dei

Matt 10:24-39

A “zoom” sermon preached to the people of Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA on June 21, 2020

The recording failed to catch the first minute or so of the sermon. It begins with an account of the complications that arose early in my academic career because there are two other Mark Biddle’s who were active professors at the time. We agreed to always use our middle initials in professional contexts. Subsequently, I have learned of another MB who is a preacher and yet another, a lawyer, who gained notoriety for a crime. I pointed out that my name is not my identity. The recording picks up when I shift back to the biblical text.

“Measuring Worth”

For God So Loved

Christian faith, discipleship, Jesus, John, love, redemption, Uncategorized

John 3:1-17

A Sermon Preached at Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA 3/8/30

Keeping the Commandment – 1 Tim 6:6-19

Christian faith, justice, love, materialism, ministry, Pauline epistles, poverty

A sermon preached at Ginter Park Baptist Church, Richmond VA

9/30/19

Immigration Policy: Legality and Morality (Conclusion)

Christian faith, civil society, ethics, family, immigration, Jesus, politics, poverty, refugees, violence

Previous segments of this discussion of US Immigration policy have focused on its history, current demographics, and economic considerations.  In sum, they have argued that the impression that the US faces the threat of an overwhelming, some would argue even destabilizing, influx of immigrants – by which most involved in the debate mean Latin-x Continue reading Immigration Policy: Legality and Morality (Conclusion) →

Concerning Violence in the Old Testament

Christian faith, deuteronomy/deuteronomism, ethics, interpretation, justice, love, violence, war and peace

“…you must utterly destroy them…” (Deut 7:2)

Many people, non-believer and believer alike, regard the Old Testament as particularly bellicose. For many, in fact, this perception justifies a devaluation of the Old Testament generally or especially in comparison to the New Testament. This entry will examine whether the Old Testament deserves its reputation for ruthless violence, especially with Continue reading Concerning Violence in the Old Testament →

Easter Faith

Christian faith, creation, Easter, environment, grace, Hope, Messiah, women

“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.” (John 20:29 RSV)

I identify with the disciple Thomas. Believing has never been particularly easy for me.Every Easter prompts me to reconsider and reaffirm that my faith centers on the confidence that God was in Christ reconciling the world to God’s self and that God raised Jesus from the dead. I envy the earliest believers, those to whom Jesus appeared in the days following Continue reading Easter Faith →

Misconceptions Concerning the Arab/Israeli Conflict and the Bible

Arab-Israeli Conflict, Christian faith, ethics, justice, politics

Misconceptions continued (Lecture 4, final)

First Presbyterian Church, Richmond VA, Fall 2018

The Mistranslated Gospel

Christian faith, interpretation, translation

This entry initiates a series that will examine the nuances of important concepts in Christianity as represented by the pertinent terms used in the Bible. In general, words are astonishingly slippery. They have connotations: although skinny and slender, for example, denote virtually the same condition, they do not communicate the same thing when Continue reading The Mistranslated Gospel →

Seeing Only What We Expect to See

Christian faith, Easter, interpretation, Jesus, Uncategorized

Luke 24:13-35

According to the Revised Common Lectionary, the Gospel reading for this Sunday, April 30, 2017, is the story of the encounter between two of Jesus’ disciples and the risen Lord on the road to Emmaus, some seven miles outside Jerusalem. Only Luke tells this story, suggesting that he gathered it along with other information during his own research (cf. Continue reading Seeing Only What We Expect to See →

My Confession of Faith

Christian faith, church, covenant, creation, cross, ethics, grace, imago Dei, Jesus, monotheism, redemption, revelation, sin, sovereignty

For Now

In a few weeks, I begin my twentieth-eighth year teaching, my twentieth at BTSR.  The realization has given me occasion to reflect on a number of matters.  How has my thinking changed?  Has my faith deepened? Continue reading My Confession of Faith →