Last week we looked at the book of Proverbs, which basically teaches that, all things being equal, if you live according to wisdom everything will work out. However, the wisdom literature of the Old Testament contains its own counterbalance to the optimism of Proverbs. Job teaches that it’s not as simple as that—things can go…

The last two weeks have explored Genesis 1 and 2 and what they teach us about God as achiever, as well as his intention that humanity would also share in achievement. But as any informed Bible reader knows, there is a sharp U-turn just around the corner. Genesis 3 records the event known as “the…

“. . . cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to…

Genesis 2:4–25 offers a second creation account that complements the account of Genesis 1. The creation of man and woman take central position in this second telling. “God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being” (2:7)….

Genesis 1 is the first place to turn when we think about a theology of work. God is presented as worker, creator, and designer. He makes the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1), he creates light (1:3), he forms the sky and the earth (1:6–10), and he makes vegetation (1:11–12). God establishes the heavenly lights…

When is a human being most Like a human being? To ask this question against the backdrop of the contemporary scene is to entertain some mixed opinions. Human beings are capable of extraordinary acts of self-sacrifice, such as in the cases of doctors, nurses, and other volunteers, who choose to treat those sick with the…

Previously, I argued that achievement is relative. Various factors shape how we evaluate it. What is a great achievement for some is no big deal for others. One person’s “normal” might be an outstanding achievement for someone else. Today, I want to suggest that a key factor that underlies the relativity of achievement is potential….

In my first post, I indicated that a key question to address would be what “achievement” is. This post is my first attempt to define achievement. The goal is to understand what we mean by the concept in twenty-first century Western society, with a view to approach the Scriptures for a biblical understanding of the…

Last weekend I had the opportunity to attend the [email protected] Summit in Boston. The summit is described as “A Working Conference of Active Participants and Leaders from the Marketplace, Church, Seminary & Academy.” The conference was “Where Are We & What Still Needs to Be Done?” The format of the conference was styled like TED…