The Chisholm Source

Faith: Defined & Defended

Clinton Chisholm — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:42:12 PST

It may be rebutted but it cannot be refuted that no one can live and no academic discipline can operate without faith, properly defined! Faith, like its twin sister hope, is fragile but is a fundamentum in life, by that I mean it is absolutely foundational to life. So you ask me what then is faith in my book? As I have argued in lecture theatres and urged in sermons, faith is belief, based on…

The Herods in Scripture

Clinton Chisholm — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 13:36:08 PST

Ancient books are not always, if ever, easy to read properly, unless one can find helpful background information. The Herods in the New Testament are not clearly differentiated, so we read about King Herod in Mt. 2:1(re the nativity of Jesus) then there is a King Herod in Mk. 6:18 (the one whom John rebuked for marrying his brother’s wife) and there is yet another King Herod in Acts 12:1-2(who had James the brother of…

St. Luke and Roman History

Clinton Chisholm — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 05:50:45 PST

If you are uncertain or ignorant about your facts as a writer of material purporting to be history then you hedge your bets by using vague terms, skillfully avoiding anything that anyone could double-check and blow your cover. For this reason fairy tales usually begin in an uncertain time and in an unspecified location. No sensible writer of pure fiction bares his flanks by writing what Luke wrote in his Gospel at chapter Luke 1:5 and…

Virgin Birth Claims

Clinton Chisholm — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:25:48 PST

Many have read or said that the Biblical idea of Jesus having been conceived of a virgin is not only paralleled in other cultures but is drawn from one or other of these other cultures. Jamaican Atheist, Michael Dingwall argued in a slightly nuanced but similar vein recently on my LOVEFM’s The Morning Watch in Jamaica (heard on love101.org, 7-8 am EST on weekdays). The argument used is that since the Biblical idea is later…

That Puzzling California Law

Clinton Chisholm — Sat, 06 Oct 2012 12:06:00 PDT

The ostensibly progressive and rights-protecting California law banning all reparative (‘conversion’) therapy for minors is very puzzling and raises some very awkward questions. What is it about homosexual orientation or behavior (if unwanted) that makes it so uniquely resistant to Psychotherapeutic behavior-modification interventions? I say uniquely resistant because such clinical interventions are utilized for a whole range of unwanted behaviours including alcoholism, sexual/gender identity issues, anxiety disorders (phobias), unlawful sexual urges, etc. What then is…

An Easter Note

Clinton Chisholm — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 03:11:04 PDT

Our Lord Jesus Christ was, in all likelihood, naked on the cross. Christian art and the Church will not face it readily so you won’t see crucifixion pictures of Jesus with exposed penis though in all likelihood, following Roman custom, he would have been crucified naked. There is even biblical support for this seemingly way out thought. Let’s probe this radical idea a bit by checking John 19.23 in a few versions in light of…

Homosexuality: Clinical Realities

Clinton Chisholm — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:35:10 PST

“…the genetic theory of homosexuality has been generally discarded today.” (W.H. Masters, V.E. Johnson, R.C. Kolodny, Human Sexuality, 1984, 45) Homosexuality as a discussion topic often provokes controversy but there are some indisputable aspects of the topic that are beyond controversy. One such is whether there is clinical evidence for a genetic basis for homosexuality. The other is whether a homosexual can change orientation. We have learned much from cross-cultural studies and psychotherapy about both…

Third Temple Heresy

Clinton Chisholm — Fri, 27 May 2011 04:15:59 PDT

An allied belief to date-setting that is all too popular amongst Evangelicals is the unbiblical view that before our Lord’s return a 3rd Jewish temple must be built and the sacrificial system restored. Respected researcher and specialist on prophecy, Grant R. Jeffrey argues this position in his 2007 book The New Temple and the Second Coming. On p. 88 Jeffrey says, “Daniel prophesied that the rebuilt Temple would serve as the center of Israel’s worship—complete…

Signs of the End: Re-Reading Matthew 24 (part 2)

Clinton Chisholm — Wed, 25 May 2011 16:37:42 PDT

B. Matthew 24.15-28 1. What really is this ‘abomination of desolation’, spoken of by Daniel (9.26)1 ? 1.1 Popular explanation – Something idolatrous placed in the holy place of a rebuilt Temple=3rd Temple. Consider the practical and contextual problems associated with this interpretation. “..this injects a totally different temple into the midst of Christ’s prophetic discourse than the one concerning which the disciples inquired.”2 In the age of the new and better covenant why would…

Signs of the End: Re-Reading Matthew 24 (part 1)

Clinton Chisholm — Fri, 20 May 2011 11:17:11 PDT

A. Matthew 24. 1-14 We need to clarify the context and text of our Lord’s dramatic prophecy in Mt. 24.2; Mk. 13.2; Lk 21.6. Context – Admiration of the buildings of the Temple by the disciples “…and His disciples came up toshow Him the buildings of the temple.” (Mt. 24.1b; Mk. 13.1; Lk. 21.5) Text – “I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mt. 24.2; Mk.…