Scriptures

Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Jewish Bibles, Commentaries, and Cultural Backgrounds
Biblical Interpretation

Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Jewish Bible Translations, Commentaries, and Cultural Backgrounds

10/15/2026 Bruce Strom 0

The eternal spiritual battle is this struggle: Who is going to influence whom? Will the culture influence the church, or will the church influence the culture? If you prefer that the culture would influence your morality, then you can ask Merriam-Webster Dictionary for the cultural definition of Biblical words. If you would rather that the church would influence your morality, then you should ask the Vines Expository Dictionary for the Biblical definition of Biblical words.
Although Vines is a Protestant resource, all Christians can consult its definitions, since it quotes the Scriptures that support their definitions. Another resource is Strong’s Concordance, which tracks where each Greek and Hebrew word appears in the Bible. If necessary, you can discover the Greek word for each word in each verse using an Interlinear Bible.
What is the meaning of the central Christian word for love? Agape and Eros by the Lutheran Theologian Anders Nygren, written between the two World Wars, traces how the Greek words LOVE, agape and eros, evolved from the ancient Greek philosophers and the New Testament until modern days. […]

Biblical Interpretation: How the Ancient World and Modern World Differ
Biblical Interpretation

Biblical Interpretation: How the Ancient World and Modern World Differ

10/15/2026 Bruce Strom 0

St Augustine did not believe that the Bible was always literally true. He teaches: “It is a wretched slavery which takes the figurative expressions of Scripture in a literal sense,” because the Bible exhorts: “the letter kills, but the spirit gives life.” What does St Augustine mean by figurative? When the Word of God in Scripture does not, “when taken literally, refer either to purity of life or soundness of doctrine, it can be seen as figurative.” St Augustine continues, “Purity of life refers to the Love of God and our love for our neighbor, whereas soundness of doctrine refers to the knowledge of God and our neighbor.”
St Augustine agrees with Origen and many other Church Fathers, that whenever the literal reading of Scriptures, particularly the Old Testament, appears to violate the two-fold Love of God and neighbor, then it must be read allegorically. […]

Should Morality Trump Theology? Why We Are Not Reflections in Theology and Philosophy
Biblical Interpretation

Does Morality Trump Theology? Why My Channel Is Not Named Reflections in Theology and Philosophy

09/16/2026 Bruce Strom 1

The main reason why I prefer the word Morality over Theology is that today most people use theology to prove why their denomination is the true religion; and is thus superior to all other denominations, especially if they are converts. However, I am reluctant to condemn this: doesn’t everyone want to cheer their chosen football team? Don’t all fans see their chosen team in the best light, while judging all others who hopefully will be on the losing teams this next season?
Mine is the Mere Christianity of CS Lewis. As an Episcopalian, you can be as Catholic, Orthodox, or Protestant as you want to be, it is the most ecumenical and tolerant of all the denominations, in my experience. […]

AntiSemitism

Our Reflections on Morality, Philosophy, and History: Ancient and Modern Classics

05/11/2022 Bruce Strom 8

To a Stoic Philosopher, the question of Theodicy, or why God permits bad things to happen to good people, why God permits suffering, is simply absurd. The fact is, we do suffer, we will face injustices, we will suffer illnesses and death, and the rain falls on both the good man and the bad man. God will not shield us from suffering and injustice, but God will provide us with the strength to endure the challenges of this life. […]