TIME's Cover Article Courtesy of Rob's Book: 'What if There's No Hell?'

Kind of a hot topic. In fact, I spoke on this just last Sunday (archived here: http://www.lakevc.org/media/messagearchives/mythbusters)

You can read the full TIME article here:
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2065080-2,00.html

True Confessions: I Read and Finished 'Love Wins'

I've just finished 'Love Wins,' by Rob Bell. Five minutes ago. I am glad to be able to tell you I liked it.

I liked the simple, crisp language--like the Gospel of John in Greek. Simple, but profound.

I liked the questions that were asked.

I liked that Rob was willing to ask the hard questions about God and the Gospel and evangelicalism and love and hell and judgment that many people are asking outside the church but few within the church (the evangelical church, at least) are willing to voice.

I liked the typesetting and the arrangement of the words on the page. Kind of like the writing here.

I liked that at the very end, Rob described how, as a child, he had asked Jesus into his heart, and his life was forever changed. Ah, familiar language to warm an evangelical's heart.

There was much I liked.

But I have to come clean and admit there was a lot more that I didn't like. I'm not going to address the biblical and theological issues in any depth here. Others more capable than I have done that and you can chase down those links in some of my earlier posts, if you're inclined.

What I will say here is that I'm really sad. I honestly don't mean that in any condescending, patronizing way. My sadness stems from the gutting of the gospel that is the essence of this book.

To be continued...

The Earliest Picture of Jesus?

"The image is eerily familiar: a bearded young man with flowing curly hair. After lying for nearly 2,000 years hidden in a cave in the Holy Land, the fine detail is difficult to determine. But in a certain light it is not difficult to interpret the marks around the figure’s brow as a crown of thorns.

The extraordinary picture of one of the recently discovered hoard of up to 70 lead codices – booklets – found in a cave in the hills overlooking the Sea of Galilee is one reason Bible historians are clamouring to get their hands on the ancient artefacts.

If genuine, this could be the first-ever portrait of Jesus Christ, possibly even created in the lifetime of those who knew him."

Read more from today's fascinating Daily Mail article here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372741/Hidden-cave-First-portrait-Jesus-1-70-ancient-books.html#ixzz1IV2JNqH9

Read an earlier caution from a scholar of early Christianity re too much hype: http://larryhurtado.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/more-on-the-lead-codices/