Author: Daniel Tomberlin

BS, MDiv, DMin. Ordained bishop in the Church of God (Cleveland, TN); pastor for 37 years; Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministries at Pentecostal Theological Seminary (Cleveland TN).
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No, the Bible does not Condone Slavery

I recently posted on Facebook an article that relates Ralph Reed’s conversation with Bill Maher. I commented that this story is “an excellent example of how uninformed Christians are hindering the cause of Christ.” That post provoked a conversation with a dear brother, a conversation that cannot be adequately conducted in a few sentences. So, I extend our conversation here. I have suggested many times that Christians, especially those who wish to engage the public square, must become better exegetes and interpreters of Scripture. This does not mean taking a low view of Biblical inspiration and authority. To the contrary, taking a high view requires serious reflection.

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James Madison’s “sudden attacks” & Biblical Hermeneutics

I recently read Lynne Cheney’s new biography – James Madison: A Life Reconsidered. I thought I would be taking a Sabbath from theological considerations and indulge in my second love – American history. But I was wrong. Early on Cheney tells us of Madison’s lifelong struggle with “sudden attacks,” most likely a form of epilepsy, that often left him debilitated for days. As a student at Princeton, Madison sought to understand the source of his malady. He consulted medical texts and biblical commentaries. The scientific explanation for his disease was an excess of black bile secreted by the kidneys. Remedies included a mixture of mercury, arsenic, and antimony. The biblical explanation for his disease, which was supported by the Princeton faculty, was demon possession (Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:17-26; Luke 9:42). The King James Version of the Bible, which he consulted, referred to sufferers as “lunatics.”

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The Minister’s Charge

This is a compilation of New Testament scriptures that exhort us to faithful Christian ministry. I have used this as a charge for Ministerial Internship Program graduation exercises, and I offered it as the benediction at our 2014 graduation at Pentecostal Theological Seminary.

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 10:16; 28:19).

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Lessons Mother Taught Me

My observations of contemporary parenting are well known among those I serve as pastor. It seems that most parents are taking the path of least resistance in rearing children. When I hear a parent, say “I just can’t control my child” I think (sometimes out loud) “What a wimp!” The issue is not control, it is engagement and discipline. By the standards of contemporary parenting, I was reared “old school.” My mom and dad certainly didn’t have any trouble “controlling” me and my two brothers. With a snap of dad’s finger we came to attention.

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The New Bible Challenge

As a child and teen reared in church I was not taught to read the Bible critically. The first article of our church’s Declaration of Faith states that we believe “In the verbal inspiration of the Bible.” This being the first article in our statement of faith is not incidental. It suggests that the Bible has priority; that all other statements of faith proceed from our confidence in the veracity of the inspired Scripture. Therefore, the words of Scripture are to be accepted by faith. As a teen I began reading the Bible in earnest. When I read “difficult” passages – Joshua’s genocide of Canaan, or Samuel’s execution of the Amalekite king – it never occurred to me to read these texts critically. In other word’s I was never taught to ask questions.

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Myth, Symbols, and Truth

Many of my colleagues have expressed objections to my reflections about Aronofsky’s Noah. As I have said in various venues even though the movie deviates from the biblical text, I found it to be filled with theological images that faithfully reflect the meta-narrative of the Bible. Further, there are many extra-biblical variations on the Noah story, and various hermeneutical traditions, from which Aronofsky drew in producing his film adaptation. I find it somewhat ironic that some who object with great passion choose to ignore some of our own non-biblical adaptations. As a child I was taught that the curse of Ham was God making people black. Therefore, all people of color were cursed and if a white person married a colored person their children might be animals. Really, I learned that in Sunday school! Believe it or not, I still hear that from time to time. So let’s dispense with the hypocrisy.

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Cain & Abel, World Vision, & Conflict Reconciliation

The recent controversy surrounding World Vision has caused me to reflect upon how various segments of the church deal with conflict. As I recently watched the movie Noah, I was again reminded that the story of Cain and Abel demonstrates the root cause of human conflict (Genesis 4:1-16). We must be reminded of two things: (1) this is a conflict between brothers provoked by envy; and (2) this is a religious conflict. One more thing, this is an example of how conflict between brothers should not be resolved.

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