When it comes to supposed contradictions in the Bible, a classic example is Paul vs. James on the subject of justification. Paul says, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law” (Romans 3:28). James says, “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone” (James 2:24).

The tension between the two seems irreconcilable at first glance: either a person is justified apart from works or they aren’t; either Paul is right or James is. They can’t both be right; that would be irrational, postmodern thinking in which truth is relative and, therefore, meaningless. But not necessarily. We have to remember that a single word can have more than one meaning, depending on the context in which it is used. The same word can even be used in seemingly opposing statements and yet both can still be true. (My favorite example is “cleave,” a word that has two directly opposed meanings.)

For example, if I say, “Man is an animal,” this is true in one sense. Man is, biologically speaking, a living creature, created on the same day and with a physiology very much like other mammals. On the other hand, if I say, “Man is not an animal,” this is also true. In a spiritual sense, he is not an animal. Man constitutes a distinct class of creature, one who is moral, fallible, redeemable, and made in the image of God.

7 Marks of Humility - God's leadership principles are the complete opposite of man's. Paul Tautges goes to Philippians and shows that in God’s economy the way up is down.

The Best Chess Player in the World - Here’s an interesting profile of the world’s best chess player. The money quote: “I enjoy it when I see my opponent suffering.” Don’t we all?

A Lentendud - This is the time of year that those of us who don’t mark Lent feel really superior about ourselves (or the opposite, depending on your context). Douglas Wilson writes about Lent, those who celebrate it, and what they need to be aware of.

$3.5 Million in the Attic - “When Michael Rorrer found 345 comic books neatly stacked in a basement closet as he cleaned out his great-aunt’s Virginia home after her death, he thought they were cool but didn’t think much about their value.” But that wouldn’t make the news, so there must be more to the story…

Dating Tebow - I love stories like this one.

Tax Dollars - It’s always a bit depressing to know where all your tax dollars go. This infographic displays it nicely. And speaking of infographics, here’s one that looks at e-reading and e-readers.

Take a saint, and put him into any condition, and he knows how to rejoice in the Lord. —Walter Cradock

Visual Theology - If you are interested in purchasing some of those Visual Theology infographics/posters, you can get 20% off your order by using the code JUMP20.

Google Glasses - What is this world coming to? “People who constantly reach into a pocket to check a smartphone for bits of information will soon have another option: a pair of Google-made glasses that will be able to stream information to the wearer's eyeballs in real time.” This is even worse: connected cars.

Books on Prayer - Andrew Case’s books on prayer are all available for free in ebook formats. There are three: one for husbands, one for wives, and one for children. Each one focuses on praying Scripture while interceding for the one(s) you love.

The Apostles - The current issue of National Geographic has a major story about the Apostles. Unfortunately (and, I suppose, not surprisingly) it’s a bit of a mess of mysticism, speculation and poor theology. “They were unlikely leaders. As the Bible tells it, most knew more about mending nets than winning converts when Jesus said he would make them ‘fishers of men.’ Yet 2,000 years later, all over the world, the Apostles are still drawing people in.”

Real Books - Kevin DeYoung hopes that real books will never die. But they probably will anyway. Still, I pretty much agree with most of what he writes.

Conversation with Bezos - Amazon’s publishing model: “All along the way he’s stayed with his strategy of losing money to achieve that domination. His latest effort in this regard is well-known in publishing and was nicely summarized in a recent Bloomberg Businessweek piece. Bezos is going head to head with publishers—offering huge advances to authors and promising astronomical royalty rates that no publisher can maintain.”

Grace for Today - “I'm also learning that God gives grace for today. Period. I will meet troubles today and God will give me grace for those troubles. He does not give me grace today for troubles that will come tomorrow. God doesn't give me grace for imaginary troubles, he gives me grace for real troubles.”

Philosophy and religion may reform, but only the Bible can transform. —Brian Edwards

Challenger Disaster - All these years later, some amateur video of the Challenger disaster has just turned up. “Captured in an era that precedes mobile phones, when few people owned camcorders, it’s one of few video recordings of the disaster by a member of the public.”

Never Retreat - This is a neat article from Kathleen Nielson. “Looking through a musty box of family memorabilia, I recently came upon a brittle, browned letter dated September 24, 1918, sent to his parents by my grandfather, James Oliver Buswell Jr. Grandpa B’s years as president of Wheaton College and later as professor of theology at Covenant College and Seminary were well known to me, but I hadn’t heard a lot about his experience in World War I.”

Hunting Bambi - Mark Coppenger on the Obama administration: “Where once they intervened to protect children from strange religion, they now dismiss the scruples of all believers who find the prevention or elimination of children objectionable. The government used to be aggressively pro-child; now they’re intrusively anti-child.”

Beyond the Sex Questions - Trevin Wax tells us to go beyond the sex questions. “I want to offer a pastoral look at the underlying issues that prompt these questions and encourage pastors to go for the heart, not merely the surface, when approached with questions of this kind.”

Really Close Up - Just ignore the fact that this is on the Mother Nature Network and enjoy these photographs of every day things really close up.

Epic Skies - Another amazing time lapse video. Sooner or later I’ve got to stop posting these things…

Christianity is summed up in the two facts: Christ for us and Christ in us. —Augustus Strong