Gary and Kim Burgess return to the conversation of 1 Corinthians 15 by discussing parallel passages in 2 Corinthians. GARY: When one studies Shakespeare, for example, one has got to go back to Shakespeare’s time to understand Shakespeare properly, but, somehow, odd as it is, when it comes to the Bible, it is more or less treated like a magic book for many people; a book somehow immune from these s [...]
Recently, I received an email from a woman who asked whether I could direct her to sources that refute Gnosticism. She wrote that a friend of hers “claims to be on an extraordinarily intense spiritual ‘pilgrimage’ of ‘really pressing in to know God intimately’—but this guy has in effect divorced himself from the material world and from all relationships (including his wife and 10 children) which h [...]
Gary offers his initial thoughts about the taking of Nicolas Maduro by American troops and the situation in Venezuela. Does the Bible forbid Christians from being involved in politics? It would be a hard case to prove since there are numerous books of the Bible that are filled with politics—from Joshua, Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel to 1 and 2 Kings and the Old Testament Prophets. King David is confr [...]
Some (too many) Christians advocate a form of factual neutrality, under which some subjects—science, geography, politics, mathematics—can be taught without regard to religion, since “facts speak for themselves.” This is most evident in education, where a self-conscious sacred-secular divide is maintained and supported by Christians. Ninety percent of Christian parents send their children to govern [...]
Gary discusses recent comments from some leftists about “taxing rich people”—like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk—at a higher rate. The Bible is the standard for every aspect of life. It tells us a great deal about economics. And it tells us that God’s law alone is the standard of right and wrong, of justice and injustice. We might therefore expect that the Bible would have much to say [...]
According to a radio editorial some years ago, “a man’s religion and the strength of his conviction are his own personal matter” and therefore “religion should not interfere with politics.”[1] Regrettably, many churches during Hitler’s rise to power accepted the argument that religion and morality should be separated from politics based on the neutrality claim. “Religion was a private matter,” his [...]
Gary weighs in on Pastor Loran Livingston’s claim that Earth is not his home, as well as his own thoughts about adding extra material to printed Bibles. The form of civil government the Founders developed was decentralized and specifically designed to limit political power. As Thomas Jefferson stated in the Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, “In questions of power, let no more be heard of confide [...]
What are some of the worldview concepts that Christians have failed to beat, and what steps must be taken to beat them and offer alternatives? 1. Failure to Identify and Challenge an Opponent’s Presuppositions and Their Intended or Unintended Consequences. “What’s it going to cost?” is the first thing a savvy shopper asks when purchasing an item, not only in the purchase price of a car or a house, [...]
Please consider a year-end donation to American Vision to keep us going strong in 2026! The late Otto Scott, a former journalist, editor, historian, and author of ten books and numerous articles, was attracted to the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life because they didn’t agree on every point. Scott recounts how he became a Christian after reading the gospels and their differences: Well, my wife was Ch [...]
Listen to Gary’s year-end podcast for 2025 Please consider a year-end donation to American Vision to keep us going strong in 2026! In 2023, the infamous Three Questions Letter controversy became a significant factor in my life and American Vision’s ministry work. I refused to answer questions because they did not include attached Scripture passages. Because of my refusal, Andrew Sandlin post [...]
On Christmas Eve of 2024, outdoorsman Bear Grylls stated on his X account that Mary was a “Palestinian” and that she and Joseph were “refugees” when they traveled to Bethlehem. Today, we are “celebrating the birth of a Middle Eastern refugee” who “changed the course of the world forever.” I suppose this means that any Middle Eastern refugee can change our world today. (Source) Every Christmas, Lef [...]
Gary discusses the classic Christmas film, Miracle on 34th Street and many instances of how this film presents opportunities for thinking through worldviews and Christian apologetics. Most evangelicals tend to think in “words.” This is certainly understandable because of the Protestant focus on the Bible as the sole authority (sola Scriptura) and the Lutheran concept of the “priesthood of all beli [...]
Many people get bent out of shape when they see ‘Xmas’ or ‘X-Mas.’ (Don’t get me started on “ ‘Christmas’ Trees”). Critics think it’s a way of removing Jesus Christ from Christmas. Removing Christ from Christmas happens in many direct ways, but X-Mas is not one of them. “Every year you see the signs and the bumper stickers saying, ‘Put Christ back into Christmas’ as a response to this substitution [...]
Gary revisits one of his favorite topics: movies! Rick Welch invited Gary back to his Burros of Berea podcast a few weeks ago to discuss more Christmas films. Many Christians seem to believe that thinking is an act of unbelief. They do not even begin to understand how the Bible might apply, for example, to science, economics, politics, law, or education. They might have opinions about these topics [...]
Frequently, around Christmas time, we are treated to yet another (often just a repeat of previous “findings”) naturalistic explanation of the biblical “Star of Bethlehem.” Natural explanations of biblical phenomena can sometimes have their place, but they can also be diversions—for unbelievers and believers alike. A far better approach for believers is to know and receive the deep, rich biblical m [...]
Gary continues speaking with Rick Welch of The Burros of Berea podcast about Christmas movies. These movies are not necessarily “Christian” in the sense that many modern Christians tend to think about such things. While they may lack a comprehensive Gospel message that leads viewers to the Cross, that misses the point of what makes something Christian or non-Christian. Christians should be able to [...]
Every Christmas, there is the inevitable talk about a “war on Christmas.” Not all opposition comes from secularists, atheists, and Muslims (see here and here). Some Christians believe the Bible does not set aside the birth of Jesus as a special calendar day to honor His birth because such a celebration violates the “regulative principle of worship.” Acknowledging the birth of Jesus is biblical. Ch [...]
William Ochoa is a pastor in Guatemala and joins Gary on the podcast today. William has been using Gary’s and American Vision’s materials to minister and train pastors in Guatemala. Developing a biblical worldview can never be separated from Jesus’ saving work. If men and women do not turn to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, they will turn to themselves, to another individual, an idea, [...]
Gary welcomes Kim Burgess back to answer a listener’s question about 1 Corinthians 15:24–28. My thesis in this series is that OT Israel was Yahweh’s chosen means to bring salvation to the Gentile nations of the world. Not understanding this principle gets us off track. People think that eschatology, because of the influence of the historic creeds of the Church and of the various systematic t [...]
This is a continuation of this article from last week. It is an excerpt from American Vision’s new book, The Greatest and the Least: A Biblical Theology of John the Baptist, by Eric Rauch and Zach Davis. Signs and Visions There were also several other visions given during this time. The first is when Mary and Joseph bring the baby Jesus to the temple to “offer a sacrifice according to the law” (Lu [...]
