The Reformed Olive Press

  Faith Alone? A Closer Look at Paul, James, and Luther "You will notice that Paul says a man is justified by faith (pistei in Greek)." That line has echoed through Christian thought for centuries, especially since the Reformation. But how often do we stop and ask what it really meant to Paul—and whether we’ve added our own meanings on top of his words? In Romans 3:28, Paul writes: “For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.” The Greek word he uses for faith is πίστει (pistei)—meaning not just belief, but trust, loyalty, and relational faithfulness. Paul is making a bold claim here, but not one that stands in isolation from the rest of Scripture. In the 1500s, Martin Luther—frustrated with abuses in the medieval Catholic Church—translated Romans into German. He added a word that doesn’t appear in the original Greek: allein, meaning “alone.” So Romans 3:28 became, in his version, “justified by faith alone.” This addition helped galvanize the Refo...

  Is a F@tus a Full Person in the Bible? Exploring Ancient Views on @bortio* Modern debates around @bortio* often invoke the Bible and Christian tradition as unwaveringly “pr#-life,” suggesting that opposition to @bortio* has always been central to the faith. However, historical and textual evidence reveals a far more nuanced and evolving view—one shaped by ancient Jewish law, Greek philosophy, early Christian thought, and modern political movements. The Bible and the Status of the F@tus When we turn to the Hebrew Bible, we find that a f@tus is not treated as a full legal or moral person. One of the clearest examples is found in Exodus 21:22–25, which describes a situation in which two men fight and accidentally strike a pregnant woman. If she gives birth prematurely but there is no further harm, the offender is fined. But if there is additional harm (interpreted by most as harm to the woman), the lex talionis—“life for life, eye for eye…”—applies. NOTE: The f@tus is not granted eq...

C oming Down from Heaven Doesn’t Make You God: Jesus and the Ancient Tradition of Divine Descent In modern Christian theology—especially within traditions that uphold the divinity of Jesus—his claim to have “come down from heaven” is often used as airtight evidence that he is God himself. But is that the only possible meaning? Or even the most likely one, considering the cultural and historical context? Surprisingly, the ancient world is filled with examples of kings, sages, prophets, and even founders of entire civilizations who were said to have “descended from heaven.” This concept wasn’t a declaration of deity—it was a way of legitimizing authority, kingship, and a divine mission on earth. In fact, many of these figures were still fully human, yet described in god-like terms to affirm their role in history. 1. Assyrian Royal Claim (12th Century BC) Tiglath‑Pileser I declared: “From heaven they made me king.” Here, divine descent doesn’t mean divinity. It’s an expression of divine c...

  What Did Ancient Jews Really Think About Sex Before Marriage? In today’s religious circles, “sex before marriage” is often labeled as a universal sin. But if we return to the world of the ancient Hebrews, we’ll discover a much more nuanced picture—one based not on modern purity culture but on covenant, responsibility, and communal honor. In fact, the very concept of “premarital sex” as we know it didn’t really exist in biblical times. Sex Could Be Marriage in Ancient Israel Unlike today, there was no required religious wedding ceremony in biblical Israel. A man and woman became married through: Parental agreement (usually from the father), An exchange of bride-price or dowry, And finally, sexual consummation, which sealed the bond. In Genesis 24:67, Isaac takes Rebekah into his mother’s tent—and that’s it. That act finalized their union. No priest. No ceremony. No registry. So, if a man had sex with a woman with the intent to form a union, this was often considered marriage. In o...

E phesians 5: Marriage Is Not Sacred—Christ Is "This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church." — Ephesians 5:32 For centuries, Ephesians 5 has been read as a divine endorsement of marriage—lifting it up as a sacred institution, a holy bond, and even a mirror of the Gospel. But what if that’s not what Paul intended at all? What if Ephesians 5 isn’t about making marriage sacred, but about using marriage as a metaphor for something far more eternal: the union between Christ and His body? The Mystery Is Christ and the Church, Not Marriage Paul plainly states his purpose in verse 32: “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” This is the interpretive key. Paul isn’t elevating marriage—he’s redefining its relevance under the new covenant. The focus is not on preserving or sanctifying a human institution, but on using a familiar social relationship to communicate a spiritual reality. Marriage is the metaphor. Christ is the messa...

Marriage Is a Social Construct—But One With Boundaries When we open the Bible and look for a clearly defined institution of “marriage,” we don’t find one. What we find instead is a developing cultural practice—one that changes dramatically from Genesis to the New Testament. From polygamy and concubinage to monogamy and covenant partnership, marriage has never been a one-size-fits-all framework in Scripture. Yet even as marriage evolves, the Bible maintains certain relational boundaries—notably the consistent rejection of *nc@st and s@#e-s@x relationships. This tension tells us something powerful: Marriage is not a divine blueprint handed down once for all—but a human institution God worked through. Adam and Eve: Companionship, Not a Wedding The story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2 is often read as the origin of marriage. But there's no formal covenant, ceremony, or priest. The man and woman are united as companions, partners, and co-laborers—not in a wedding, but in shared life. The ...