The fourth most commented article with 266 comments on the original UBFriends is Galatians Set Me Free From Legalism. I wrote about how Paul, a “junior” rebuked Peter, a “senior” publicly. Paul then shared and circulated how and why he rebuked Peter in a letter to be read in all the churches (Gal 2:11-14). Today it is like sending out a mass email to everyone in the church to explain how a Christian leader made a big mistake! Basically, Paul pointed out clearly and in detail why Peter, the senior leader, was clearly in the wrong. In that strongly hierarchical Jewish culture, this was huge and unthinkable.Read More
Perspective Matters
Recently the building at my workplace had Leon Keer paint one of his famous floor paintings in the lobby. This artwork is simply amazing! I noticed when walking through the lobby that the place I stand makes a huge difference in what I see. The painting looked horrible from the side. How can this be art? But when I stood in the “stand here” spot, my mind was blown! I think it is the same with the Bible. When we do not have the correct perspective, the world around us looks odd. Perspective is why ten people can look at the same text or the same object or the same theological concept, and produce ten different conclusions.
The Four Reform Events
Overview of Attempts to Reform UBF
Since 1961, the UBF organization has endure four times of reform (or crisis) depending on how you look at it. Here are some of my observations about each event.