R. L. Solberg

A Brief History of Christmas

(An excerpt from the book Full of Grace and Truth: The Biblical Roots of Christmas) Every December, conversations about Christmas seem to flare up again—both joyful and skeptical. Some celebrate it as the heart of the Christian story; others question its origins or even reject it as a “borrowed” pagan holiday. Yet behind all the […]

R. L. Solberg 19 minutes agoNovember 6, 2025

Culture Faith Personal

Heartbreak in Minneapolis

As a nation, as fellow Christians—as human beings—the grief and anger run deep because of the cowardly act of evil and murder at Annunciation in Minneapolis on the morning of August 27, 2025. For my wife, Deb, and me, this tragedy hits close to home. Annunciation is the church and school she attended growing up. […]

R. L. Solberg 2 months agoAugust 30, 2025

Apologetics Faith Theology

To Whose Name Do We Bend Our Knee?

I was recently a guest on a show called Tanak Talk, where the host—having left Christianity to embrace Judaism—posed a question I found incisive. He pointed out an apparent tension between two texts: Isaiah 45:23, in which Yahweh declares, “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance,” and Philippians 2:10–11, where Paul […]

R. L. Solberg 4 months agoJuly 10, 2025

Faith Personal Theology

Why Galatians Matters Today

My parents tell me I was a curious child—always asking questions, challenging assumptions, and refusing to accept simple answers. I vividly remember the frustration of asking, “Why do I have to go to bed if I’m not tired?” only to hear the dreaded response, “Because I said so.” That answer so vexed my young soul […]

R. L. Solberg 6 months agoApril 28, 2025

Apologetics Culture Faith Theology

Busting the Easter-Pagan Myths

Every spring, like clockwork, claims resurface connecting Easter to ancient goddesses and mysterious pagan rituals. Could there be any truth to them? Let’s separate historical fact from Internet fiction and see if there truly are any pagan roots hidden in the Christian celebration of the resurrection of Christ. Ishtar and Easter Perhaps the most popular […]

R. L. Solberg 7 months agoApril 28, 2025

Faith Personal Theology

A Christmas Confession

By. R. L. Solberg. Originally published at 1517.org – The name Emmanuel means “God with us.” This morning, I found myself wondering why God would choose to do such an outrageous thing for our benefit. Why would the living God of the Universe come down and walk among the dust and sweat of the human […]

R. L. Solberg 10 months agoJanuary 6, 2025

Academic Apologetics Theology

Sin Sacrifice: A Response to C. M. Hegg

To download a PDF of this paper, click here. Introduction In an undated paper entitled “Sin Sacrifice,” C. M. Hegg presents an explanation of Pronomian theology1 on the issue of sin sacrifices. He specifically seeks to defend his position that “God’s law hasn’t changed and that one day we will see another temple built with […]

R. L. Solberg 1 year agoJanuary 13, 2025

Academic Theology

What Makes the New Covenant New?

Have you ever wondered why the Bible is broken into Old and New Testaments? What is a “testament“ anyway? The English word “testament” comes from the Latin word testamentum, which is a translation of the Hebrew word běrît, which means “covenant.” In other words, “Old Testament” and “New Testament” mean “old covenant” and “new covenant.” Broadly […]

R. L. Solberg 1 year agoOctober 6, 2024

Academic Apologetics Theology

Zechariah 14 (Part 3)

Continued from Part 2. Apologetic and Theological Reflection Like all OT texts, Zechariah’s vision in 14:16–21 must be viewed through the lens of sensus plenior as revealed by the advent of Christ and the revelation of the NT texts. The first observation to note is the apparent absence of the Messiah from the narrative of […]

R. L. Solberg 1 year agoJune 19, 2024

Academic Apologetics Theology

Zechariah 14 (Part 2)

Continued from Part 1. Worshiping Yahweh (14:16–21) Following the defeat of everyone who waged war against Jerusalem, who were stricken with a flesh-rotting plague (14:12) and relieved of their gold, silver, and garments (14:14), we read this: 16 Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year […]

R. L. Solberg 1 year agoJune 19, 2024