Category Archives: Old Codex Blog Posts

Posts from my old Codex: Biblical Studies Blog

Banning Laptops in Class?

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Sounds like a good idea to me. While we got rid of our wireless Internet in our classrooms after the Christmas break (by unanimous decision of the faculty council), students still bring laptops to class. Just last week one of my colleagues was complaining how a student was clicking away during a presentation by another student — very annoying. I don’t have strong feelings about banning laptops, though nothing irritates me more when I am lecturing (or a student is asking a question, etc.) and a student is clicking away on their laptop in a way that suggests they are NOT taking notes. Of course, if someone is actually taking notes and is not being disruptive to other students, then I don’t have a problem with it.

If you want to read about someone who banned laptops in the classroom, check out this post over at The Volokh Conspiracy.

What do other professors/students think?


My Second Blogiversary

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Two years ago today I decided on a whim to start a blog. Now two years and 648 posts and 856 comments later Codex Blogspot is still alive and kicking. I have had over 190,000 visitors from all over the world to the blog — a statistic that is mind-blowing.

There have been a couple blogging lulls over the last two years (like the last couple weeks!), but I think I have managed to be fairly consistent with posting regularly and on a variety of subjects. I have tried to both have content posts and news posts, long and short posts, academic and more popular posts, and — of course — serious and funny posts. Some of my favourites may be found here.

At any rate, thank you for visiting and making my blogging experience one that is both positive and fruitful.

Cheers!


A Thought for Good Friday

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I am always struck by the reality that the one thing we are called to emulate as followers of Christ is Christ’s self-sacrifice. May God grant us the grace and courage to have the same mindset as our Lord and Saviour who “because he was in very nature God… humbled himself, becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.”

2Have the same mindset
Have the same love
Be “soul-joined�
Have one mindset.

3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit,
But in humility regard one another as more important than oneself.

4Do not merely look out for your own interests,
But also look out for the interests of others.

5Your mindset should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

6Who, because he was in very nature God,
Did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped,
7But emptied himself,
Taking the very nature of a slave,
Coming to be in the likeness of human beings.
8And, being found in appearance as a human being,
He humbled himself
Becoming obedient to death –
Even death on a cross!

9Therefore also,
God highly exalted him,
And granted him the name
That is above every name

10That
At the name belonging to Jesus
“Every knee should bow,�
of those who are in heaven
and on earth
and under the earth

11And that “every tongue should confess�
That Jesus Christ is Lord
To the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:2-11).

In verse 6, Paul is not saying that although Jesus was in nature God, he took the form of a slave; rather he is saying that it is precisely BECAUSE Jesus was in very nature God, that he did what he did. Jesus’ humble self-giving, self-sacrificing love towards humanity defines the very essence of God. As as followers of Christ, it should also define who we are.


Happy Fool’s Day!

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Ah… April Fool’s Day… I have many fond memories about fooling friends on April Fool’s Day. I think one of my best pranks was giving some friends eviction notices when we were all living in student housing at the University of Toronto. Another prank that I am quite fond of is my blog post from one year ago today: “David King of Judahâ€? Seal Uncovered (April Fool’s Day 2006 Post). Since my actual birthday is on April 1st, I have the advantage of always being aware that April Fool’s day is coming. I don’t have any pranks planned for this year… or do I?

Have a great day!