When pastors or elders grow discontent in waiting on the Lord to bless His appointed means of grace, they can slide into mechanistic ministry mode–trusting in programs or external accommodations to do the work of ministry for them. This is one of the most difficult issues to expose, since those who begin to do these... Continue Reading

Abelard argued that the love of God in giving up his Son was designed to kindle in our hearts a corresponding love and repentance which together become the ground for the forgiveness of our sins. Thus, the object of Christ’s death is not God but man. His aim was not to satisfy the Father’s wrath... Continue Reading

In a statement, the Gladstone Institute noted that they were building upon the findings of senior investigator Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD, who in 2006 found that “he could make stem cells — dubbed induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — by treating ordinary skin cells with four key proteins.”   A team of scientists in California have... Continue Reading

Christians differ over how churches should address sins ministry leaders commit. Matthew 18 describes church discipline as a private process that involves the congregation only if the offender refuses to repent. But James 3:1 states church leaders “will be judged with greater strictness.”   All agree what happened, but the aftermath roils a cauldron of... Continue Reading

If you haven’t yet, take a look at the figures sometime—they’re quite staggering. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regularly releases a surveillance report indicating the number of abortions performed in the U.S. each year. The most recent data indicates that in 2014, 652,639 abortions were performed in the United States; in other words, 186 abortions... Continue Reading

Popular music, that telling barometer of popular culture, has kept pace with this trend. Nearly every heavy-metal band of the 1980s and ‘90s had a stock ballad about young heroes going down in a “blaze of glory.” Other popmusic references stress the invincible power of youth. Rod Stewart sings of being “Forever Young.” In their... Continue Reading

One notable scholar who does not appear to be particularly impressed by Hart’s translation is Wright, who is probably the closest thing current New Testament scholarship comes to having a celebrity. His review of Hart’s New Testament, published January 15 in The Christian Century, details a lengthy list of disagreements with Hart’s translation choices, and ends... Continue Reading

People who have lived long lives are worth learning from, if for no other reason than they have simply experienced more than we have. In Moses’ case, his faithful example and leadership make him even more interesting to study, which is why we should take seriously his prayer for wisdom recorded in Psalm 90 (we should... Continue Reading

Piper responded that he was working on the assumption that the Bible teaches the Church must be led by “spiritual, humble, biblically qualified men,” referencing 1st Timothy 2:12, which reads: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet.”   Bethlehem College & Seminary Chancellor and DesiringGod.com founder... Continue Reading

The beautiful reality is that God has given humans value by creating them in his own image (Genesis 1:27). In this one action, we see the Trinity establishing intrinsic value in each person. No external factors alter the value of a human being. Every person, from every race, across every nationality, is the precious workmanship... Continue Reading