Does the Woman Caught in Adultery Belong in the Bible?
Jesus’ famous act of mercy is missing in many manuscripts, raising questions about its place in the Bible.
There is indeed a wide scholarly consensus that the story was not originally a part of the Gospel of John, but on the other hand, it may well go back to a very early tradition about Jesus and a woman accused of many sins, which gradually found its way into John. The earliest reference to... Continue Reading
“I Am Who I Am”? The Real Meaning of God’s Name in Exodus
It shows us not simply that God exists but also that he is near to his people in love.
In the name Yahweh, God made himself known as a present being—present with and for his people. And wherever God’s presence is invoked, that announcement is pregnant with the certainty of his attention, his care, his power, and his grace. Perhaps a helpful paraphrase of God’s words at the burning bush would be, “Say to... Continue Reading
God’s Anger Can Open the Door to Experiencing His Mercy
God is both infinitely good and in control of all creation—even the evil in the world.
God’s anger “marks the end of indifference.” It marks the end of His patience with sinners, and ironically, it also signals the opening of the door to experiencing His mercy. This is the discipleship of Jeremiah—who spoke with compassion yet clarity and realism and counseled his people toward a relentless pursuit of the Lord through... Continue Reading
Expository Preaching Is Necessary, But Not Sufficient
Expository preaching is not a magic bullet, but it must be accompanied by something to have its desired effect.
Expositional preaching requires a living context to be understood. While the Holy Spirit is powerful enough to make the right applications to a completely blinded heart, he usually uses the natural means of family, church, and human culture to give a context to truth. Barring common grace, much in modern culture is useless for teaching... Continue Reading
What Does ‘Deconstruction’ Even Mean?
It’s helpful to keep in mind that a deconstructing Christian is often someone in significant pain.
So, what does deconstruction even mean? It means different things in different contexts. It is a postmodern philosophical label that has been adopted by current and former evangelicals to sometimes mean navigating a faith crisis, to sometimes mean identifying harmful cultural influences that distort the true gospel, to sometimes mean questioning and rejecting traditional evangelical doctrines and... Continue Reading
Freedom from the Tyranny of “Success”
What does success look like, especially in the context of ministry?
Faithfulness is obedience—obedience to God’s commands, calling, and gifting—and obedience is success. That means that you may not be the most gifted teacher, you’re the right teacher for your church at this moment. Even though you may not be the greatest evangelist in the world, but you’re the person to share the gospel with your... Continue Reading
By this We Know the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
When truth is seen as relative then in what or whom can anyone have faith and trust?
What is truth? Pilate asked this rhetorical question sarcastically. Jesus told him the truth, but since he was not “of the truth” he did not hear it. If you are in Christ then you are of the truth and you have heard our Lord’s voice and are hearing it right now. The Holy Spirit is... Continue Reading
“Non-Directive” Preaching
The committee has concluded that religious teaching and prayer about sexual identity should only be permitted if it’s conducted in a “non-directive way”.
“Non-directive” religion will mean that the censors have to cut most of the apostle Paul’s letters in half, and put the second-part through the paper-shredder. The Scottish government are OK with Ephesians chapters 1-3. That’s just “teaching”. But when Paul gets to his “therefore” in chapter 4, all the “directive” instruction in chapters 4-6 needs... Continue Reading
All Over-Realized Eschatologies Are Attempts to Change the Rules of the Game
This is not heaven and there are no shortcuts.
We are to be what we are: mere Christians redeemed and sanctified by grace alone, through faith alone, and seeking to live according to God’s moral law, in union with Christ, out of gratitude for God’s free favor in Christ—not in order to be justified and saved but because we have been justified and saved. Some... Continue Reading
The Key to Romans: God Wanted & Needed More Sin in Order to Save Us from It
What was so important about the timing of Jesus’ mission?
Jesus both provoked the world to the ultimate sin and then stepped in the path of that wrath. He came at the right time just when the priestly people who had been given the covenant law had become the worst offenders. He literally came on Judgment Day. And the only reason there is a world of... Continue Reading
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