Does the Gospel of Mark Present Jesus as God?
Over the years it has been claimed that John presents Jesus as divine, and the Synoptic gospels, particularly Mark, present Jesus as human
While we certainly can agree that different gospels have different emphases, and that they articulate Christological truths in their own ways, is it really the case that gospels like Mark view Jesus as merely human? Not at all. In fact, it is worth noting that Mark presents Jesus as God from the very opening few... Continue Reading
You Might Be a Celebrity Christian Wannabe If. . .
In general, there is a temptation to pursue being popular; to pursue being a celebrity
You cannot correct the wrong doctrines of your heroes or admit when they’re wrong. “The Scriptures alone” is a mantra you don’t heed. After all, you cannot “bite the hand that feeds.” Correcting other celebrity Christians in your theological camp will hurt your celebrity status. In blogdom, writing, and pastoral ministry in general, there is... Continue Reading
Trouble, With A Capital “T”
Every church will have troublemakers
A pastor’s wife should be welcoming to new people while avoiding naivety. Romans gives an example of this. In Romans 15:7, Paul instructs us to “welcome one another as Christ welcomed you.” A chapter later (Romans 16: 17, 18), he is warning “to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles.” According to... Continue Reading
Woman Sues InterVarsity Over Firing After Her Divorce
The lawsuit claims that she was treated differently than two male colleagues, who went through separation, divorce and remarriage and were allowed to stay on staff
“When there are significant marital issues, we encourage employees to seek appropriate help to move towards reconciliation,” InterVarsity says, according to the lawsuit. When dealing with employment issues and divorce, ministry leaders take into consideration who initiated the divorce, the impact on work competency and funding and the effect on colleagues, students, faculty and donors.... Continue Reading
Why Public Prayer Is About More Than Culture Wars
Most of us support voluntary public prayer not because we oppose the separation of church and state but because we support it
A prayer, by definition, isn’t a speech made to a public audience but is instead a petition made to a higher Being. For the government to censor such prayers is to turn the government into a theological referee, and would, in fact, establish a state religion: a state religion of generic American civil religious mush... Continue Reading
Revisiting the Grace Boys
Too many are preaching a truncated gospel: justification without sanctification, faith without works, privilege without duty, grace without law, holiness without effort
Those whose every answer to worldliness is “preach the gospel again” or “think more about your justification,” are preaching “one size fits all” answers to complex spiritual problems. People are diverse. Different people at different times need encouragement or rebuke, reassurance or warning. Any attempts to eclipse the fullness of the biblical revelation must be... Continue Reading
Southern Baptists Sue Federal Government Over Obamacare
Southern Baptists are suing the federal government over Obamacare’s contraception mandate
Three non-profit religious organizations, including a division of the Nashville-based Southern Baptist Convention, are suing the federal government over a controversial contraceptives regulation that is a part of the Affordable Care Act. The organizations Monday announced the class-action lawsuit against the federal requirement that employers cover the cost of contraceptives, including drugs that can cause... Continue Reading
Teen Boy Harasses Girls in Their Bathroom, Colo. School Tells Girls They Have No Rights
Should 99.7% of our students lose their privacy and free speech rights just because .3% of the population are gender-confused?
Parents at the school, located near Colorado Springs, became irate when they learned that a teenage boy was entering girls’ bathrooms and, according to some students, even making sexually harassing comments toward girls he was encountering. When the parents confronted school officials, they were stunned to be told the boy’s rights as a self-proclaimed transgender... Continue Reading
Falling on Deaf Ears?—Why So Many Churches Hear So Little of the Bible
“It is well and good for the preacher to base his sermon on the Bible, but he better get to something relevant pretty quickly, or we start mentally to check out.”
Christians need the ministry of the Word as the Bible is read before the congregation such that God’s people—young and old, rich and poor, married and unmarried, sick and well—hear it together. The sermon is to consist of the exposition of the Word of God, powerfully and faithfully read, explained, and applied. It is not... Continue Reading
Five Lessons About Sin From AMC’s ‘Breaking Bad’
One of the main elements of ‘Breaking Bad,’ perhaps the driving element, was the destructive and ultimate dehumanizing effects of sin
I do believe that the series artfully and successfully depicted the “wages of sin” for a culture that is often uninterested in the consequences of real and present personal evil. We should be reminded that such a point is valuable and worth making, so much so that the Scriptures are full of examples of similar... Continue Reading