Paul did occasionally refer to the “kingdom of God” as Jesus did (e.g., 1 Cor 6:9, 10; Gal 5:21), which showed he was conversant with what Jesus said. But there were a number of other points of contact between Paul and Jesus. All will recall Paul’s inclusion of Jesus’ teaching on divorce (1 Cor 7:10)…... Continue Reading

Whenever we are formed within a context that celebrates certain cultural expressions over against other expressions, we begin to expect the wrong things from a church. So when the day comes for us to unite with a different congregation, our list of expectations is devoid of the gospel. What your congregation celebrates corporately is just... Continue Reading

For Aquinas, justification refers not only to entrance into the family of God at Baptism – administered for the remission of sins – but to the infusion of sanctifying grace at Baptism and all the subsequent graces that work to transform the Christian from the inside out. Catholics are often surprised to learn that there... Continue Reading

We cannot not be more justified than we already are and we’ll be as glorified as any mortal man ever will be. Joy to the world indeed. Joy to us. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.... Continue Reading

There never was a God given right to a university education, generations of Europeans have been convinced by socialist politicians that they not only have a right to such an education, they are entitled to it I attended the University of St. Andrews from 1987-1991 finally escaping with a barely earned M.A. During my time... Continue Reading

Parents cannot be spectators in the lives of their children, but should set rules, establish expectations, enforce limitations, and constantly monitor their teenagers’ digital lives. Anything less is a form of parental negligence. Sunday’s edition of The New York Times [12/05/10] gave front-page attention to the problem of adolescent bullying on the Internet. There can... Continue Reading

I think this is necessary because while at one time, neither American Presbyterians, nor Baptists, nor Congregationalists, nor any of the American Protestant denominations that confessed that worship should consist only of what is commanded in scripture practiced them. I am preaching today on this subject [why we don’t observe the church calendar] because I... Continue Reading

The case for the Unity of the Bible grows as scholarship catches up with Biblical revelation. Instead of seeing Paul as the one responsible for founding a new offshoot of the Jesus movement or even as the alleged founder of Chriistianity, we take him at his word: he was a servant of Jesus Christ! In... Continue Reading

Have you ever gotten the impression that the teaching of the apostles is at odds with the teaching of Jesus? Sometimes it may seem that way, especially when we see Jesus emphasizing certain things that the apostles don’t, and vice versa. Though we may be confident that, in the end, their teaching is harmonious, we... Continue Reading

If we begin with gospel, and if we understand gospel as Paul does in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, then we will find what unifies Jesus and Paul—that both witness to Jesus as the center of God’s story. Many biblical scholars and lay Christians have noted that Jesus preached almost exclusively about the kingdom of heaven, while... Continue Reading