But we need to remind ourselves to whom Paul’s great letter was sent. Looming up behind the various discussions of why Romans was written is an issue not usually noticed. Paul was coming to Rome with the gospel message of Jesus the Jewish...
I mentioned in this post that the Bible compares Jesus and the Church to a married couple. I noted that the points of comparison between the two are deep love and commitment (self-sacrificing love and commitment). This isn’t the only metaphor the...
The Bible calls the church is the “Bride of Christ” (Rev 21:2, 9-10; John 3:29; Mark 2:19). But what are the points of comparison between a husband and wife and the Church and Jesus? First, there is a deep love between the two. This love is self...
Surprisingly, the Kingdom of God isn’t mentioned much these days in the church. It’s surprising because it’s the one thing that Jesus talked about most often. Jesus’s life and ministry were shaped around the concept of the Kingdom of God and...
Violence and oppression are brothers. They are in the same category. They’re not the same thing, but they produce the same results: division and hatred. Violence and oppression are the instruments that a broken world uses to secure itself. Broken...
Not long ago I wrote about guarding our minds and hearts by being careful about what we allow ourselves to be exposed to in the world. I said that the same way that we have to be very careful about eating clean food, we likewise have to be very...
In light of current events, it is often times difficult to believe that Jesus is, in fact, in control. The mobilization of militant Islam, the quagmire of American politics and international relations, unending wars and threats of wars, the...
(I was blocked out of my own account because of security adjustments made by one of my plugins. Sorry for the blackout!) Growing up in south Jersey I had access to some of the best Italian food on the planet. Even though my family isn’t Italian, we...
Many in the Reformed tradition criticize NT Wright for his interpretation of the Pauline doctrine of Justification. Listen in as Tom Wright debates the issue with James White.
Romans 1:1–6 reads: Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to...