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...
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...
There was a criticism raise against my book by an amazon reviewer specifically on my treatment of the doctrine of election (and predestination). Here, NT Wright speaks to the criticism. With this, SFP never claims to have the scope to go into great...
Raising kids has reminded me that we don’t always know what’s best for ourselves, even as adults. This seems simple, but this is really is the issue at the heart of the brokenness of humanity. This is ultimately what has gone wrong. This very point...
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship (Rom 12:1). Service and sacrifice is a form of worship. This verse refers back to...
This is an abbreviated version of my Commencement Address at the 2015 EBS Graduation that took place today (May 15, 2015). Philippians 2 paints for us a wonderful portrait. It is a portrait of the character of Christ. As the stated goal of EBS is to...
The concept of the faithfulness of God (Gr. dikaiosyne theou) in Paul is a hot topic for the New Perspective vs. Old Perspective dialogue. The New Perspective argues (quite strongly) that Paul never talks about the faithfulness of of God in...
I’ve been known to point out that the resurrection of Jesus is not about dying and going to heaven, but about the new creation. This theme of new creation is crucial in the gospel accounts and we often times miss it, unfortunately. The goal of...
Don’t underestimate what God can do through you. When we do this, we’re not underestimating ourselves, but God. We must remember that of all the people Jesus could have chose to change the world he chose uneducated fisherman. The...
One of my best and most trusted friends, who I will call Chase, emailed me this morning with an excellent question. Chase wrote this, “Can you explain this statement to me, ‘Faith does not come by intellectual ascension but by the Word and...