Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
As I write this, there is a revival going on at Asbury University. This is drawing a lot of attention. This is not the first nor the last revival that has come our way. About twenty-five years ago, I lived near Toronto and I visited the Toronto Blessing numerous times. While the style is probably … Read More “Thoughts on Revival” »
The Anglican Church is in great turmoil at the moment over how to deal with same-sex marriage. How does the head of the church, Justin Welby, fit into this? I saw an outrageous claim on Twitter. In the article attached to that tweet, there is this comment: “This is a highly inappropriate and sinister comment … Read More “Has the Archbishop of Canterbury Threatened to Punish Those Who Support Traditional Marriage?” »
There is a lot about the church that I get discouraged about and it would be normal to question why I would want to be a part of it. I have seen Christian leaders fall, not just into sin but into abuse. And not “slimy” leaders that you might suspect were up to no good, … Read More “2 Reasons I’m Still in the Church” »
Many people equate religion with belief in the afterlife and some might even expect that to be the driving force behind most religions. When it comes to the Bible, most people understand the afterlife in fairly clear categories of heaven and hell. The truth is that what most people think the Bible says about the … Read More “5 Things You Might Not Know About the Bible and the Afterlife” »
You encounter a person and there is a label attached to them. It may be progressive or evangelical or charismatic or reformed. Does that label tell you everything you need to know about their beliefs? Labels are useful but limited in explanatory power. The truth is that most of the labels used by Christians today … Read More “Theology, Labels, and Making Assumptions” »
What role should the church play when it comes to helping the poor? In my early 20s, after time growing up in a liberal church and then away from church as an atheist, I joined a very conservative church. The view there was that helping the poor could be tolerable if it was directly related … Read More “Christians, Poverty, and What We Should Do” »
Deconstruction is one of the most widely discussed topics within the church today. People have widely varied views on deconstruction, seeing it as the greatest danger to the church to seeing it as the greatest hope for the church. Part of what needs to be discussed is what we mean by deconstruction. I think some … Read More “Have I Deconstructed My Faith?” »
After a time in my teens and early twenties as an atheist, I returned to the church and discovered a personal faith. A major part of that was reading the Bible and wrestling with the things I was encountering. I quickly embraced a love for the Bible and an interest in theology, although in those … Read More “Theological Questions Should Not Be Discouraged” »
I truly believe that there will always be a need for Christian apologetics. What that apologetics looks like might shift from era to era but it will always be important. However, I have seen a change in how Christian apologetics is undertaken and it concerns me. I see an increasing adoption of a conviction that … Read More “A Plea to Contemporary Christian Apologists” »
I often talk about the process of interpreting when it comes to the Bible. I don’t mean the practical steps of interpretation, although I’m very interested in that, but rather the theological implications of interpretation. The statement that I am often trying to respond to is: “The Bible clearly says…” What do people mean when … Read More “Bible Reading, Interpretation, and Confidence” »
Andy Stanley keeps getting in trouble with evangelicals over some of his teachings. Remember when he suggested people unhitch from the Old Testament? Well he has gone and done it again. You can watch a clip from an interview Andy Stanley did with Ed Stetzer. A number of evangelicals are really upset about this. Stanley … Read More “Is Andy Stanley a Heretic… Again?” »
One of the more controversial figures in conservative figures is David French. French was known for a long time as a respected conservative commentator. But in recent years, he has become much more moderate. His critics would say progressive. Recently, many conservatives on social media have attacked French over his statements about legislation in the … Read More “Is David French Celebrating Same-Sex Marriage?” »
The most important book for Christians is the Bible. It is important for us to read it, study it, and reflect upon its teachings. But what happens when we find it confusing or even disturbing? I remember when I cam back to faith in my early 20s after a childhood of not really taking it … Read More “It is Okay to Struggle With the Bible” »
I find that there are many Christians, both conservative and liberal, who fall into the same trap. They put much of their effort into winning the culture war. What is the culture war? Here is one definition: Culture war is the cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, … Read More “It’s Not About Winning the Culture War” »
For as long as there is Christianity, there is a need for apologetics. Much of the apologetics work that takes place is on the popular level, and that is much needed. But there is also a need for scholarly work. There is a new journal that deals with a number of topics which overlap significantly … Read More “Trinity Journal of Natural & Philosophical Theology” »
For many people, prayer is a simple topic. You ask God for something and God decides whether or not to grant the request. There’s not much to think about. Or is there? What actually happens when we pray? When we pray, does God take into consideration our request and adjust his actions accordingly? Would God … Read More “We Don’t Have to Fully Understand Prayer” »
I have been thinking a lot about the role of love in the Christian life and what that looks like. Two different things have been bringing this together. One is preaching through 1 John at our church and the other is some Twitter interactions with some very conservative evangelicals. It is incredible how much of … Read More “What Does Christian Love Look Like?” »
I was raised in a liberal mainline church. I will admit that during the majority of my time in that congregation, I did not take my faith that seriously. It was while attending that church that I ended up becoming an atheist. After I returned to faith, I also returned to that congregation for a … Read More “Evangelical Christianity is Not the Only True Christianity” »
Some people are extremely confident in their interpretation of the Bible. So much so, they will claim that what they say is not an interpretation but the direct voice of the Bible itself. They get frustrated when people disagree with their interpretation because those people are not disagreeing with an interpretation but are disagreeing with … Read More “We All Interpret the Bible” »
Albert Mohler recently caused a stir when he suggested that faithful Christians have only one option when it comes to voting, and while he didn’t name the party, it was evident to all that it was the Republican Party. The implication is that those who do not vote for that party are unfaithful Christians. You … Read More “How “Faithful” Christians Must Vote” »
There are many Christians who believe that the gifts of the Spirit described in 1 Corinthians 12 ended, either with the death of the apostles or the completion of the New Testament (they are not sure which). Instead of just accepting their assertion, I tend to request some biblical support for this. While I understand … Read More “Does 1 Corinthians 13 teach Cessationism?” »
While this generalization lacks some nuance, there are Christians who believe that God only speaks through Scripture and those who believe that God speaks through other means today as well. I understand that there are cessationists, those who believe the sign gifts of 1 Corinthians 12 are no longer available, have some differing views. For … Read More “Cessationism and the Sufficiency of Scripture” »
I recently got into a discussion with someone on Twitter over a comment he made. He stated: “Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a gay Christian.” This was part of a series of tweets expressing views designed to be provocative. I wanted to respond to this one because I have heard … Read More “Is There Such a Thing as a “Gay Christian”?” »
My goal is not to tell you why you should read the Bible but to get you to ask yourself why you are currently reading the Bible. What are you trying to get out of it. It is common for our purpose to change over time and possibly for there to be parallel goals in … Read More “Why Do You Read the Bible?” »
I have not done research on this and this is just an observation based on conversations and scanning of discussions among people on social media. It is also based on what I see within denominations. There seems to be a growing gap among Christians with the conservatives becoming more conservatives and the liberals becoming more … Read More “The Widening of the Theological Gap” »
I recently recorded a new video that I called “The So-Called Canadian Persecution of the Church.” You can watch it at the bottom of this post. At the time I am writing this, I have had a number of comments, all of them completely disagreeing with my dismissal of a persecution in Canada. Why can … Read More “Why There is No Persecution of Christians in Canada” »
Many Christians are rejoicing over the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v Wade and what that means for the availability of abortion. I am not going to go into the legal ramifications and what this will mean for abortion access in each of the states. That is not my area. I’m not even American. How … Read More “Christians and the Overturning of Roe v Wade” »
Should Christians seek to be winsome in their interactions with the non-Christian world? That is becoming more and more of a debate, partially based around Tim Keller’s thoughts on this. You can get caught up a bit on what Tim Keller says and how his critics have responded here. First, we need to have some … Read More “In Defence of Winsome Christianity” »
You are a part of a Christian congregation. You are united by a common faith in Jesus Christ. But what happens if there are disagreements in other areas? How much diversity is acceptable? I remember talking to another Baptist pastor in our former association. He was concerned that some of the other pastors were not … Read More “How Important is Theological Uniformity?” »
There have been times in my Christian journey that I wanted to know all the answers. Not just to be able to share them with others in apologetic conversations but for my own comfort. I saw the value of a tight theological system that had an explanation for everything. The most confusing Bible passage, the … Read More “We Don’t Need to Have All the Answers” »
What type of Christian is apologetics for? Is it for just conservative evangelicals or is it something that all Christians can benefit from? It is interesting that I ask this question because I asked something similar about disability theology. In this post, I recognized that liberal churches are more active in disability theology/ministry, but that … Read More “Is Christian Apologetics Only For Conservative Evangelicals?” »
I am a huge fan of comic book movies, as well as science fiction/fantasy. I am also a Christian who seeks to communicate the truth of the gospel. When all of this comes together, I am very happy. Thanks to Frank and Zach Turek and their book, Hollywood Heroes, we have the best of both … Read More “Hollywood Heroes – Review” »
If you have been on Twitter lately, you will be aware there is a widespread campaign to #boycottdisney. This is more than just about a disagreement over direction. The accusations are quite harsh. Here is an example: What is going on here? There are actually two things. One is Disney’s opposition to the “Don’t Say … Read More “Is Disney Grooming Children to be Victims of Pedophiles?” »
I frequently hear comments that apologetics is not very useful in evangelism and that “no one” comes to faith through apologetics. I’m not convinced that is accurate. In fact I know people who faith journey was greatly influenced by apologetics. So how does apologetics fit with evangelism? One way is what I call pre-evangelism. Just … Read More “What Role Does Apologetics Have in Evangelism?” »
With the increased openness in our society to transgendered people, we have had to navigate some new territory. One of these is that of trans athletes and women’s sports. Trans athletes in men’s sport doesn’t seem to be an issue. There are some examples of trans women competing in women’s sports and because of the … Read More “Evangelicals, Trans Athletes and Respect” »
Popular pastor, Andy Stanley, got in hot water with evangelicals once again over one of his recent Tweets. He said this: As you can see, this Tweet has since been deleted. People were quite upset about this. Some going as far as suggesting that Stanley is falling into heresy. But technically, he is actually correct. … Read More “Andy Stanley, Jesus, and the Bible” »
I have been involved in Christian apologetics for as long as I have been a Christian. I still believe in apologetics, despite all of the suggestions that the time for apologetics is over. However, there has been a shift in how I go about apologetics. This is not meant to condemn others with different convictions … Read More “Jesus-Centred Apologetics” »
I recently did a Twitter poll about conservative and non-conservative Christians. I had a number of people state matter of factly that non-conservative Christians are not Christians. Really? This is nothing new. I know numerous protestants who are confident that Roman Catholics are not Christians. To be fair, there are Roman Catholics who are just … Read More “What Kind of Christians Are “Real” Christians?” »
If a person is not planning on becoming a pastor or a professor, is there any point in getting a theological education? Absolutely! There was a time when when theological education was limited to those who would use it professionally. But those days are long gone. Not only that, theological education is more accessible than … Read More “Do Laypeople Need Theological Education?” »
There have been some recent disagreements about the importance of the inerrancy of the Bible. That there is this disagreement means that there are disagreements over whether the Bible is inerrant, even among Christians. There are Christians who believe that inerrancy is an essential doctrine. For some, this means that he Bible is inerrant on … Read More “Is Inerrancy Essential to the Gospel?” »
I still hear claims from people that apologetics is ineffective in bringing people to faith. Really? And how do they know that? I suspect that what is really going is that certain people feel that apologetics played no role in their own coming to faith. That is fair, but that does not speak to everyone’s … Read More “Do People Become Christians Through Apologetics?” »
I have seen a number of discussions about communion on social media recently. Some of them got pretty heated and I got involved in at least one of them myself. t should not be surprising that people get worked up about communion. Some of the biggest disagreements between Roman Catholics and Protestants is about what … Read More “Can You Celebrate Communion Like That?” »
This is an interesting question to reflect on. You could say that I’m not certain how to respond. A good place to begin might be my own nature. I am a skeptic by nature. It was skepticism that caused me first to walk away from the church. It was skepticism that later caused me to … Read More “How Certain Do We Need to Be in Our Faith?” »
Although we can see the beginnings of Christian apologetics in the New Testament in the ministries of Peter and Paul, apologetics really got going in the second century. It is here that we see Christian thinkers writing “Apologies,” defences of the Christian faith in a systematic fashion. The focus was often on clearing up misunderstandings … Read More “The Origins of Christian Apologetics” »
I recently asked a question on Twitter about whether a person needs a PhD to be a theologian. You can see the results below. Must a person hold a PhD to be considered a theologian? — Stephen Bedard 🇨🇦 (@SJBedard) November 29, 2021 If you check out the comments, you will see that much of … Read More “What is a Theologian?” »
What is the role of Christian apologetics? For many people, both believers and nonbelievers, the assumption is that it is to prove that Christianity is true. I want to argue that is not a good goal. First of all, it is impossible to prove that Christianity is true. Part of the problem is that we … Read More “Apologists Should Not Try to Prove That Christianity is True” »
What I am referring here to is not the abundance of English translations of the Bible but rather a common criticism of the reliability of the Bible. The idea is that the Bible has been translated so many times that we should have some serious doubts that we even have what the original authors intended. … Read More “The Bible Has Been Translated So Many Times…” »
It is good for people with different interpretations to discuss their differences. Even within the church, we do not have to agree on every little thing. In fact this diversity can enhance the beauty of the church. However, I have noticed a trend in theological discussions, something especially prevalent in debates on social media. This … Read More “The Least Helpful Tactic in a Theological Discussion” »
For some Christians, a strong doctrine of inerrancy is essential to have any trust in the Bible. A good example of this is The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy. Part of the preface to that statement states: The following Statement affirms this inerrancy of Scripture afresh, making clear our understanding of it and warning against … Read More “Inerrancy and the Trustworthiness of Scripture” »
What happens when the gospel comes into conflict with the culture war? but does that even happen? First, we will have to make some definitions. What is the gospel? Some people narrow the gospel down to believing that Jesus died for us so we can go to heaven. You would have a lot of trouble … Read More “The Gospel vs The Culture War” »
Christians disagree with one another. This happens all of the time. I’m not talking about disagreeing about fashion or music or television shows. I’m thinking more about disagreements about Christian faith and practice. These disagreements have been around since the beginning. Check out this message I gave about the Jerusalem Council from Acts 15. I … Read More “5 Questions to Ask When You Disagree With Another Christian” »
The reason that I am a Christian is because of Jesus. There are many other interesting religions and some wise religious and philosophical teachings but Jesus is unique. I try to focus on Jesus as much as I can. Some people seem to think that the only message we need is “Believe that Jesus died … Read More “5 Things About Jesus That We Need to Emphasize” »
There will always be a need for Christians to share the reasons for the hope they have within them. Christian apologetics, in one form or another, will always be with us. But some things are more helpful than others. Here are some things that Christian apologists should avoid. Sadly, they are all too common. Getting … Read More “3 Things Apologists Should Avoid” »
I will often hear pastors preface their remarks with “I’m not a theologian, but…” The problem with this statement is that it is wrong. Pastors are theologians. People have gotten it into their heads that if they do not have a PhD in theology, they are not theologians. There were theologians long before the invention … Read More “Pastors as Theologians” »
I have been involved in Christian apologetics for a long time. It has been an important part of my personal discipleship, influenced, no doubt, by my background as an atheist. I firmly believe that Christian apologetics continues to be extremely useful, both for helping seekers and as discipleship for believers. But I do have some … Read More “Christian Apologists and Culture Warriors” »
There has been a lot of talk about deconstruction when it comes to religious faith. Some people are very concerned about it. I think part of it is that some people equate “deconstruction” with “deconversion.” It is true that some people who experience deconstruction of faith do become either agnostics or atheists. But that is … Read More “Initial Thoughts on Deconstruction” »
I started meeting again with the Jehovah’s Witness that I had been meeting with a year or so back. I’m not thinking I’m going to convert him, but it is a way for me to learn. What I’m looking for is not to debate the fine details, such as the shape of the wood that … Read More “Conversation’s With Jehovah’s Witnesses – Interpreting the Bible” »
One of the most controversial conversations among Christians is that of human origins. What were the means by which God brought about the human race? Is the earth thousands of years old or millions of years old? Too often this conversation produces more heat than light. People are so passionate about their own positions that … Read More “The Adam Quest – Review” »
There is some controversy about Christians using the Enneagram. The Enneagram is basically a personality test, although it is more complicated than that. Some Christians absolutely love the Enneagram and see it as an essential tool of understanding ourselves and being aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Other Christians see it as a dangerous New … Read More “Can Christians Use the Enneagram?” »
Whenever there is a controversial issue being discussed, very often someone will begin a statement with “The Bible clearly says” and then whatever they want to express. Is that a helpful way to debate important topics? The problem with saying “the Bible clearly says” is what we really mean is “I am very confident of … Read More ““The Bible Clearly Says…”” »
The Bible is an amazing book and it is the foundation for much of western morality, even if many atheists do not want to admit it. Even so, there are parts of the Bible that makes us uncomfortable. The killing of the Canaanites and other groups are a notable example. Randal Rauser looks at these … Read More “Jesus Loves Canaanites – Review” »
I was raised in a liberal mainline church that I felt was too theologically shallow for me to continue in. I went from there to a Pentecostal church that was more zealous in the faith but still had some problems. It was during that chapter in my life that I discovered evangelicalism. And I loved … Read More “My Biggest Problems With Evangelicalism” »
I continue to get a steady stream of claims that Christians in Canada are being persecuted. This is based on a handful of cases of churches getting trouble with the law for going against the health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The claim is that the Canadian government is targeting churches and Christians for persecution, … Read More “5 Reasons I Don’t Believe That Canadian Christians Are Being Persecuted” »
In my previous post, I shared why I often consider giving up on Christian apologetics. In this post, I will share why I have not given up on apologetics. Many of the things that we value are based on personal experience. For example, disability theology is very important to me because I am a father … Read More “Why I Have Not Given Up on Christian Apologetics” »
Many people know me as someone involved in Christian apologetics. I have often identified as an apologist. What you might not know is that I often consider giving up on apologetics. Why would I do that? Is it because I doubt the truth of Christianity? Not at all. It is mainly my observations of how … Read More “Why I Often Consider Quitting Christian Apologetics” »
There has been a lot of talk since the revelations of how bad Ravi Zacharias’s sexual abuse was. Much of the discussion has either been about how leaders can protect themselves of how hard it has been for Christian apologists to lose a hero. In this podcast and video, I argue that the real victims … Read More “The Real Victims of Ravi Zacharias” »
We live in a society that is no longer monolithic when it comes to religions. There was a day when religious diversity was having Protestants and Roman Catholics together in the same room. While it is good that we can encounter people with other religious views, this does force us to reflect on how different … Read More “Do All Roads Lead to God?” »
I have been writing on controversies about Ravi Zacharias for some time. First we knew that there were some credibility issues, then some sexual allegations and then even more revelations. The report on the full extent of what Ravi Zacharias did has been released. It is worse than what we thought. We talk about this, … Read More “The Problem With Ravi Zacharias was Not Just Sex” »
Apologetics has been a huge part of my faith ever since I made a personal commitment to Jesus in my mid-20s. I have written a lot on Christian apologetics ever since. While my interests have broadened, especially in the intersection of disabilities, apologetics is still very important to me. I still hear from some Christian … Read More “3 Reasons I Still Write About Apologetics” »
It is common to hear about Muslims converting to Christianity. If you search, you will find all sorts of resources for sharing the gospel with Muslims. But what happens when Muslims convert? That is where I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name by Duane Miller comes in. This short book provides guidance for churches and … Read More “I Will Give Them an Everlasting Name – Review” »
Since I have been speaking out about Ravi Zacharias, there has been some pushback. One argument is a comparison of Zacharias and other fallen leaders to biblical figures who have sinned. The idea is that there are biblical figures, people like King David, who committed terrible sins. Despite this, we still read their writings and … Read More “Is Ravi Zacharias Like King David?” »
A number of major Christian figures such as Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier, Bill Hybels and others have fallen. Some of these were prolific authors that were influential in their area of expertise. Should we still read their books or should we purge our personal libraries? This episode looks at these questions. Please support this podcast … Read More “Should We Still Read Books by Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier, Etc.?” »
I have received some pushback over some of my posts addressing the allegations against Ravi Zacharias. Some believe that since he is dead, there is no point to talk about it. In this video and podcast episode, I argue for why it is essential that we talk about Ravi Zacharias. It is not to bash … Read More “Why We Need to Talk About Ravi Zacharias” »
Christian apologetics need to be closely tied to the Bible. What could be better than an Apologetics Study Bible? This is actually the second version of the Apologetics Study Bible. The first one was based on the Holman Christian Standard Bible translation and the new one based on the Christian Standard Bible. The articles have … Read More “CSB Apologetics Study Bible – Review” »
Over the decades, Ravi Zacharias did much to benefit the Church. He was an ambassador for apologetics worldwide and created a world class apologetics organization. He showed people that you didn’t have to check your brain at the door. As his show said: “Let My People Think.” Sadly, there was another part of Zacharias’s legacy, … Read More “The Final Lessons From Ravi Zacharias to the Church” »
For many Christian apologists, the goal is to prove Christianity true beyond a shadow of a doubt. But perhaps there are some more humble expectations. This is the purpose of John Stackhouse’s new book, Can I Believe? For some skeptics, the question is not just if Christianity is true but if Christianity should even be … Read More “Can I Believe? – Review” »
Everyone knows that science and religion contradict each other. They are enemies. Or are they? Alister McGrath, in his book The Big Question, examines the relationship between Christianity and science. This book is not so much a book of Christian apologetics, although it includes apologetics value. Rather it is an apologetic for people to see … Read More “The Big Question – Review” »
There are two approaches to Christian apologetics that I believe are ineffective and at best are unattractive. There are those who are so unsure of themselves that they have very little to offer. There is some kind of God out there but we really can’t say much about him. There was a Jesus but he … Read More “Balancing Confidence and Humility in Christian Apologetics” »
One of the divisive issues facing the church today is how we respond to the LGBTQ community. There are strong feelings on both sides. Is it even possible for someone to change their mind on this? Apparently it is possible. David Gushee is a prominent evangelical ethicist. For some time he held to the traditionalist … Read More “Changing Our Mind – Review” »
One of the most respected musicians was John Lennon and one of his most beloved songs is Imagine. The world that he calls us to imagine, a world of peace and love is very compelling. But how do we get there? Lennon asks us to imagine a world without any religion. We know great violence … Read More “John Lennon Was Wrong” »
For some time, even before he died, there have been some accusations of inappropriate behaviour by Ravi Zacharias. Many of my friends in the apologetics community are avid Ravi Zacharias supporters. I don’t blame them. He seems like he was a nice person and he did a lot of important work for the kingdom of … Read More “Should Ravi Zacharias Be Investigated?” »
It is fairly often that I will I hear someone on social media say: “You can’t be a Christian and [fill in the blank].” There are a number of things that are inserted: Be gay. Drink alcohol. Vote for a party that has a pro-choice platform. One that hits close to home is a book … Read More “You Cannot Be a Christian and a …” »
I always write these posts with much fear and trembling. Ravi Zacharias is highly respected among my colleagues in the Christian apologetics community. For many evangelicals, he is an example of a Christian leader who finished well. But did he? Even during his life, there had been some accusations of some sexual impropriety. Now after … Read More “Ravi Zacharias, Jean Vanier and Holding Our Heroes Accountable” »
A number of years ago, many people were shocked when letters found after her death showed that Mother Teresa struggled with doubt. How could this incredible person of faith have doubt? Apparently she had an inner atheist. The truth is that we all have an inner atheist, although some are louder than others. That is … Read More “Conversations With My Inner Atheist – Review” »
There are many books on Christian apologetics and it would be fair to ask if there is anything new to be said. The reality is that there is more to say, as Why I Still Believe clearly shows. I expected this to be a book about Mary Jo Sharp systematically dismantling the arguments of skeptics. … Read More “Why I Still Believe – Review” »
Christians, including myself, have all sorts of interests and are willing to fight for numerous causes. And yet when it comes down to it, Christians need more of a focus on Jesus. That’s where Tom Gilson’s Too Good to Be False comes in. But do we really need another book about Jesus? We actually never … Read More “Too Good to Be False – Review” »
When something bad happens, there is always the Christian who offers comfort with, “God is in control.” No Christian would want to disagree with that, but what does it mean? There actually is a pretty wide spectrum of interpretation. There are some who take a strong view of God’s control, suggesting that none of us … Read More “What Do We Mean by “God is in Control”?” »
One of the areas that I’m interested in is that of the resurrection. Not just the resurrection of Jesus, but the final resurrection from the dead. Divine Bodies: Resurrecting Perfection in the New New Testament and Early Christianity by Candida Moss is an interesting addition to scholarship on this topic. One of the most helpful … Read More “Divine Bodies – Review” »
Many communities, including my own, are requiring congregations to wear masks as we return to our buildings for in-person worship services. But should we wear masks? Is this a threat to our personal freedom. Some Christians are taking this as a place to take a stand.The government shouldn’t be telling the church what to do. … Read More “Masks, Personal Liberty and Loving Others” »
In our current time of racial tension, some are calling upon white Christians to repent of our racist heritage. But what about white Christians who are not in the least bit racist? Should they repent? I would suggest that many of us have been guilty of racial prejudice at some point, even if we were … Read More “Should Christians Repent of Sins They Did Not Directly Commit?” »
The relationship between patriotism toward one’s nation and being a follower of Jesus. There are those who almost equate being a good citizen with being a Christian. Others try to separate them as much as possible, telling church members not to run for political office or even to vote. We must remember that much of … Read More “Patriotism and Christian Faith: An Uneasy Tension” »
For some people, inerrancy of the Bible is one of the central doctrines of the Christian faith. Some may think a belief in inerrancy is required for someone to be a Christian. Others may not take it so far but would believe that inerrancy is foundational to Christian apologetics. How do we know there is … Read More “How Important is Inerrancy to Apologetics?” »
How can pastors include apologetics into their pastoral ministry. One way is to preach apologetics-themed sermons. I try to put this into practice. I recently preached a sermon at my church based on Jude 3 called “Being a Contentious Christian.” You can watch it below. This is the first video on my new YouTube channel. … Read More “Apologetics Sermon: Jude 3” »
If you ask any apologist what the key verse for apologetics is, they are likely to say 1 Peter 3:15. But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness … Read More “The Apologetics of Respect” »
Some time ago I heard an interview with Brian Zahnd and I was quite impressed. He talked about his ministry of a prosperty gospel-style megachurch and his transition to a deeper theological place. It was encouraging to hear. One of the transitions for Zahnd was moving toward Christian nonviolence. As someone interested in theology and … Read More “A Farewell to Mars – Review” »
As I write this, there are many race protests and even riots going on around North America. Everyone has an opinion. Including me. One person on Facebook made this comment: There is very little genetic differences between the races. Therefore there are no races. Therefore there is no such thing as racism. I have seen … Read More “Is There Such Thing as Race?” »
At my church, we have been doing an online Bible study on the letter of James. I love James as it is so practical. There are many parts of the Bible where there is a considerable leap in context from there to here. James is incredibly relevant to our current experience. I thought I would … Read More “Online Bible Study: James” »
