Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
A turning point for Saul of Tarsus, better known to us as the Apostle Paul, was his meeting with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. Since it was a turning point for him, it was also for Christianity. But what exactly did Paul experience on the road to Damascus? Paul only hints at … Read More “What Did Paul Experience on the Road to Damascus?” »
If you were to go back in time to the first Easter Sunday morning, what would you have seen at the tomb of Jesus? This is a question that has been asked by both Christians and skeptics. In some ways, this is an important question. What did the earliest Christians believe happened to the physical … Read More “Was the Tomb Empty?” »
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” »
Acts 9:1-20 Introduction I want you to think about the person you would most be surprised to become a Christian. It could be someone famous, perhaps a musician or an actor or a politician. Maybe it was someone who is a known criminal or is had had a particularly immoral life. Maybe it is someone … Read More “An Unexpected Christian” »
I thought I would try something different and offer an online Bible study. The book I decided to go with was Philippians. If you are interested in the resource I used for this study, go here. In the study, I provide the text from the New English Translation, some brief comments and some discussion questions. … Read More “Online Bible Study: Philippians” »
Jesus Mythicists frequently comment on Paul’s lack of description of aspects of Jesus’ life, including the virgin birth. Does Paul omission of this event mean that Paul was unaware of it or rejected it? It is unlikely that Paul was unaware of the virgin birth. Luke, who wrote one of the two Gospels that mention … Read More “Why Didn’t Paul Mention the Virgin Birth of Jesus?” »
There has been much development in our understanding of Paul since Martin Luther reintroduced us to justification by faith five hundred years ago. One of the major developments is something called the New Perspective on Paul. One of the aspects of the New Perspective is the idea that Paul is dealing more with identity markers … Read More “Thoughts on the Radical Perspective on Paul” »
I have heard a number of skeptics argue that Paul’s lack of quotations of Jesus are a serious problem for our understanding of Jesus. Jesus was a well known historical figure, why doesn’t Paul quote him more? I have written on this topic myself, including this journal article. William Lane Craig addresses this question in this … Read More “William Lane Craig on Paul’s Epistles and Jesus Traditions” »
I’m currently teaching a course on the Apostle Paul at Tyndale University College. One of the things that I ask my students is, why should we study the Apostle Paul? Shouldn’t we be “red letter Christians,” that is shouldn’t we just follow Jesus and not worry about Paul? After all, we are Christ-ians and not … Read More “4 Reasons to Study the Apostle Paul” »
I have been reading through some of my books on Paul for the course on the Apostle Paul that I’m teaching at Tyndale University College. One of the ones that I read was Anthony Thiselton’s The Living Paul: An Introduction to the Apostle’s Life and Thought. I picked this up at ETS/SBL a few years … Read More “The Living Paul” »
It is true that Paul did not speak as much about the earthly life and ministry of Jesus as we would have liked. Rudolf Bultmann claimed, “The historical Jesus plays no role or practically none in Paul.” Such conclusions have led some to see Paul as inventing a Christianity different from that of Jesus. That … Read More “Why Didn’t Paul Speak More About the Historical Jesus?” »
You may or may not be aware that there is some disagreement among New Testament scholars about how many of the letters Paul actually wrote. The “authentic” letters, that is the letters that they are most confident in are Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, 1 Thessalonians and Philemon. The rest of the letters … Read More “Did Paul Write 2 Thessalonians?” »
Paul Copan and Kenneth D. Litwak, The Gospel in the Marketplace of Ideas: Paul’s Mars Hill Experience for Our Pluralistic World (Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2014), Pbk. 176 pp. One of the common passages for apologists to go to for a model of apologetic conversation is Paul’s experience at Athens in Acts 17. Such a choice is … Read More “The Gospel in the Marketplace of Ideas” »
Michael F. Bird (ed.). Four Views on the Apostle Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), 236 pp. Pbk. One of the most interesting series of books to come out is that of the four views. Each book provides the opportunity for multiple authors to offer their own view on a theological subject and then to … Read More “Four Views on the Apostle Paul” »
I have some serious concerns about the ways Christians speak about and speak to Muslims. As a Christian, I am embarrassed at what comes across my Facebook feed. If I was a Muslim, I would not want to listen to what Christians have to say. The problem is that when I suggest a higher level … Read More “Apostle Paul, Christians and Islam” »
I sometimes joke that I believe cessationism died with the apostles. While I am amused by the statement, it often does not get the reaction I am looking for. The truth is that there are many people who hold to cessationism, the belief that spiritual gifts are not for today. At the same time, charismatics … Read More “Are Spiritual Gifts for Today?” »
Michael F. Bird, Introducing Paul: The Man, His Mission, His Message. Downer’s Grove: IVP Academic, 2007. 209 pp. Pbk. Truly, no evangelist had more impact on Christianity than Paul. Yet despite his prominence in writing and importance in gathering the early gentile church, very little is actually known about him. In his excellent book, Introducing … Read More “Introducing Paul” »
Did the Apostle Paul really hate women? Did he teach that women were inferior or that their rights should be limited? Some people believe so. Should women read Paul as one hostile to their gender? There are are places where Paul seems to put some guidelines to the church activity of some women. But there … Read More “Was Paul a Misogynist?” »
A devotion based on Titus 3:9. By the time we get to Paul’s letter to Titus, we are reading a more mature and experienced apostle. While Christianity was originally just trying to distinguish itself from traditional Judaism, at this time Paul had to face a number of heretical tendencies within Christianity. False teachers of various stripes … Read More “Devotions: Titus” »
Many New Testament scholars would deny that Paul wrote 1-2 Timothy or Titus. I accept the Pauline authorship, but not just because I am an Evangelical. There is no doubt that there are differences between the pastoral epistles and the “authentic” epistles. It is good for us to notice these differences and we should be … Read More “Pastoral Epistles and Pauline Authorship” »
I have been studying Galatians came across one of the most interesting passages in the Bible: “You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other … Read More “Cutting Off False Teaching” »
Philippians 1:9-11 Introduction Most people would agree that love is one of, if not the greatest virtue. Television shows, movies and music are all drawn to the notion of love. But what is love? Is love the emotional excitement as two people feel attraction and take the first steps toward relationship? Is love a possessiveness … Read More “Love and Understanding” »
Ephesians 1:15-23 Introduction Who was the Apostle Paul? Well, he was the author of much of the New Testament. He was a church planter and missionary. He was a theologian and a deep thinker. But Paul was also a pastor. If you read Paul’s letters, you will see that he had a cranky side. He … Read More “A Pastor’s Prayer” »
One of the most important passages for demonstrating the resurrection of Jesus is the first part of 1 Corinthians 15. There is one part of this that some people have questioned: Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. … Read More “Five Hundred Witnesses” »
I must confess that I have not taken a position on the new perspective on Paul. I think that there are some important correctives raised by the new perspective scholars but I am not yet sure about their final conclusions. I have not rejected them, I am simply still on the journey. Here is a … Read More “Wright and Dunn on the New Perspective” »
One of the things that I get frustrated with is the claim that the Apostle Paul never spoke of the historical Jesus. If this is true, it leaves wide open the claim that the early Christians saw Jesus not as a literal person but as a symbol for our own spiritual journey. Now it is … Read More “Paul and the Historical Jesus” »
