Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
Galatians 1:11-24 Introduction I am always amazed at the diversity of personalities among people. Two of the categories that exist are those who are easy going and who are able to agree to disagree, and those who have very strong convictions and exclaim: “Here I stand, I can do no other.” Of course these are … Read More “Learning From Paul” »
What does the New Testament say about same-sex relationships? Three of the so-called “clobber passages” are found in Paul. These are 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 1 Timothy 1:9-11, and Romans 1:26-27. This is not a full scale study of those passages but rather a reflection of how they have been used to exclude 2SLGBTQIA+ people and … Read More “Same-Sex Relationships and the Letters of Paul” »
Acts 15:36-41 Introduction I want you do something. Without look around the room, I want you to think back. Is there any person who is a part of this church that has disappointed you? Is there anyone who said or did something that really bothered you? Has there ever been a time when you saw … Read More “Messy Relationships” »
Is it true that there are no real atheists? Does everyone really believe in God but then some choose to reject that belief as an act of rebellion? This is idea is held by many. It is a foundational part of presuppositional apologetics. There is no need to give evidence for God since they already … Read More “Does Everyone Really Believe in God?” »
I have witnessed a sense of shock this morning, perhaps from both Trump and Clinton supporters, that Donald Trump has been elected as the next president of the United States. There is much that I would want to say about this but I won’t. I do want to address Christians in terms of appropriate response. … Read More “Donald Trump Has Been Elected … Now What?” »
Was Jesus divine? Was the divinity of Jesus a later invention of the church? What did Paul, our earliest Christian writer, say about Jesus? I can think of no better resource to answer these questions than Gordon Fee’s Pauline Christology. I have read Fee’s earlier book, God’s Empowering Presence, where Fee looked at every mention … Read More “Pauline Christology” »
Luke records Paul’s conversion three times in the book of Acts. First in the third person in chapter 9 and then twice in the first person in Acts 22 and 26. The problem is that at first glance, Luke seems to contradict himself. Acts 9 says that those with Paul heard but did not see, … Read More “Do Acts 9:27 and Acts 22:9 Contradict Each Other?” »
One of the things I try to get across to my Bible students is that the authors did not sit down to intentionally write the Bible. This is especially true when it comes to Paul’s letters. Paul wrote his letters to specific churches going through certain challenges. While the principles apply to us, we must understand … Read More “The Key to Understanding Romans” »
The New Testament speaks a lot about apostles. But what are they? A related question would be, are there apostles today? Let us take a look. Apostles in the New Testament What are apostles? The word literally means ‘sent out ones.’ But who are these people? Some might say that they are the Twelve that … Read More “What are Apostles?” »
Probably one of the most common critiques of apologetics is that you cannot argue someone to Jesus/Heaven/Salvation etc. That is an easy assertion to make but is it true? Examine this passage: “After Paul and Silas had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. And … Read More “You Cannot Argue Someone to Jesus (Except When You Can)” »
A devotion based on Philemon 1:21. Philemon is a wonderful letter that is unfortunately not read enough. The basic story is that Onesimus, a slave of Philemon, ran away and ended up meeting the Apostle Paul. Onesimus became a Christian and Paul sent him back with this letter requesting that Philemon be merciful and treat … Read More “Devotions: Philemon” »
Prayer is one of the most important activities for a Christian. But how do we pray? Prayer is one of the most misunderstood things in the Church. If we are going to learn, we need to turn to the Bible. Thankfully, D.A. Carson presents us a resource with his Praying with Paul. This is the … Read More “Praying with Paul” »
A devotion based on 1 Timothy 2:1-2. Paul lived in the Roman Empire which included something called the Pax Romana or Roman peace. This was a double-edged sword (pun intended). On one hand, some nations enjoyed peace for the first time in centuries because of the Roman presence. However, if you were deemed to be … Read More “Devotions: 1 Timothy” »
A devotion based on 2 Thessalonians 1:3. A thanksgiving was a normal part of an ancient letter. Paul took what was a routine section of a letter and infused it with meaning. When Paul says “Thank God,” he is not just being polite, he is really thanking God. He had something specific for which he … Read More “Devotions: 2 Thessalonians” »
A devotion based on 1 Thessalonians 4:14. In 1 Thessalonians, Paul is dealing with a problem that is hard for us to imagine in our modern context. Christians in the early church thought that Jesus would return within a few years, if not within a few months. When that began to stretch out into decades … Read More “Devotions: 1 Thessalonians” »
A devotion based on Colossians 4:3. Paul was a super-Christian. He was so close to Jesus that whenever he wanted something he just needed to call in a favour. Paul was so powerful that his relationship with other Christians was always just one-way. None of that is true. Paul experienced weakness and concern and uncertainty. … Read More “Devotions: Colossians” »
A devotion based on Philippians 1:12-13. Paul had a rough life. A number of times in his life he went through some very difficult circumstances. Beatings, imprisonment, you name it, Paul had it. Philippians is one of the prison epistles, that is it was a letter that he wrote from jail. How would you feel … Read More “Devotions: Philippians” »
A devotion based on Ephesians 2:8-9. A key part of Paul’s theology is salvation of grace. This was very personal to Paul. As a Pharisee, Paul worked hard to fulfill the commandments of both the written and oral law. When Jesus met Paul on the road to Damascus, Paul was confronted with a salvation completely … Read More “Devotions: Ephesians” »
A devotion based on Galatians 1:6-7. These verses are key to the entire letter to the Galatians. Paul was upset the Galatians were considering abandoning the true Gospel of God. The Gospel that Paul preached was that people can become Christians through the grace of God, apart from any rules or rituals. After Paul left the … Read More “Devotions: Galatians” »
A devotion based on 2 Corinthians 12:10. The Corinthian church was one that prided itself on its spiritual strength. They had spiritual gifts in abundance and this put them in a position of power. Paul had a lot of work to do to correct them. To do this he shared a personal story. Paul had … Read More “Devotions: 2 Corinthians” »
A devotion based on 1 Corinthians 15:17. In this chapter, Paul is providing an extended treatment on the resurrection, both of Jesus and of believers at the return of Jesus. The reason for this is that the Corinthians saw themselves as so spiritual that they could not imagine another level. They did not believe that … Read More “Devotions: 1 Corinthians” »
A devotion based on Romans 8:15. In this passage, Paul is describing the identity of the Christian. One of the things essential for the Christian is the Holy Spirit. But the Holy Spirit is not an idle entity. According to Paul, one of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to testify to our adoption … Read More “Devotions: Romans” »
A devotion based on Acts 16:30. In this story, God releases Paul and Silas from jail in the city of Philippi. When the jailer discovered what had happened, he was prepared to commit suicide as he knew the punishment he would face from his superiors. He was surprised, therefore, to discover that the prisoners had … Read More “Devotions: Acts” »
Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God. But what does that mean? Does that mean that Jesus has always been the Son of God or that God really liked Jesus and adopted him as the Son of God? One of the key verses in this discussion is: “[Jesus] was declared to be the … Read More “Was Jesus Adopted as the Son of God?” »
We should interpret the Bible by what we read. However, 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 is an example of a passage that others have interpreted for us before we ever read open the Bible. “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.” (2 Cor 6:14) Many Christians read this a passage as a proof text against religiously mixed … Read More “What Does “Unequally Yoked” Mean?” »
The third part of my series on 1 John. “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also … Read More “Just Do It” »
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1:18 NIV) I have been enjoying going through Klyne Snodgrass’ commentary on Ephesians in the NIV Application Commentary series. … Read More “The Church as a Thinking Community” »
A number of years ago, I had the privilege of being able to speak at a conference in Belgium on the resurrection. One of the speakers was Gerd Ludemann.[i] Although I knew I had some different opinions than Ludemann, I was eager to learn from such a well-known scholar. Ludemann began his presentation with an … Read More “Seeing is Believing” »
This is my final sermon a pastor of First Baptist Church Meaford. Romans 15 Introduction The time has come for my last message to the church. I wanted to share something that would be helpful for the church as you look to the future and at the same time remain faithful to the passage we … Read More “A Vision For a Healthy Church” »
Romans 14 Introduction In John 17, Jesus prays a prayer for the future church, a prayer that is aimed at us. In his prayer, Jesus prays for something very specific. It is not for beautiful buildings or healthy budgets. Jesus prays that the church would be one as the Father and Son are one. Jesus … Read More “How to Disagree” »
Romans 13 Introduction There are a number of moments in my life that were turning points. One of them was when I got my eyes checked for the first time. After being encouraged to get my eyes checked by a high school teacher, I finally went to an optometrist. I had my eyes checked and … Read More “I Can See Clearly Now” »
Romans 12 Introduction There are many things that people of different religions and philosophies disagree on but there is one thing that almost everyone agrees on: the importance of love. It doesn’t matter of you are a Christian or an atheist or any other belief system, people instinctively know that love is important. We see … Read More “The Power of Love” »
Romans 11 Introduction Know your place! Have you ever heard someone say such a thing? Such a concept could be terribly abused. In more innocent forms, it could be used by parents to try and control their children. In harsher forms, it could be used to promote racism or sexism. The idea of knowing our … Read More “Knowing Our Place” »
Romans 10 Introduction Pastors are well aware that there are certain subjects that congregations do not like to hear sermons on. One of those topics is that of hell. The entire concept of hell is extremely unpleasant and few people want to hear about it. That does not mean it should not be preached on, … Read More “Preach the Gospel” »
Romans 9 Introduction It is very interesting for me to see the change in perspective from being a son to being a father. This is especially true with regard to ideas of fairness. Now things were a bit different for me growing up as an only child. There never were questions about what I received … Read More “Let God Be God” »
There are a number of different versions of the Jesus myth theory. However, for any of them to work, they need to deal with Paul. Many mythicists claim that Paul never speaks of the earthly historical Jesus but rather always speaks of a glorified Christ. The thought is that Paul is using Jesus Christ as … Read More “Romans 9 and the Jesus Myth” »
Romans 8 Introduction What is Christianity all about? Is Christianity all about bad news or about good news? I have seen descriptions of churches that were completely about what they were against and not at all about what they are for. It is easy to tear things down and much harder to build things back … Read More “Abundance of Blessings” »
Romans 7 Introduction Look at your life. Is it the way you want it to be? I do not mean do you have the possessions you want or have you accomplished what you want. I mean, how is your inner self? Are you the kind of person that you want to be? Do you find … Read More “Trapped” »
Romans 6:15-23 Introduction How do you understand your relationship with God? Do you see yourself primarily as a worshipper? That would mean that your main role would be to praise God. Do you see yourself as a follower? That would mean that you try to figure out the rules and follow them to the best … Read More “Being a Slave” »
Romans 6:1-14 Introduction I believe that there is one question that is essential for all of us to ask: So what? You say you love your children? So, what does that look like in reality? You say that you care about the poor? So what does that look like in practice? There should be some … Read More “Living in Grace Land” »
What do we do with those red letters in the Bible? Did Jesus really say those words? Or did the church just make up sayings related to the issue of the day and place them in the mouth of Jesus? New Testament scholar Birger Gerhardsson puts this question into perspective by looking at the example … Read More “Did the Church Make Up the Words of Jesus?” »
Romans 5:12-21 Introduction Why do things happen to us? Why do we experience some good things and some bad things? In our society, we pride ourselves in personal autonomy. We want to believe that things are within our control. Do you want to get ahead in life? Roll up your sleeves and get to work. … Read More “Two Men and a Sin Baby” »
Romans 5:1-11 Introduction I like it when things make sense. I enjoy it when things are logical and reasonable. This is the challenge of being a parent. Amanda and I look at some of the bad things our kids do and instead of getting mad, we look at each other and ask: “why?!” It is … Read More “Peace and Joy” »
Romans 4 Introduction I find family resemblances to be very fascinating. Physically, I do not look much like my dad. However, I am now at the age that my dad was when I have some of my earliest memories. I find myself looking in the mirror and trying to see my dad. How do I … Read More “Father Abraham” »
I recently saw a question about apologetic related resources for a clear Gospel presentation. My immediate reaction was: How do you have one Gospel presentation that fits everyone from the atheist to the Muslim to the nominal Christian? I know there are evangelism programs out there that are designed as a simple presentation to be … Read More “How to Share Your Faith Apologetically” »
Romans 1:8-17 Introduction What is it that you are really passionate about? For many people, it would be family. We love our spouse, our children and grand children. Nothing makes us happier than to be with them and to see them enjoying life. For other people, it is their career. Their career is not just … Read More “A Gospel of Hope and Power” »
Romans 1:1-7 Introduction What is it that is essential for us to get right? Do we need to get the style of our worship music right? Do we need to get the balance of liturgy and spontaneity exact? What about the architecture of our churches or the translation of our Bibles or the length of … Read More “Miracle of the Incarnation” »
James 2:14-26 Introduction One of the distinctives of Christianity is that we believe that salvation is by faith alone. There is no religious ritual or level of good deeds that will bring about our salvation. The thief who died on the cross hours after meeting Jesus for the first time is just as saved as … Read More “Dead Faith” »
I have read two of the books that I bought at ETS/SBL. The first is Michael F. Bird’s Introducing Paul. The book is exactly what the title suggests, an introduction to Paul. Bird looks at all the basics including the background, letters and summary of theology. It is not overly detailed, but it is good … Read More “Two Books on Paul” »
In our house we ask our children to share by giving, they respond by redefining sharing as taking. In the same way, we see reinterpretations of Scripture that look like contradictions. Genesis 15:6 says “And he (Abraham) believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.” Paul cites this as evidence of justification … Read More “Righteous Reckoning: Paul vs. James on Genesis 15:6” »
As I sit here watching the documentary on Tom Harpur’s Pagan Christ, I find myself reminded of all the problems that I see in the Jesus myth theory. I will share my top ten problems with this theory. This is not a detailed analysis but rather my opportunity to vent on the glaring problems with … Read More “Top Ten Problems With the Jesus Myth Theory” »
