Christ will build His church, and as the gospel spreads, so will the membership of His church. And yet, the idea of church membership has fallen on hard times, even among Christians. This is not surprising. Human nature prizes personal autonomy and sneers at submitting to a higher authority. In our highly-customized, hyper-personalized, self-satisfied way… Read More »
Jesus called twelve men to follow Him as His disciples and to send them out as His apostles. Their number is a staple in their name. Sometimes called the twelve disciples (Matt 10:1; 11:1; 26:20) or twelve apostles (Matt 10:2), these men were often simply called the twelve (Matt 10:1, 2, 5; 20:17; 26:14; Mark… Read More »
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” “Tell me who your friends are, and I’ll tell you who you are.” “Monkey see, monkey do.” We all recognize that people imitate people, whatever the reason for imitation may be. It’s easy to see and do what others do. It’s also a biblical command for one person… Read More »
Think and live like Jesus. Simple enough, this theme is yet rich and one of many in the book of Philippians. And not just clearly stated, but also artfully so. Paul gives this theme as a clear command and describes the life of Jesus in Philippians 2:5–11. Then, he gives linguistic echoes of this passage… Read More »
One of the great paradoxes of the Christian life involves humility, pride, and their results. The more one humbles himself, the more honor he receives, something he does not seek. Likewise, the more one values himself over others, the less honor he receives, the very honor he craves so much. The book of Proverbs paints… Read More »
One of the many wonders of a newborn child is wondering who he will be. What is his personality? Will he be more like his father or his mother? What will he look like? What will be his vocation? Who will he marry? How many kids will he have? Who will he grow up to… Read More »
While we celebrate Thanksgiving on earth below, what’s going on in heaven? We could answer this question in part by examining the three instances of the word “thanks” in the book of Revelation (Rev 4:9; 7:12; 11:17). This brief study can be one of the many ways whereby we are blessed to read and heed… Read More »
I was asked recently to give a list of 10 ways folks could pray for their pastor, which meant to me, “How can I pray for you?” I’ve tried to give this some careful thought, and the list below is the result. I’m sure a million requests could be added, but here are at least… Read More »
Probably with some sarcasm, King Agrippa once told Paul, “In a short time you persuade me to become a Christian” (Acts 26:28). Perhaps a question mark should be at the end of that verse, and maybe he had a wry smile of disbelief. Agrippa politely declined Christianity before Paul and the rest of the court.… Read More »
How does one sing about the incarnation, crucifixion, and Trinitarian truths in just nine lines? This question stems from Philippians 2:6–8, a passage many see as part of an ancient hymn. Some continue the hymn through Philippians 2:9–11. Seeing Paul’s usual grammar and logic in Philippians 2:9–11 (“For this reason… so that”), some stop short… Read More »