In recent years scholars have taken more seriously the influence of Jesus of Nazareth on the apostle Paul’s thinking. You might think this connection was obvious, but in the world of “biblical” scholarship nothing is obvious. Evangelical scholars contend that the greatest change in Paul’s thinking was brought about as a consequence of Paul’s vision… Continue reading Jesus, Satan, and the Apostle Paul (Jesus and the victory of God in Paul’s thought)
Tag: Bible
What is the mission of the church? (part 1)
You may be surprised to know that this is a hotly debated subject in Christian circles. One would assume that church leaders would be more united in answering this vital question. Why does the church exist? What is the church’s primary goal? There are a wide variety of views.
Waging the good warfare
The Bible says that as Christians we are at war. Jesus entered our world and announced that the Kingdom of God has come and that God’s new era is now advancing in the world. God’s kingdom is confronting and exposing the kingdom of darkness. Wars are mostly fought by soldiers; trained men (and now also… Continue reading Waging the good warfare
How do you know if your church is successful?
We might be tempted to view churches with big attendance figures or large membership registers as successful. After all, they must be doing something right? Very often it’s the mega-church pastors that get asked to speak at conferences on church-growth and whose services are recorded for TBN. Mega-churrch pastors often write books that share their… Continue reading How do you know if your church is successful?
Why women should not be pastors
Why don’t we have any women pastors in our denomination? Why do men lead our Sunday church services? Does Christianity squash women? What place do women have in ministry? The Apostle Paul answers most of these questions in 1 Timothy 2:8-15, one of the most controversial passages in the Bible. The entire letter of 1… Continue reading Why women should not be pastors