Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is one of my favorite Christmas carols. But almost three centuries have passed since it was composed, and the meaning of some of its lines may not be immediately obvious to everyone who sings this fine song. What do these words actually signify? Here is a line-by-line brief commentary on … Continue reading Hark! The Herald Angels Sing: Explained Line-by-Line
Category: Books and Authors
The Fathers on the Future: An Interview with Michael J. Svigel
I recently read Michael Svigel's 2024 book The Fathers on the Future: A 2nd-Century Eschatology for the 21st-Century Church (Hendrickson Publishers). This book is full of many insightful discussions—both biblical and patristic—all focused on the future. I reached out to Dr. Svigel to see if he’d be willing to do an interview on his book. I’m so happy … Continue reading The Fathers on the Future: An Interview with Michael J. Svigel
How a Band Called “Love Song” Did Apologetics
I grew up listening to a Christian rock group called Love Song. I listened to their music all the time. I even got to meet one of their founding members when I was in my youth. Love Song has sometimes been described as The Beatles of contemporary Christian music because of the oversized influence they … Continue reading How a Band Called “Love Song” Did Apologetics
A Heart Aflame for God: An Interview with Matthew Bingham
I recently read a deep and thoughtful book on Christian living entitled A Heart Aflame for God: A Reformed Approach to Spiritual Formation. I reached out to the author, Matthew Bingham, to see if he would be willing to do an interview about his book. I’m delighted that he agreed! Ken Berding (KB): First, can … Continue reading A Heart Aflame for God: An Interview with Matthew Bingham
The Earliest Non-Christian Testimony to Jesus (Josephus) Turns Out to Be Genuine
Most of you have probably heard of Josephus. An enormous amount of what we know about the history and culture of the Jewish people in and around the time of Jesus comes from Josephus. But Josephus only wrote one paragraph about Jesus. That paragraph is famous. It is so famous that the paragraph has its … Continue reading The Earliest Non-Christian Testimony to Jesus (Josephus) Turns Out to Be Genuine
Lessons from the Melbourne Revival (1902): An Interview with Rob Nyhuis
Ken Berding (KB): Thanks for being willing to be interviewed about your recent book, Global Revival: How a City’s Mission Catalysed a Worldwide Awakening. In a few sentences, what is your book about? Rob Nyhuis (RN): Global Revival describes the largely untold story of a four-week mission conducted in 1902 in Melbourne, Australia, by three … Continue reading Lessons from the Melbourne Revival (1902): An Interview with Rob Nyhuis
The Unimportance of Cool
I’m not cool. Even the title of this post is uncool. At least I could have used a strong noun in my title like insignificance, or triviality, or inconsequentiality instead of unimportance! I’m really not cool. I frequently ask my college students to let me know if I’m acting in a truly uncool manner, mostly … Continue reading The Unimportance of Cool
What Can We Learn from the Life of Polycarp? (St. Polycarp Day)
Today is the anniversary of Polycarp’s death, roughly 1,870 years ago (exact date is disputed). What can we learn from his life and ministry? Polycarp (c. AD 69-155 or 51-155) is one of my heroes. Trudi and I lived in Polycarp’s city for two and a half years. My eldest daughter was born there. Later … Continue reading What Can We Learn from the Life of Polycarp? (St. Polycarp Day)
Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Happy New Year to each of you! I hope that 2025 is a wonderful year for you, full of many moments when you experience God’s multifaceted grace. I also hope that 2025 is a year when you can read some good books. Here are seven of my favorites from 2024 (presented in the order I … Continue reading Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024
Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
It has become trendy in recent years to publicly proclaim that Joy to the World was not originally written as a song about Christ’s First Coming, but rather was composed as a forward-looking celebration of Christ’s future Second Coming. Have you encountered this assertion? See, for example, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE—a few examples among … Continue reading Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend
Kindle Afresh 