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? (Polycarp Remembrance Day)
Tag: Bible
Luke was a Doctor, Barnabas had a Cousin: Nine Things We Wouldn’t Know without Colossians 4
Here are nine things we wouldn’t know about Paul and his missionary team if Colossians 4 wasn’t in our Bibles. I’ll list them in the order they appear in Colossians 4. Colossians and Philemon were sent by Paul at the same time (4:9) The key link between the two is Onesimus, a runaway slave who … Continue reading Luke was a Doctor, Barnabas had a Cousin: Nine Things We Wouldn’t Know without Colossians 4
Sharing Christ’s Sufferings
There is a line in a well-known story of Jesus (Matt 20:20-28) that often gets overlooked. James and John have just allowed their mommy to ask Jesus for permission for them to sit at his right and left hand in his coming kingdom. Jesus ignores the mother and speaks to the two men: “You do … Continue reading Sharing Christ’s Sufferings
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
Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
I just finished reading Andrew Judd’s new book, Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies. Judd’s goal was to introduce advanced graduate students and biblical scholars (who are not genre specialists) to recent discussions about genre. Everyone who knows anything about studying the Bible knows that properly identifying what kind of literature you’re reading … Continue reading Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments
Eleven Hindrances to Answered Prayer
What are some of the most common hindrances to answered prayer? Not Asking for Anything: James 4:2b says, “You do not have, because you do not ask.” Many of us don’t receive answers to our prayers simply because we don’t ask for anything. I remember someone once claiming that we shouldn’t ever make requests to … Continue reading Eleven Hindrances to Answered Prayer
What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Let me invite you into a thought experiment. What if you became a Christian? What would change? I’m talking about an actual disciple of Jesus, not a Christian in name only. What would be different if you became a Christian?[1] If you became a Christian, you would automatically become a spiritual brother or sister with … Continue reading What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment
Anything We Ask “According to His Will” (1 John 5:14-15) Will Happen, but What is “His Will”?
A spiritually-minded friend of my wife and me recently made this comment: “I struggle with the idea of praying according to the will of God. Since I know that some things are clearly according to God’s will, why can’t I just pray directly about those things and know for certain that they’re going to happen? … Continue reading Anything We Ask “According to His Will” (1 John 5:14-15) Will Happen, but What is “His Will”?
Understanding Paul’s Veil Imagery in 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3
What does the apostle Paul mean when he uses the word “veil” in 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3? For years I didn’t really understand 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3 because I was looking for a single referent for the veil imagery in the passage. Some time ago, though, I realized that a key to understanding the passage is to … Continue reading Understanding Paul’s Veil Imagery in 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3
Kindle Afresh 