And the first prize for most unifying religion goes to… Easy answer, right? Obviously, the answer is supposed to be Christianity, isn’t it? And yet the church isn’t always very unified—at all. At last count, there are over 45,000 Christian denominations globally. Narrow it down to just one denomination, and chances are that even that […]
Although this article is about the final resurrection, let’s think about the future God promises his people. What will the new heaven and new earth be like? One common depiction is that we will be floating on clouds for eternity, perhaps strumming on harps and singing songs. Yet such a caricature makes it seem like […]
“Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people. For certain individuals whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. […]
God’s ways are higher than our ways, so it’s no wonder that some of His commands don’t always make sense to us. Throughout the Bible, we see examples of people being asked to do things that defy human logic. In the fifth and sixth chapters of Luke, Jesus repeatedly asked people to take actions that […]
It feels impossible to find time to meet. Check your calendar for openings, notify me of availability, and see what might look good in the next few weeks. Six months later we are in the same place. Sync schedules, pivot to Google Calendars, and submit a Doodle poll. Nothing. Our calendars have less empty space […]
If you wanted to be a somebody in Athens, Greece, in the 400s BC, you needed to meet the city’s high beauty standards and/or be talented at winning arguments. It was the era of “sophists,” paid teachers of rhetoric (public speaking). These teachers cared more about winning arguments (especially lawsuits) than about seeking truth. They […]
We call the “good confession” what Christians confess out loud when they convert to Christ. Early Christian formulations of the good confession point to two important ideas. First, confessing that Jesus is the “Christ” is saying that he is the promised Messiah of Israel. The Old Testament contains promises, titles, prophecies, and sufferings regarding the […]
Here is a short summary of the book of Titus: Titus is a personal letter from Paul to Titus, a long-time partner in ministry. Paul and Titus had begun making disciples and starting churches on the island of Crete, and Paul left Titus there to finish setting things in order in the churches. Titus needed […]
September 2, 2024 Everybody loves an editor. (Ha, that’s the closest you’ll get to an editor joke.) The truth is, nobody likes being told all the ways they could have said what they said better. But it’s also true that every writer needs a good editor, which is why I never like to publish or […]
The Hebrew title for the book of Psalms is tehilim, roughly translated as “praises.” In some ways, this is an unusual title, as the largest single category of Psalms are laments. It is from the Greek translation of the Old Testament known as the Septuagint that we get the term “psalmos” or song. The term […]
I’m a little late to the party, but I recently bought a digital picture frame. I love to travel, especially to national parks. Every trip, I pack along the camera I bought as a college graduation present, ready to document the beautiful sights I’ll see. For the better part of a decade, the thousands of […]
Is tithing in the Bible? What does the Bible teach about tithing? In this Q&A article, pastor, author, and Renew.org point leader Bobby Harrington explores what tithing is, why Christians give, and why it’s important to support the local church. Q: What is tithing? Tithing means “a tenth part” (Genesis 14; Hebrews 7:2-4). We tithe […]
