In today’s churches, pastors are often expected to be jacks of all trades but also master the art of the care of souls (what Harold Senkbeil identifies as the “enactment of the word of Christ upon the souls for whom our Lord shed his blood and...
In this excerpt adapted from the March/April issue of Bible Study Magazine, Jared Garcia explores the terrible events leading to Jesus’ resurrection—and why we can call his crucifixion the “glory of the cross.” *** Just days before his death, Jesus...
The Dead Sea Scrolls were first found in 1947 in Qumran by a Bedouin shepherd boy. He had tossed a stone into a cave and heard a clinking noise—the rock had hit a clay pot containing some of the scrolls. Since then, scrolls have been discovered in...
In this excerpt, Dru Johnson explores what Hebraic thought and is and why it matters for students of the Bible today.
In this post, David deSilva—author of Unholy Allegiances: Heeding Revelation’s Warning, you’ll explore three mistakes many people make when approaching the book of Revelation, and how being aware of them will ensure you are reading Revelation...
In this excerpt from the Mobile Ed course Introducing Spiritual Formation, award-winning author and internationally recognized speaker Dr. Gary Thomas explores why adopting the humility of Christ is evidence that we value true holiness. Transcript...
Given that only two angels are explicitly named in Scripture (Michael and Gabriel), it is unsurprising that they have garnered a lot of attention, speculation, and reverence throughout the centuries—in both religious tradition and popular media.
Jesus’ own townspeople in Nazareth mistook who he was, as did Herod, Mary Magdalene, and even Peter. But did John the Baptist misunderstand Jesus? In this excerpt adapted from the September/October 2021 issue of Bible Study Magazine, Joseph R...
Peter J. Leithart opens Reflecting on the Word: Video Devotionals (Year C) by exploring the Church calendar and why it’s valuable for believers. Video excerpt and transcript below. Human beings are temporal creatures, but this doesn’t simply mean...
The apostle Paul is arguably one of Christian history’s most formative thinkers and writers. Recently, Faithlife’s Daniel Motley spent some time chatting with Dr. Douglas Moo, one of the world’s leading Pauline scholars, about his landmark study: A...
Anglican theologian J. I. Packer (1926–2020), one of the twentieth century’s most widely respected Christian writers, dedicated himself to a lifetime of Christian ministry. His impact was immense—he was known for profound theological writing...
Typically when seminary students begin their theological education journey, they anticipate writing lots of papers, listening to long lectures, and digging into new, deep topics they may not have explored before. They don’t often consider their time...
Douglas Moo writes, “The apostle Paul has arguably had a greater impact than any figure other than Jesus Christ Himself.” Moo, a New Testament scholar and professor at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, has spent more than 30 years in intense...
For some seminary students, writing research papers is a weighty part of seminary—and knowing how to improve writing skills can be challenging. In this excerpt adapted from Surviving and Thriving in Seminary: An Academic and Spiritual Handbook, H...
Frederick Cardoza has ministered for 20 years in church and parachurch ministries of all sizes and has taught academically for more than 15 years at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. In this excerpt, adapted from his course...
Keep reading to explore thoughts about C. S. Lewis from pastors and authors that will encourage, challenge, and inspire you in your walk with Christ.
In this transcript excerpt adapted from the Mobile Ed video course Biblical Worldview and Critical Thinking, esteemed Christian theologian and philosopher John Frame explores what it means to have a Christian worldview. *** My definition of...
In this second of a two-part article (read Part 1 here) adapted from Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Essays on the Relationship between Christianity and Judaism, David Rudolph continues to...
In this first of a two-part article excerpted from Understanding the Jewish Roots of Christianity: Biblical, Theological, and Historical Essays on the Relationship between Christianity and Judaism, David Rudolph considers the sometimes hotly...
Grant Fishbook started preaching full time in 2003, but every few years, he’d discover that he wasn’t connecting with the modern audience. At first, he thought maybe he was the problem—maybe he wasn’t doing something right, or maybe he...
William A. Ross, assistant professor at Reformed Theological Seminary, explores a recent Dead Sea Scrolls discovery of a few dozen Bible manuscript fragments in Israel and how it may shed new light on Septuagint studies.
In this excerpt from the introduction of The Universal Story: Genesis 1–11, Dru Johnson explores why Genesis 1–11 doesn’t plainly explain, prove, or disprove some of the biggest questions human beings wrestle with about creation and the cosmos. ***...
The basis of any church’s theology lies in its doctrine. Other churches have been quite clear about this. Most Protestant bodies have a confession of faith to which its ministers (at least) are expected to subscribe, and the Roman Catholic Church...
Dave Wenzel says, "Suffering gives us an opportunity to reach out and express the grace of God in situations where people are hurting and looking for that meaning and purpose in their life."
This post is adapted from the January 6 entry in A Light Has Dawned: Meditations about Advent and Christmas, available now from Lexham Press.
In our busyness leading up to December 25, the date set aside to remember when God entered time and space to dwell or “tabernacle” with humanity, have we missed the beauty of anticipating Christmas and what it means? In this excerpt from A Light Has...
Mount Gerizim, Schechem, Mount Ebal in Israel Toward the end of Deuteronomy, Moses tells the Israelites that, after they cross the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, one of the first things they are to do is build an altar on Mount Ebal and renew...
Remember ERP: Estimated Relationship Potential. This is a social science theory from the field of interpersonal communication which demonstrates that when we meet someone we quickly form an estimate of the potential for a relationship. We start to...
This post is adapted from “In our preaching, less is more” by Haddon Robinson. *** There is an old story that preachers tell: A man came to church one Sunday and the only person who was there, besides himself, was the preacher. The preacher was...
How does Scripture talk about great leaders? *** We begin as servants and, if we are faithful, we become leaders. You find this pattern illustrated throughout Scripture. Joseph was hated by his brothers, sold as a slave, and taken to Egypt. He was...