Josh StewartAs the Israelites said of the manna that fell from heaven, so it must be said of the youth pastor: What is it? Empirically speaking, youth pastors are half-friend, half-pastor, half-parent, half-can’t-decide-what-it-is types of things. But what...
Peter KrolThere is one question I receive more than any other when Christians discover I’m involved in a collegiate discipleship ministry: What materials or resources do you use? I appreciate the eagerness behind the question, as folks generally aim to...
Constantine CampbellI like to say to students that, in ancient Greek, verbs are where the action is. It’s a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that, of course, verbs are doing words, but also that verbs are centrally significant for the way that ancient Greek functions...
Kyle HughesThis article will provide a brief introduction to pneumatology by answering a few key questions: What do the biblical terms ruach and pneuma have to do with the Holy Spirit? How did early Christians go about the task of reflecting on the person and...
Michael F. BirdRevolutions are by their very nature destructive and disruptive. Revolutions bring old things down and erect new institutions and networks in their place. Revolutions bring conflict. They trample down things once thought sacred and raise up new...
Christopher KouWe often hear that the church isn’t a building; it’s people. And that’s true. Church isn’t where you meet. It’s who meets. However, this statement can become clichéd, repeated so often that we miss the profound meaning behind it. In this article...
Lauren HunterAs the son of a soil farmer in Minnesota, Harold Senkbeil didn’t set out to leave bucolic life behind for ministry. But God had plans far greater than anything he expected. Intimidated as he was by city folk, he was surprised to find his calling...
Seana ScottThe pandemic lulled me into a new church rhythm. The kids slept in, and I slowly sipped coffee. They eventually woke up and we logged into YouTube from our smart TV to watch the livestream for the second service. Months later, when the church...
Patrick SlymanIt was an innocent question, “Will you use sermon slides when you preach?” I was a first-year seminary student asking a recent graduate embarking on his first pastoral position. The curtness of his answer surprised me, “Not on...
Timothy BergAll Christians must reckon with spiritual gifts in their Bibles. Lists in 1 Corinthins 12:7–10, 1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:6–8, and 1 Peter 4:10–11 name various gifts while passages throughout the New Testament depict them at work. What are...
Logos StaffFathers play a critical role in the lives of their children. They are called to be teachers (Prov 1:8; 22:6; Eph 6:4), providers (1 Tim 5:8), disciplinarians (Prov 13:24), and living examples of God (2 Cor 3:2–3). It’s a tall order from the greatest...
Esther SmithPrayers for physical wellness fill our prayer chains, but what about prayers for mental health? We all face struggles that threaten our mental well-being. Anxiety overwhelms us. Depression crushes us. Addiction entices us. We walk out of...
Kyle BeutlerThere’s been an overwhelming number of worship songs about the Holy Spirit released in the last two decades. Common themes fill these songs: revival in our churches, renewing of our faith, resting in the love of God. Here’s a look at thirty songs...
Marcus JerkinsPneumatology is the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of this article is to offer some terms and concepts associated with the Holy Spirit, which will help in constructing a biblical pneumatology. This article is not complete or exhaustive but...
JoAnna HoytSaint Photini, so named in the Orthodox tradition, was an especially blessed woman. You may know her simply as “the woman at the well” from John 4. Her story tends to be remembered for two reasons: her shockingly high number of marriages, and Jesus’...
Keith N. Smith Jr.Are Christians in a war? If so, how do we fight in this war? These are important questions for every follower of Jesus to consider, because the Bible tells us that we are indeed engaged in a spiritual battle against the kingdom of darkness. This is...
Ryan LyttonFew issues in Christianity today are more controversial than speaking in tongues. The Lexham Cultural Ontology Glossary defines tongues speaking as: The act of speaking a language one did not acquire by natural means. This is often related to either...
Kirk MillerThe baptism of the Holy Spirit has been a subject of debate and much discussion among Christians over the years. What exactly does it mean to be baptized in the Spirit? Is it a distinct event that occurs after conversion, as some maintain, or an...
Sam WaldronI have watched with great interest, growing understanding, and deepening concern the debate between classical theism and—for lack of a better descriptor—Framean biblical personalism.
Alexander StewartIn Revelation 1:4–5, John gives what appears to be a Trinitarian greeting from God, the Spirit, and Jesus; but in place of the Spirit he highlights the “seven spirits before his throne.” John: To the seven churches in Asia. Grace and peace to you...
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in worship? I often tell my students that my default answer to theological questions is, “It’s more complicated than you think.” A guiding framework for me in that regard is Gregory the Great, who describes the...
Jason StoneWhat you’ll see in this Logos Live episode Julie Canlis, author of Calvin’s Ladder: A Spiritual Theology of Ascent and Ascension, is interviewed by Jason Stone about her recent book, A Theology of the Ordinary. Julie Canlis is liturgical...
Ruth SutcliffeRegarding the two “sides” in the fifth-century Christological controversies, R. V. Sellers observed, So intent was each upon securing for itself the victory, that it would not stop to enquire whether its opponents did not after all believe what they...
Tobin PerryGrief seems like such a human emotion. So what does it mean when Paul writes, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit” (Eph 4:30)? How can the Holy Spirit—the Spirit of the all-powerful, all-knowing creator—possibly grieve? And what could make...
Robert ElmerVisit any church enough times and you’ll probably hear a sermon that spotlights Galatians 5:22–23—the “fruit of the Spirit” passage: “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness … ” Sound familiar? It’s a perennial favorite of many preachers, as it dives...
Zach HollifieldThe spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.—Matthew 26:41; Mark 14:38 Every year as a kid I looked forward to New Year’s Eve because it was the one time a year when all bets were off when it came to bedtime. The mysterious happenings of the...
Leopoldo SánchezIn her article, “The Holy Spirit: Lutheran Perspectives,” Cheryl Peterson observes that, due to their historic emphasis on the doctrine of justification by faith on account of Christ as the chief article of Christian teaching, Lutherans are...
Harrison PerkinsEveryone knows what it’s like to need help. Sometimes, we can feel the whole weight of the world, recognizing more and more why Scripture instructs the church to “Bear one another’s burdens” (Gal 6:2). Christians know that we can’t do the Christian...
Veli-Matti KärkkäinenFor a long time considered to be the stepchild—or, daringly, the Cinderella—of theology, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit (pneumatology) has in recent times risen to the center of attention. Never before in the history of Christian doctrine has there...
Brian CollinsAn immense list of the best books on the Holy Spirit could easily be overwhelming. So start here! Your study of the Spirit through these selections will be time well spent. 1. St Basil the Great, On the Holy Spirit Basil of Caesarea’s book on the...