I was just having lunch with some pastors, and we were having a friendly disagreement over exegesis. One experienced expositor said, “The Holy Spirit chose precisely this word and not another, so it must have special significance.” I said, “Yes, but...
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...
Wondering how you can prepare for seminary? Perhaps you are like I was . . . excited but nervous. I knew my classes would be rewarding but potentially challenging. I entered seminary as a blank slate. I had never studied Hebrew or Greek, nor did I...
Dustin Burlet | Peace River Bible Institute T. Desmond Alexander once stated, with respect to teaching the Old Testament, that it is “difficult to think of any other academic subject that covers such a wide range of fields. How does one do justice...
Is there a best method for how to use Bible commentaries? As songwriter Sara Groves says, “There’s no way to know it without discovery.” Groves isn’t talking about Bible commentaries (or how to use them) when she sings that line, but...
We see our pastors each week on-screen or up front. We typically recognize key ministry leaders. We know (and ask God to bless abundantly) our children’s nursery workers who graciously receive our crying babies each week with smiles on their faces...
Introduction Research papers are one of the best ways to learn in seminary—which is why so many teachers assign them. A research paper trains you in how to gather information, interpret it, and present an informed opinion persuasively. And yet...
I have two young adult children, and as they finished high school, I remember feeling the weight of knowing I hadn’t equipped them well enough to process many issues they would face that could potentially challenge their beliefs. I had tried my...
Most of us desire to do deep and meaningful Bible study, but sometimes we get into a rut. Bible study can become more of a chore than an exciting time of learning and growing in your understanding of God’s Word and in your relationship with Jesus...
The Bible is a big book. So big that fully understanding it remains a lifelong goal. Rather than trying to read it through in a few sittings, like most of us do with many smaller books, many people instead read a small amount every day. The slow-and...
In this video and transcript excerpt from the Bible Survey course on 2 Timothy, Dr. Kenneth Waters discusses issues of Paul’s authorship of the Pastoral Epistles in light of the familiarity evidenced in the letters to Timothy. *** Let us now...
I love writing for sharp readers; they keep me on my toes. Once, in my post “The Easy Way to Do a Responsible Bible Word Study,” after studying the word hilasterion, one of them presented me with a challenge: Can we do a high-quality Bible word...
Defining your church’s brand is about helping people find their place in the body of Christ. It’s an expression of how the passions your people carry collide with the community you inhabit. It’s a physical reflection of the...
In this excerpt from Wonderfully Made: A Protestant Theology of the Body, Dr. John W. Kleinig explores the creation account from Genesis 1–2 and five things we can learn about humankind from God’s spoken word in Genesis 1:26 and its interpretation...
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...
When is your son or daughter old enough to date? Should you pay off your mortgage or increase your investments? Should you ask your church for financial help or take on that second part-time job? What is the best way to bring up that painful yet...
Are you intrigued by the term “digital literacy”? I was—and I didn’t know it was a thing until I started researching for this article. If you’re curious like I was, digital literacy refers to learning how to use technology responsibly in various...
A Christian understanding of death ... [does not] trivialize or objectify it. In the Christian imagination, death presents us with the mystery of life held in the hands of God—life that is not our own, that is fragile and limited. It presents death...
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.
But who do you say the Son of Man is? (Matthew 16:15) Perhaps Jesus’ most famous, pointed question, this marks a turning point in the Gospel of Matthew and is mentioned in Mark and Luke too. After Simon Peter answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of...
By E. Tod Twist If you’ve ever pondered the meaning of life in “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) or even in “Christ who is your life” (Col. 3:4), this excerpt from Bible Word Studies: A How-to Guide will show you how to dig a...
"We must work to keep education personal in whatever ways are possible."
He’s the universe’s public enemy number one, the chief opponent of God and his people, and the leader of uncounted demonic forces. Jesus says he’s been a murderer from the beginning, and he’s engaged in an all-out war against the forces of good in...
Two years ago, I transitioned from leading and overseeing our church’s youth ministries to overseeing and leading our children’s and youth ministries. Practically, that’s an eighteen-year gap of kids under my care—not to mention their older...
By Duane Garrett Speaking up for biblical principles is a dangerous thing. People may abuse you or accuse you, saying that you are a fool or even that you are evil. But Proverbs 9:7–8 gives us wise counsel in the face of such hostility: Whoever...
Family devotion time: sweet memories or absolute mayhem? For most families, it’s a little bit of both. We asked readers over social media—plus a few colleagues at Faithlife—to describe their family devotions and how they make the time meaningful and...
Anyone who is being crucified suffers from dehydration, with the mouth and throat unbearably dry and the tongue grossly swollen (see Ps 22:15). At first Jesus had refused the relief of the offered sour wine (Matt 27:34) so that all of his senses...
The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines Logos (λόγος, logos) as “a concept word in the Bible symbolic of the nature and function of Jesus Christ. It is also used to refer to the revelation of God in the world.” But it’s also arguably...
Look into the future, and you see a blank preaching calendar you need to fill. People are coming through the doors—some for the first time, some for the thousandth—and you have to deliver sermons that meet them where they are, week after week after...
It is an understatement even to say you have written much on the Gospel of John. What sets Signs of the Messiah apart? Signs of the Messiah started out as a series of talks I gave to a group of pastors and serious Bible students over the course of a...
