Matthew BoffeyFor a long time, professional church lighting has been a luxury reserved for churches with big budgets and experienced personnel. Not anymore. A recent Proclaim update lets churches with limited budgets and volunteers enjoy tasteful, professional...
Mark WardThere’s a makeover video on YouTube that is now clocking in at 25 million views. And it points, through a sad irony, to a truth recovered 500 years ago at the Reformation. The timelapse video shows Jim Wolf’s stunning transformation from unkempt...
Garet RobinsonGaret Robinson gives us highlights of the Reformation 500 celebrations straight from the heart of Wittenberg, continued from his updates on Reformation Eve and the Morning in Wittenberg. Reformation 500 Day wrapped up fairly quickly this evening...
Michael S. HeiserAs finite beings in a finite universe, it’s almost impossible for us to imagine what God was doing before time and matter as we know it was created. Was God alone? Was he adrift in a vast nothingness? Does the Bible give us any indication what life...
The first of Luther’s famous 95 Theses—whose 500th anniversary we celebrate today—is a critique of an erroneously translated phrase in Jerome’s translation of Matthew 4:17. In English we know this as, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”...
Garet Robinson continues his live correspondence from Wittenberg, where he and his wife are currently visiting in order to take part in the Reformation 500 celebrations. Good morning from Wittenberg, Germany. A cool front moved in as the day began...
Garet Robinson is currently in Germany for the Reformation 500 celebrations. Over the next few days, he will be sharing his experiences, including the sights, sounds, and smells (sausage!) of the festivities in Wittenberg, so that you can get as...
Robert ElmerIf you want to do expository preaching right, Bryan Chapell’s classic Christ-Centered Preaching is a must read. (And if it’s not already on your digital bookshelf, it should be!) Dr. Chapell is senior pastor at Grace Presbyterian Church in Peoria...
Doug SmithHave you ever known anyone with a one-track mind? An obsession? A laser-focus on their goal? Such a man was English Reformer William Tyndale. Like the apostle Paul who said, “This one thing I do,” Tyndale was marked by a single-minded dedication. C...
Jake MailhotWe are all tempted to believe lies about our identities that shape our daily lives. As Dayton Hartman puts it, “Our hearts, apart from God’s regenerating grace, are literally lie-producing and lie-believing machines.” But Hartman is convinced there...
John SchwandtWhen you don’t know the Greek alphabet, reading commentaries and reference books can sometimes feel like analyzing a redacted document. Greek and Hebrew words look so foreign to English readers, they might as well be covered with a black bar. To...
Preparing for church services is hard work. It takes a lot of prayer, planning, and teamwork to consistently construct services that encourage others and glorify God. That said, sometimes we make it harder than it has to be. Here are three mistakes...
I once gave a presentation at my church on “Why Bible Typography Matters.” It was announced a month or so in advance, and people started making comments to me about it. Someone said, “You’re going to talk about Bible typology—like how Joseph...
“Should we split infinitives? Can we say ‘to boldly go where no one has gone before’?” A sharp teenage girl in my church recently asked me this. Great question. How do we judge what is “correct” English, anyway? And should Bible teachers even, like...
We all know why co-signing a loan is required. The bank assumes that the person who is being loaned the money may not be able to repay it. Their commitment or ability is in question. In the Bible, God typically swears by his own character when...
Daniel MotleyThis post is an interview with Dr. Matthew Barrett, general editor of Reformation Theology: A Systematic Summary. This month is the 500th anniversary of the Reformation. What did the Reformers believe was at stake in their efforts to reform the...
Tony SegarThe greatest missionary of all time is God himself. His love for the lost beats in multifaceted ways: He sent his Son far away from home to a lost, antagonistic world. His Son, in turn, gave his disciples a great commission to spread that love...
Rick BrannanUsing a commentary like you use a lexicon — it’s not really a far-fetched idea. There are scads of context-sensitive discussions of Greek and Hebrew words locked away in commentaries. As a matter of fact, Ceslas Spicq’s justly famous (and...
Sound Christian doctrine and good Christian living are intimately tied together. You cannot have one without the other. This is especially true for church leaders. In his letter to Titus, the Apostle Paul implores the reader to take truth seriously...
Tavis BohlingerCraig Bartholomew, H. Evan Runner Professor of Philosophy at Redeemer University College, was recently interviewed by Faithlife TV, where he laid down the gauntlet for Christian academics. His message: make your research speak to today’s...
Your songs teach theology. Your prayers teach how to pray. Your church calendar teaches what to prioritize. Everything teaches—even the little things. What lessons are you teaching? For several years I attended a church where we stood for the...
The Bible is mysterious, surprising—and often deeply misunderstood. There are many passages in Scripture that communicate important ideas and events clearly and simply, transcending differences in language and context. But there are also many...
The Anchor Yale Bible boasts 90 volumes and top ratings, but why else is it worth adding to your library? Here are four simple reasons . . . It’s study step #1 In many circles the Anchor Yale Bible series is known as the go-to “Monday commentary,”...
Miles CustisThe creation account is one of the most debated and discussed passages in the Bible. Scholars and theologians have wrestled with the nature of Genesis 1–2 for years. There are a variety of different ways to read and understand the creation account...
benjpetroeljeIn its modern form, the study of Christian origins has been dominated by the study of the apostle Paul. Take, for instance, Johannes Weiss’s précis of nineteenth-century scholarship on Christian origins, written in 1917: ‘’The history of...
Greek New Testament manuscripts often use paragraphs to indicate a shift in thought. But modern editors have not felt bound by these paragraph divisions: each Bible text may have its own. Paragraphing is a necessary task for translation—and a help...
Atonement: Sin, Sacrifice, and Salvation in Jewish and Christian Antiquity The St. Andrews Symposium is never one to be missed. This conference always draw in an excellent mix of scholars of all ranks, and there are plentiful opportunities for...
Corporations cook their books. Politicians get caught taking bribes. Scientists fudge data. Should the writer of Chronicles be judged the same way? It’s widely known that the books of 1–2 Chronicles are a reiteration of the history of Israel found...
Andy NaselliThe following is a guest post written by Andy Naselli, author of No Quick Fix: Where Higher Life Theology Came From, What It Is, and Why It’s Harmful. A silver lining of theological controversy is that it can help you refine how you understand...
On Wednesday I posted a translation of the wise and valuable—and largely forgotten—preface to the most important English Bible ever: the King James Version. Today’s Christians think of the KJV as settled, established, widely accepted, and honored...