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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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’...
Kirk E. 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.
Ryan LyttonWhat 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...
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...
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...
Bryan BlazoskyWhile serving in a small church plant during my first year of college, I remember being given for the first time something called a spiritual gifts test. I don’t remember the specific questions on the test, but I do remember the result. For the...
Gerald BrayThe Filioque clause in the Nicene Creed is the name given to an insertion that was made in the Latin version of the creed sometime in the late-sixth century, almost certainly in Spain. The creed itself was originally composed in Greek, most probably...
Elyse FitzpatrickJesus’s words frequently shock me. They bring me up short. Honestly, sometimes when I read them, I think, I wonder if he knew to whom he was speaking. Of course he knew, I mean no disrespect. But still. Really? Telling Nicodemus he must be born...
Drew LongacreThe New Testament was originally written in Greek. This claim is not particularly controversial among biblical scholars, though some have argued that parts of the New Testament were originally written in Hebrew or Aramaic. Some popular writers and...
If you’ve spent any time in church you’ve probably heard this verse: “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10 ESV). But what does this verse really mean, and how is it even possible to “be still and know”? Let’s find out. 8 different angles on...
Lexham PressLearn what the ascension of Jesus is, why it is called the ascension, what Jesus's last words were before he ascended, and more.
The Decalogue (or Ten Commandments) has a prominent place in the Christian tradition. Many catechisms expound, from a wide range of theological traditions, make sure to expound upon it. At some point, most pastors will find themselves preaching or...
Kyle HughesThe elderly gentleman who confronted me after my adult catechesis class did not look particularly happy with me. He asked what I meant when I said the Trinity isn’t in the Bible, opening his well-worn King James Bible to 1 John 5:7–8 and stabbing a...
Mary JahnkeWho is God? What’s he like? Ask a hundred people, and you might just get a hundred answers. So let’s find out the truth of who he is—from Scriptures. They’re his Word to us, a gift that allows us to get to know him directly. As...
Mark WardHave you ever looked closely at Jesus’s story of the Good Samaritan? All knowledge begins with asking basic questions, and through the magic of internet technology, I know what people out there are asking about the Sermon on the Mount. I see...
Jordan SteffaniakSometimes theology can appear daunting. That is especially the case when it comes to the doctrine of the Trinity. Many of us—even those who have studied the Trinity for years—appeal far more often to mystery when it comes to knowing and delighting...
Kevin VanhoozerTheological education forms students to become biblically, culturally, and doctrinally literate in order to live out their heavenly citizenship on earth. To succeed in this God-glorifying project, it takes not a village but a church—or rather...
Phillip CaryIt’s hard not to feel embarrassed for the poor flummoxed pastors who throw up their hands and confess they can’t explain how God is three in one. It’s a kind of ritual incantation at the beginning of many sermons I’ve heard. If you attend a church...