Christians should be people of hope. If there’s one thing people today desperately need, it’s the kind of hope 1 Peter speaks about — the living hope that comes from the gospel.
Bible study
Chosen Exiles: Reflections on 1 Peter 1:1-2
1 Peter’s opening words teach us that Christian identity is all about our covenant relationship to Jesus Christ and our walk with him. Everything we are and do should flow from that identity. And every trial we suffer can be overcome because of that identity.
Was 1 Peter Written to Jews or Gentiles? Why the Answer Matters More Than You Might Think
The opening line of 1 Peter identifies it as a letter from “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ: To those chosen, living as exiles dispersed abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia…” (1:1, CSB). At first blush, the wording suggests that Peter is addressing… Read More ›
No One Can Come to Jesus Unless the Father Draws Them: Two Views on Election in John 6
Jesus makes some startling claims in John 6. What does it mean that no one can come to him unless they’re drawn by the Father? Here are two ways Christians have interpreted his statements.
Exploring Scripture: 1 Peter
This fall, I’ll be leading the young adults in our church through a study of the book of 1 Peter. I chose this book to teach through for several reasons. The first is just that it’s one of my personal… Read More ›
Women in Ministry, Pt. 3: Addressing Some Biblical Questions
In my previous post I argued that 1 Timothy 2:11-15 (often viewed as the strongest biblical passage against female pastors) is not a universal, absolute prohibition against women having authority in the church. Rather, it was addressing a particular, local situation in Ephesus… Read More ›
First Timothy 2:11-15 and the Question of Women in Ministry
In my last post I shared two reasons why I began reexamining my initial complementarian position on women in ministry — first, the ways female Bible teachers helped me grow spiritually, and second, the challenging points raised by my seminary… Read More ›
The “Angry” God of the Old Testament?
Critics of the Bible often complain that the God we see depicted in the Old Testament is an angry, vindictive deity. They’ll aver that Yahweh appears to be more than a bit temperamental — indeed, he seems constantly ready to… Read More ›
Your Gifts Aren’t Just for You (Exodus 35)
I’ve been reading back through the book of Exodus this month, and there’s a passage near the end that always grabs my attention. It’s in Exodus chapter 35, and it’s the first place in the Bible that mentions people being… Read More ›
Original Goodness (Genesis 1)
The way the biblical story begins affects everything about how we view the world around us. Take a look with me at God’s original intention for our reality.
