Three Tragic Consequences of a Two-Party System
By Brad Bell Protestant Theology has long been plagued by one of the same problems as American politics. Ironically, this problem has been around much longer in theology than our current government. What is it? A two-party system. Long before our modern government took form, Protestant theological discussion became gridlocked by two polarized parties—the Calvinists […]
Not Willing to Believe (John 5:40)
By Ken Yates I have a confession to make. It is a confession that marks me off in many circles today as both an ignorant and an evil man. But it is: I am simply unwilling to believe the preachers of global warming. I have heard their sermons many times. Man has caused the world […]
Interpreting the Bible and the Sciences
By Brad Doskocil When we study the Bible there can be a propensity to interpret it, and to judge it, in light of our understanding of the sciences. Often our understanding of physics, biology, history, or archaeology, is given greater weight as evidence than what the Bible reports. This diminishes the divine authorship and inspiration […]
John’s Gospel: Evangelistic or Not?
By John H. Niemelä1 Believe it or not, there are rumblings against the idea that John’s Gospel is evangelistic. What does John 20:30-31 say? Thus Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these signs have been written so you may believe that Jesus […]
Islam and Calvinism: An Uncomfortable Comparison
By Phil Congdon In a packed baseball stadium a few days after 9/11, a Christian minister stood to pray. The minister began: “We pray in the name of our God—the God of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam…” Ever since the attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, politicians and celebrities had been presenting Islam […]
Superheroes, Easter Eggs and Biblical Literacy
By Shawn Lazar Who’s that?” “Black Widow,” I explained to my wife. “What can she do?” “Martial arts.” “And?” “And she’s good with weapons.” “That’s it?” “Yeah, pretty much.” “But she’s fighting hundreds of robots,” my wife noted. “I know.” “So Hulk is super strong, Iron Man has his suit, Thor has all kinds of […]
Q&A
Who Is the Elder Brother? Q: After reading Luke 15 over and over, I’m still sure the prodigal son is a believer returning to fellowship with Christ. But the identity of the elder son honestly confuses me. First, Jesus is telling the parable to the Pharisees who looked to their own self-righteousness. Could the elder […]
Clearing up Confusion about Heaven and Hell — Revelation 20:11–21:4
By Bob Wilkin Most people think that they know a lot about heaven and hell. But most popular ideas about heaven and hell do not actually come from the Bible, but from Greek philosophy, especially Plato, and from medieval writings like Dante’s Inferno. Part 1: Heaven Isn’t What Most People Suppose We sing many songs […]
Is Repentance Required for Eternal Life?
While I was teaching a ladies’ Bible study, the subject of repentance came up, and it became apparent that many assumed that repentance was a condition of eternal salvation—an idea I strongly denied. So I wanted to put down on paper why that was not true, and why believing in Jesus is the one and […]
The Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
A few years ago I was one of four authors, including Tom Schreiner, James D. G. Dunn, and Michael Barber, for a book called Four Views on the Role of Works at the Final Judgment. In my portion of the book one of the things I discussed was this parable (pp. 36-37). A reader brought […]