Historically Christian views on marriage went through a phase of being very restrictive from the Early Church Fathers to the Middle Ages. Marriage was seen as sacred and indissoluble. Those who separated were not permitted to remarry. In more recent times views gradually became less restrictive. This process began during the Reformation. Read more
I always believed that the moment you even thought about divorce in a marriage you had failed. Somehow, many think, opening up the possibility of splitting will inevitably lead to the unmentionable happening. In many churches today divorce is still taboo, it is unthinkable. If it happens in your marriage the stigma and shame can be unbearable. Some even react as though divorce might be contagious, perhaps by unlocking the idea that if one couple can get divorced then maybe... Read more
The cross on its own does not justify us according to Paul. This article explores what Paul means by "raised for our justification" discussing how the death and resurrection of Jesus works together to save us. Read more
In every sermon in the book of Acts the resurrection is stressed and the cross is usually just assumed. Much of the preaching of the gospel in our churches today would reverse that emphasis, stressing the cross while assuming the resurrection. As we examine each of these sermons, both to confirm their emphasis on the resurrection and to identify specifically what the resurrection accomplished for us, we will discover just how Christ’s victory over death can impact our lives today Read more
Jesus’ death was not the end of the story, and so we have in the Gospels the culmination of all previous resurrection hopes. But the Gospels themselves talk about resurrection even before Jesus’ death. In this chapter let’s examine those references to resurrection. Read more
The Old Testament contains hints of resurrection. This article demonstrates that the future hope of life after death is anticipated in Jewish Bible. Read more
Christ is Risen! The cry of Easter Sunday brings with it hope for us as we face a World of death and pain. Life is itself a terminal condition, so we might be forgiven for arguing that resurrection is the most important theme in the Bible—at least practically for us. That is how this fifth chapter of my book Raised With Christ ends, I hope you will join me as I build towards that conclusion this Easter Sunday. For I... Read more
Our post Covid compassionless godless society just gets worse and worse. In yesterdays London Times, respected columnist Matthew Parry argued that sick and disabled people ought to be encouraged to relieve the financial burden they pose to society and opt to be put down like you would a pet. If we do not continue to prohibit assisted dying then people like me will feel obligued to have themselves killed to save society money and a burden. Yes I cost the... Read more
Even on Good Friday, when we remember the death of Jesus we must also remind ourselves that he rose again. Why do Christians today emphasise the cross and neglect the resurrection? Read more
For the next three days Logos Bible Software are offering up to 60% off commentary sets in a special March sale to readers of this blog. Just in case you haven’t heard of Logos, here is my official endorsement: For many years now—if I want to check out the meaning of a Bible passage, do a word study, or check out the latest Christian thinking on any subject—I almost always turn to Logos. I think of it as my full-time... Read more
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