New essay on NT Papyrus “P45” by larryhurtado Today’s post brought the published version of my essay, “P45 as an Early Christian Artefact: What it Reflects about Early Christianity,” which has just appeared in the Norwegian journal, Teologisk Tidsskrift 4(2016), 291-307. I presented the essay originally as part of a symposium held in August this year, celebrating the 65th birthday of Professor Reidar Hvalvik, a senior NT scholar in the Norwegian School of Theology (which I posted on earlier here).... Read more

The following is a paragraph from a C.K. Barrett sermon on the Law of Moses delivered during Lent, 1949 which is still very much appropos for our situation today. Law of course always has this importance. It has it in Methodism. I know well the importance in Methodism of the warm heart and all that; but never forget the importance of Methodist Law and Discipline. We are witnessing a sad relaxation of Methodist Discipline in these days which is very... Read more

The Nicene and Reformed doctrine of the Trinity. (A paper given by Kevin Giles at the plenary forum on the Trinity at the Evangelical Theological Society annual conference, 15th November, 2016 at San Antonia. The other speakers were Dr Bruce Ware, Dr Millard Erickson and Dr Wayne Grudem; Dr Sam Storms presided.) Kevin Giles Thank you, Dr Storms, for your welcome. It is a huge honor to be invited to give the introductory address at this ETS plenary forum on... Read more

“CHRIST’S POVERTY AND OUR WEALTH’—2 CORINTHIANS 8.9 [Preached forty-one times from 3.30.38 at Wednesbury to 8/15/99 at Harworth] Paul was announcing a Collection, and he was doing so at considerable length. There were several reasons for that. One was that Paul did not find it easy to talk about money in bald terms. He could never quite forget that he was a Roman citizen, trained in the rabbinic schools, and in early life a well-to-do man. To ask for money,... Read more

In an age of self-centered everything, it is not surprising that a lot of self-centered religion, and in particular self-centered Christianity has emerged. Pastors seeking to minister to people’s felt needs, because of course they are the center of their own universe, rather than God being the center, has led to all sorts of slogans like ‘I’m spiritual not religious’ which translates as— I don’t attend religious services, I can be spiritual all by myself. C.K. Barrett and John Wesley... Read more

We are saved by grace, but through faith. I draw attention to the second preposition. We are sometimes inclined to talk as if human beings are saved by a religious disposition, as if the basic Christian requirement was that we should whip ourselves up into an appropriate religious emotion called faith, by which we might be saved. Nothing could be more misleading. We are not saved by anything in ourselves at all. We are saved only by the gracious activity... Read more

This is where salvation begins— in the free love of God which seeks us where we are, in the Son of God who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven to live and die at our side. It is love that saves, it is Christ that saves—two different ways of saying the same thing. In the last resort you can only do something, something worthwhile, for a human being if you love him. Of course you can... Read more

The pressure of society upon us is not, for the most part, violent. But there is again and again a pressure of public opinion which forces us away from the authority of God’s Word under which the Church must live if it is to be the Church. The Church, people say, must recognize that times have changed, and we cannot extend the old standards of belief and morality to be maintained even by ourselves, certainly not by society at large.... Read more

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ5YiOWde8w Without question one of the great voices of the whole rock n’ roll era is the voice of Gino Vanelli, and it was a treat to get to see him one more time, with full horns and keyboards and killer bass and drums and guitars. It was worth the eight hours of driving to get to do this (4 up and 4 back) and to get to share this with our good friends the Zimmermans from Ashland, and with... Read more

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