What if I said, “Jesus didn’t finish the job”? What is the purpose of the Christian life? In previous posts I have argued that the goal of the Christian life is to grow in the likeness of Christ. Now, I wish to address the question: what is the purpose of the Christian life? I am going to make a statement that may very well sound blasphemous. I assure you that it is not. So, before you cease reading, please allow... Read more
Imagine if, in our progressive culture, the church were leading the way in the area of women’s rights, how much it would potentially positively affect the spread of the Gospel! What does this all mean? I have argued that Paul has not given us a timeless edict. He has laid down a principle. One that should not be ignored: namely, that whoever serves as a pastor must be educated and prepared so that they are not easily deceived.This would apply... Read more
Doesn’t Paul say women can’t be Pastors? But what about 1 Timothy 2 were Paul seems to forbid women from teaching and having authority in the church and he appears to do so with abiding justifications and not culturally relevant ones? “But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet. For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but... Read more
Women and the Kingdom of God There is no question that Jesus brought the Kingdom of God (KOG).[1] Now, the KOG is in its essence the restoration, redemption, and reconciliation of all creation. Though the kingdom of God is a central focus of Jesus’ teaching, it is in the description of the New Jerusalem in final two chapters of the book of Revelation (21-22) that we find the climax of the kingdom. One of the keys to understanding the Kingdom... Read more
I find it ironic that I, as a man, can use something a women wrote in a sermon, but the author herself, simply because she is women, would not be permitted to do so in many churches. Can women serve equally with men in the church? Admittedly, the question is multi-faceted and the issues are complex. The complexities include at the most basic level whether or not women can teach in the church at all (including the teaching of children;... Read more
Women around the world suffer significant oppression. They are, simply because of their gender, routinely deprived of education[1] and other opportunities afforded to men. In some countries, women are forced into unwanted marriages.[2] According to the World Health Organization 35% of women worldwide have experienced either intimate partner violence or non partner sexual violence in their lifetime.[3] One out of every three women have been a victim of some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.[4] And it is... Read more
When Christians take a stand politically and endorse people or laws it is imperative that we ask ourselves how will this affect my witness? This question was posed to me by an acquaintance. Let me state at the outset that I am answering this question as a biblical scholar and not in terms of the current political climate in the US. In other words, my answer would not change regardless of who the current president is, nor what... Read more
There will indeed be a day when Jesus will rule all the nations. But it will not come about by placing Christians in positions of power. The first blog in this series addressed the “upside-down” nature of the Gospel—namely, that the kingdom of God comes through the faithful, sacrificial, and loving witness of God’s people. I, also, addressed matters of church discipline. And thirdly, I referred to a documentary that focused on a movement among some Christians to influence the... Read more
Christian leaders need to be held to a higher ethical standard than others The first post in this series addressed the “upside-down” nature of the Gospel—namely, that the kingdom of God comes through faithful, sacrificial, and loving witness; and matters of church discipline; and a documentary that focused on a movement among some Christians to influence the world by placing godly men in positions of power around the world. The third point—putting godly men in positions of power—seems like a... Read more
The Gospel has often been referred to as the “upside-down Gospel.” Jesus’ way of doing things doesn’t fit with the world’s way. The Gospel is that Jesus is Lord and that through His life, death, resurrection, and ascension, He has become the world’s true Lord. Jesus presently reigns as king through His people, who are called to proclaim His kingdom to the world. We proclaim the kingdom by imitating Jesus. The overriding ethic of Jesus’ kingdom is love! Thus, just... Read more
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