2023-05-01T05:14:27-07:00

Jesus says one sin is unforgivable— blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. In general, commentators are left guessing what Jesus means. No one wants to say that Jesus won’t forgive certain sins, especially when people are not sure what counts as blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Scott Callaham’s recent article not only sheds light on the answer but also has significant implications for understanding baptism and covenants. While a lot of biblical scholarship does not say much that is “new” or is not far-reaching in its theological implications, that cannot be said of Scott’s article. Read more

2023-05-30T08:03:55-07:00

People today are more aware of shame's presence and power. Unfortunately, we still struggle to respond to it. Here are two wrong ways of avoiding shame. Read more

2023-05-23T04:50:17-07:00

I ask students whether they’d like the secret to being a great pastor. No one wants to be wrong on that. “It’s very simple,” I hint. Read more

2023-05-17T04:36:55-07:00

Syncretism is easy to see in others. It’s nearly impossible to see in ourselves. So, we think everyone else is consumeristic, but not us. Read more

2023-03-01T10:09:20-07:00

How should we define “culture”? In this post, I highlight the most common attempts at defining culture. Then, I’ll suggest my own. Read more

2023-05-03T00:22:58-07:00

Throughout February, there will be much talk about justice. Much of it will be unhelpful yet again. Perhaps, these observations will help. Read more

2023-03-03T08:52:31-07:00

John 9-10 offers a case study into how biblical writers creatively undermine common notions about honor and shame, insiders and outsiders Read more

2023-04-22T01:02:42-07:00

Today I have taken down a pair of my recent posts (a two-part review of the book A Just Mission by Mekdes Haddis) and revised a third one. Here’s why. I was not sufficiently sensitive to the ways people might read my review. As one friend helpfully remarked, I need to look at this situation through the lens of contextualization. So true. This is not the same country I left over two decades ago. I needed to be more aware... Read more

2023-02-04T23:16:49-07:00

What’s the difference between fame and honor? Are they the same thing? The story of Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26 offers helpful insight. Read more

2023-04-11T22:58:28-07:00

If you’ve read much of my work, then you’ve come across this idea: We compromise the gospel when we settle for truth. The basic idea is simple enough. We tend to be content with true ideas or doctrines, and that leads us to overlook, minimize, or even deny other aspects of biblical truth. Generations of missionaries have presented the Bible’s message accurately and passionately. Yet, for many who heard them, that message lacked meaning. It made no sense. While they... Read more

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