Michael Gorman has fashioned a Pauline and NT theology rooted in cruciformity, and his approach is a NT theology, a NT ethic, and a NT ecclesiology. As such his work is a singularly important contribution to NT studies. His newest collect of essays expresses that theology in shorter chapter length forms:  Participating in Christ: Explorations in Paul’s Theology and Spirituality (#ad). But Gorman’s work is eclectic and this is becoming increasingly valuable to both professors and pastors: his central theme is... Read more

By Ruth Tucker When I learned recently of John MacArthur’s criticism of the SBC, I immediately thought of Charles H. Spurgeon and the “Downgrade Controversy.” MacArthur, as was recently highlighted in a post on this blog, accused the SBC of losing its faith in biblical authority. The denomination, by MacArthur’s account, had taken a “headlong plunge” toward women preachers: “When you literally overturn the teaching of Scripture to empower people who want power, you have given up biblical authority.” MacArthur... Read more

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.... Read more

I’ve been on the road this week — to Wichita for the wonderful Apprentice Experience and Institute with James Bryan Smith and John Carroll and Jan Johnson and Keith Mathews, and then to Dallas for Mosaix, which will prove to be a memorable experience for me. A marvelously led movement by Mark DeYmaz for multi ethnic churches… seeing my old seminary friend Steve Beck who is multi ethnic church planting in Frankfurt Germany, and Derwin Gray and Efrem Smith bringing... Read more

Pastors as Culture Creators (Pastor Paul Series) – KR 141 Join us for a FREE CLASS at Northern Seminary and for a chance to win a copy of Pastor Paul by signing up at www.seminary.edu/krtaste/ Culture will inevitably shape those in that culture. Scot unpacks the important focus leaders should have on nurturing a culture that exhibits the life of Jesus in the church. How can pastors nurture a culture of christoformity? What does christoformity look like in the life... Read more

By Mike Glenn The old preachers tell a story about an acrobat who was pushing a wheelbarrow walking on tight rope across a raging waterfall. He would walk across, and the crowd would cheer. He would return, and the crowd would cheer louder. The acrobat did this several times, and everyone was applauding when he stopped and pointed to a man standing at the front of the crowd. “Sir, do you believe I can push this wheelbarrow on the tight... Read more

In their new book David Downs and Benjamin Lappenga absorb a now common conclusion — that pistis Christou means “the faithfulness of Christ” and not “faith in Christ” — but develop a fresh angle on what the faithfulness of Christ referred/refers to. Their book is called The Faithfulness of the Risen Christ: Pistis and the Exalted Lord in the Pauline Letters. While there is nothing distinctively new about pistis in this study there is plenty of contribution in this: the faithfulness of Christ... Read more

He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners... Read more

If the Gospels, our four Gospels in the NT canon, are biographies in genre what does that mean? This is the proposal with answers of Craig Keener in his new bulky book Christobiography: Memory, History, and the Reliability of the Gospels (#ad). It means this, and the numbers are mine to facilitate instruction for those who want to put these paragraphs into something for classes: (1) The Gospels are premeditated foundation documents. (2) Scholars have proposed various genre forms for... Read more

By Kelly Edmiston As a young girl, I was in trouble for my “smart mouth” a lot at home. I was disciplined often for talking back or being sassy. While I don’t judge or fault my parents for doing this (I believe that many well-intentioned parents are doing the best they can with what they know), these circumstances, and others, led me to believe that what I had to say was wrong, rebellious and deserving of discipline. Hold your tongue,... Read more