In Stone and Story: Early Christianity in the Roman World (A Review)

Last updated on: September 15, 2021 at 8:41 pm By Kelley Mathews

Dr. Longenecker, a professor at Baylor University who specializes in Christian origins, bolsters his already impressive reputation as an expert in Christianity in ancient Roman culture. In Stone and Story explores early Jesus worship by examining the context of first-century Roman culture as revealed in the excavations of Vesuvius. Readers enter the lives of everyday Romans in the communities of Pompeii and nearby Herculaneum through the remnants of architecture, art, and household items. Though covering a wide range of topics,... Read more

The Theology of Women Academy Opens Its Virtual Doors

Last updated on: August 31, 2021 at 8:43 pm By Kelley Mathews

Ever wondered if women could be pastors, teachers of men, and/or church leaders? Is God’s good design a hierarchy of male leaders in the church? What about marriage—should the husband act with authority over his wife? Have you felt lost knowing what to study in the Bible to understand what it says about women and leadership? What resources should you consider to better understand the major views on women? For 18 months I have worked with a co-author and a... Read more

Galatians: A Review of N.T. Wright’s Commentary

Last updated on: August 25, 2021 at 2:29 pm By Kelley Mathews

In the inaugural publication of the Commentaries for Christian Formation (Eerdmans), Prof N.T. Wright denies that Galatians is primarily about, as many today assume, the relationship of faith and works regarding who is going to heaven. Instead, he says, Paul envisioned Jewish and gentile believers uniting around their common kinship in Christ. And that unity will serve as a witness to the world looking on. Supporting his commentary with first-century historical contexts and meanings, Wright intends his work (and the... Read more

What Does the Bible Say about Women Teaching and Prophesying?

Last updated on: August 21, 2021 at 2:34 pm By Kelley Mathews

One recurring question regarding women in the church goes something like this: “What does the Bible say about women teaching and prophesying?” The follow-up question is usually, “And what does that mean for us now?” But let’s start with a couple of definitions: Teaching: Imparting truth to another person. The truth can be spiritual in nature, explaining things of God, but also practical in applying God’s word to life. Prophecy: A direct message from God, mediated through an individual and... Read more

The Power of An Invitation

Last updated on: August 18, 2021 at 10:39 am By Kelley Mathews

Welcome my friend Julie to The Estuary! ~~~~~ “Julie, I hear you play the piano. Would you be willing to play for us?” A surprising invitation came from a church member I didn’t know well. At the time, I was sitting in the middle of an infertility journey, questioning my life’s purpose. I spent a few minutes talking to Ron about the mid-week lay service and their accompaniment needs. It was truly an out-of-the-blue invitation, and I decided to say... Read more

Finding God in the Middle: A Study of Judges

Last updated on: August 9, 2021 at 9:34 am By Kelley Mathews

Liminal spaces can be challenging to navigate, but my friend Amy Leigh Bamberg wants us to know that God is in those middle places with us. She’s created a study of the Old Testament book of Judges, a very messy story that I won’t even let my middle-schooler read all the way through. In this post, she shares her heart behind the project, along with session one and a glimpse at session two. Individuals and groups will find it easy... Read more

Is a Husband the Priest of His Family?

Last updated on: August 2, 2021 at 8:45 am By Kelley Mathews

Does a husband act like a priest for his family? While not the direct application his sermon, the preacher’s comment was loud and clear: “Women’s roles in the family are important, but men, as the priest of your home, you need to [get your act together, basically, because your behavior will make or break the family.]” His admonishment is statistically verifiable—husbands and fathers are enormously important to the wellbeing of their families—but the preacher’s description of men as priests caught... Read more

Guest Post: Thoughts on Being a Black, Unmarried Woman in the PCA

Last updated on: July 29, 2021 at 3:41 pm By Kelley Mathews

My friend Christian Williams shares reflections she first posted on Facebook about her experience as a single black woman at the annual General Assembly of her denomination, the PCA, in late June 2021. Ok, the cultural markers of maturity are not the same in the kingdom economy, in the narrow road of following Jesus. A thread on (mostly) being unmarried, over 25, in vocational ministry, black, female, in the Presbyterian Church in America. First, your girl loves her job. I... Read more

Does Creation Order Bestow Automatic Leadership on Men?

Last updated on: August 1, 2021 at 5:51 pm By Kelley Mathews

“This order of creation argument is just silliness.” So said Baylor history professor Beth Allison Barr, author of the bestselling The Making of Biblical Womanhood, in a recent feature article in the New Yorker. The thesis of Barr’s book is that patriarchy, the cultural system in which men hold the power, has morphed in recent decades into complementarianism, the theology that says God made men and women equal in being but separate in function. One of the foundational pillars of... Read more

Who’s Writing Helpful Content about Women in Church Leadership?

Last updated on: July 24, 2021 at 3:14 pm By Kelley Mathews

For the last 18 months, I’ve been neck-deep in researching what scholars have said regarding women in church leadership. Why? So I can collaborate on an upcoming book for Kregel Academic‘s 40 Questions series. In it, we engage forty questions surrounding this heavily debated topic. Thankfully, it’s not the sort of book where we have/get to tell you why we think one perspective is more right than the other. Instead, we set up the issues underlying each question, then share the... Read more