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The breadth and scope of 1 Corinthians are breathtaking. It is the most wide-ranging and complete letter Paul wrote; readers who are used to Paul taking several chapters of careful argument to make one or two points—like Gentiles and Jews should eat together (Galatians) or even thanks for the gift (Philippians)—will be amazed at the sheer variety of subjects that Paul tackles and the punchy clarity with which he speaks.... continue reading
Christian preaching is fundamentally foolish, at least in the eyes of the world. The world, in Paul’s day, had all sorts of wonderful techniques to make its messages more acceptable: wisdom, eloquence, intelligence, legal reasoning, philosophy.... continue reading
When God chose an animal to stand for his people in the Bible, he chose a sheep. Not a strong lion, or a wise owl, or a diligent ant. Not even his “favorite animal,” the dove. No, he picked a sheep. Sheep are idiots. They can’t run fast, they have bad eyesight, and they can’t defend themselves. They sometimes step into streams and drown, or walk right off of cliffs. If they stumble, they often end up “cast,” which is the technical term for being stuck upside-down. (Like turtles, if they end up on their back, they can’t flip themselves back over.)... continue reading
In rejecting God, many in the modern West have turned to an alternative “gospel”—by that, I mean a truth which people look to for happiness: a big philosophy to live by. One of the biggest “gospels” our culture sells us is the gospel of self-esteem: “Look within to find out who you are: what you find is wonderful”.... continue reading
A powerful answer to this question can be found in the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred for his faith. He begins his book, The Cost of Discipleship, with a chapter entitled “Costly Grace”. Costly grace is to be understood in part by contrasting it with what he called “cheap grace”. But what can this mean, since God’s grace is supposed to be free?... continue reading
I can relate to exiled Israel, who quickly forget about God’s command to keep the Sabbath. Maybe you can, too. It’s so easy to let go of the rhythm of rest, forget all that rest is meant to help us remember, let loose a flood of issues, and by that stage be so far into forgetfulness that we wonder where all these issues came from and how on earth we might turn the tide.... continue reading
Anxiety is a lonely place. A cursory glance at our social-media feeds and everyone else appears to have it all. Even when we remind ourselves that social media isn’t an accurate representation of how life is, that sense of being alone with our pain can remain.... continue reading
Christians should not be hiding their faith. We should not become spiritual chameleons: desperately trying to fit into the culture of this world to remain camouflaged and safe from predators who might expose and condemn our faith. But many of us are under immense pressure to do just that.... continue reading
The London Marathon serves as a metaphor for the Christian life. For, while it’s an incredible privilege to know God through Jesus, Christians get weary, face opposition and feel discouraged. We certainly want the everlasting satisfaction, triumph and joy of the finish line in heaven.... continue reading
Why is belonging to a church such a challenge? As Christians, we need to overcome at least four obstacles to live out the biblical vision of a gospel-centered, Spirit-filled community in the church... continue reading
