The Bible in Context
My wife and I currently attend a Lutheran church. We were initially drawn to the church because of its proximity to our home and the Wednesday night meals. As empty nesters who had recently arrived in town, we wanted to be able to connect with others. We found that we could easily converse with people … Read more
Who do you trust? Who can you trust? In the first century a variety of religious teachers existed: Sadducees, Pharisees, Essenes, Stoics, Epicureans, Platonists, etc. but the early believers hung on the words of the apostles. Luke says, “they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching . . . ” (Acts 2:42). Why? Apostolic Authority At … Read more
Where should you go to church? In some places, the choice can feel overwhelming because many cities have dozens if not hundreds of churches. Plus, some churches claim to be the only true church. Are they right? What should you do? I know this is not a dilemma for everyone. Some people simply go to … Read more
Pentecostal Christianity is exploding. It is the fastest growing segment of Christianity, especially in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. But Wikipedia goes further, “Pentecostalism is believed to be the fastest-growing religious movement in the world.” According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, when linked with Charismatic Christianity, the total number of adherents is more than 600 … Read more
I recently read a couple thought-provoking quotes from James Dunn (1939-2020). Dunn served as a New Testament professor at the University of Durham for about twenty years. In his book Jesus according to the New Testament, which I highly recommend, Dunn explores how Jesus is presented in each section of the New Testament. In chapter 7 … Read more