Tag: Paul

Keeping faith in the promise (Romans 4:13-25)

How have you done at keeping your hope up through the pandemic? It has been hard at times hasn’t it. We were promised a short fight to flatten the curve and then normality by Easter last year only for the First Lockdown to drag on into the summer of 2020. Then in the Autumn we… Continue reading Keeping faith in the promise (Romans 4:13-25)

The pastor’s thorn

Paul David Tripp writes: “I was a failure and I was running. I couldn’t imagine a life of pastoral ministry anymore. It had once been a passion, a dream that seemed too good to be true but that passion had now morphed into a burden, one I no longer wanted to bear.”[1] I’m sure that… Continue reading The pastor’s thorn

We miss the radical teaching of the Bible when we impose the wrong thought categories

I think fundamentalists and liberals tend to make the same mistake about the Bible. They read it through the same modernist lens.  They miss what the Bible is saying and so they miss its applicability to contemporary life. Let me give two examples to help with our thinking. First of all, let me return to… Continue reading We miss the radical teaching of the Bible when we impose the wrong thought categories

Scandalised

One of the really sad things about recent abuse scandals in the church is the way they mirror some of the horrific things we see in the world around us.  We should be able to respond and to offer something that is beautifully counter cultural.  Yet instead, we are seen to ape some of the… Continue reading Scandalised

Why did Jesus Rise (Colossians 2:12 and 3:1-11)

A couple of days ago we raised two important questions: Why did Jesus die? Why did Jesus rise? When we looked at the first question, we saw that it was important for Christians because we want to follow Jesus and there are two challenges along the way The temptation to sin The threat of false… Continue reading Why did Jesus Rise (Colossians 2:12 and 3:1-11)

But now… (Romans 3:21-31)

You are talking with someone about the Gospel and they raise the classic objection. It is arrogant for you to claim that you will be going to heaven and they won’t. On what basis can you make such an outrageous and intolerant claim. You start to share the Gospel further with them. How would you… Continue reading But now… (Romans 3:21-31)

Abolition of Slavery – late adopters?

I’ve written about how a careful reading of Scripture demanded the abolition of slavery. The existence of the slave trade and the continued ownership of African slaves went against God’s word, specifically Paul’s teaching in his letters (including in Ephesians 6).  Those who were subjected to the brutality of slavery will have got it. Eventually… Continue reading Abolition of Slavery – late adopters?