I love the Proverbs but my appreciation of them has grown when I’ve spent time reading them as a book of the Bible, not just selecting memorable ones to quote. You see, whilst we tend to treat them as a source book for lots of anatomised wise advice, I believe that we are meant to… Continue reading How Reading Proverbs has helped my understanding of the rest of the Bible
Tag: Paul
What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about slavery?
In amongst what Paul has to say about singleness, celibacy, abstinence, non-Christian partners and divorce in 1 Corinthians 7, he talks about the situation that slaves find themselves in. Whilst our focus has been understanding the issue of sexual ethics, I want to pause on this particular example because the question of Paul’s attitude to… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about slavery?
What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about singleness?
Previously I wrote about what 1 Corinthians 7 has to say about marriage and sexual abstinence. The chapter is a key passage for our understanding of relational and sexual ethics in the light of the Gospel touching on marriage, sex, singleness and divorce. It’s often cited but I’m not sure that it is always fully… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about singleness?
What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about sex, marriage and abstinence?
My social media timeline has been dominated recently by controversies about what Christians believe and the Bible teaches about sex and relationships. In the context of those controversies, 1 Corinthians 7 crops up frequently. The three particular contexts in which it has come up have been: The recent controversy over Josh Butler’s book, Beautiful Union… Continue reading What does 1 Corinthians 7 actually say about sex, marriage and abstinence?
What does your pastor need to know?
Every so often I see comments about what pastors and church leaders need to have studied, to know and be reading now. At one end of the spectrum is the view that “all we need is the Bible” and we don’t need to make it complicated. At the other end of the spectrum is the… Continue reading What does your pastor need to know?
Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
If you are a pastor or elder in the church, then your responsibility is to provide and protect. We see this in Acts 20:28-31 28 “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood[h]—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders.[i] 29 I know that false teachers, like… Continue reading Are you ready to have the tough conversations?
Did Paul disobey the Holy Spirit? (Lessons on guidance in Acts 21)
In Acts 21, we are told about Paul’s final journey to Jerusalem. It’s an illuminating case study on interacting with God’s guidance through the Holy Spirit. Paul travels from Miletus where he has met with the Ephesian elders and given them the commission to provide for and to protect the flock. He has spoken there… Continue reading Did Paul disobey the Holy Spirit? (Lessons on guidance in Acts 21)
Approval
A little while back I wrote a little on the way that we can be tempted by three types of idol: approval, comfort and security. Now one of the things about idols is that they tend to be parasitical on things that are genuine needs and in and of themselves, in context, within boundaries are… Continue reading Approval
Right with God (Romans 9 v 30- 10:21)
I want to specifically talk to those of you who have been following along as we’ve looked at Romans. You’ve been drawn to this message about good news, peace, joy, hope, getting right with God and your response has been “I need in on that.” Something in the message of this book has reached into… Continue reading Right with God (Romans 9 v 30- 10:21)
Sheep and Goats: Are Paul and Jesus in conflict -a worked example
I got involved in a conversation the other day about what it means to say that Scripture, the whole of it is God’s Word. It arose because some people were going back over that old question “are we as evangelicals guilty of Bible-olatry?” In other words do we end up worshipping our Bibles more than… Continue reading Sheep and Goats: Are Paul and Jesus in conflict -a worked example
