Gaining Righteousness
Evangelical pastors routinely use Galatians to teach their congregations that salvation hinges purely upon "faith" (passive belief or trust) in Jesus. Through faith, we receive Jesus' righteousness & are justified…
Tearing Down the Barrier
This blog series has begun to explore how the book of Galatians has been misunderstood by most evangelical Christians. Written around 48 AD, Galatians is probably the Apostle Paul's very…
Welcoming the Nations
Galatians is arguably the most misunderstood book in the New Testament. (Revelation makes a strong claim as well!) This letter contains Paul's most confrontational rhetoric. But why was Paul so…
Kingdom, Present & Future
The death & resurrection of Jesus are obviously the central events of the Christian religion. But evangelicals often fail to grasp the full meaning of these events. Easter sermons frequently…
Seated Beside Royalty
The gospel of Matthew records how Jesus went up to Jerusalem for the final time, knowing that a horrible fate awaited him. At just this moment, the mother of John…
The Army of the Messiah
The book of Revelation is a wondrous part of the Bible. But it's apocalyptic literature, full of symbolic imagery that strikes many modern readers as puzzling or even bizarre. Revelation…
The Nature of Grace
Amazing Grace is almost certainly the most widely known Christian song of all time. This beloved hymn was written by John Newton, an English slaver trader who later became an…
Life Insurance
How can a Christian know that they'll be saved? On the day of God's final judgment, can we be certain that we shall be vindicated and welcomed into God's glorious…
Vindication of the Righteous
In Matthew 13, Jesus tells this very brief but revealing parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When…
Turn Around
Each year, countless tourists flock to London, England. The city is full of delightful attractions. Perhaps the most popular site is the Tower of London, which has a fascinating (albeit…