A Matter of Life and Death
The issue of abortion is one of the most divisive in modern political discourse. The option for a woman to end a pregnancy has been proclaimed by some to be a basic right, while others have decried it as the…
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Is God unjust for sentencing sinners to hell?
I was priviledged to write a response to the question, "If God is love, why won't everyone be saved?" for the December edition of the excellent online journal CREDO. In 2011 Evangelical mega-star Rob Bell published his (infamous?)…
Gladd to Recommend this Book
Benjamin Gladd excels in taking big theological ideas and presenting them in succinct, digestible, and teachable ways. He helps turn academics into real life questions with personal significance. And in his latest book, From Adam and Israel to the Church:…
Paul, or Jesus?
Through sophisticated statements on social media, certain prominent voices in the evangelical wing of Christendom have revealed their penchant for pitting Jesus’ ethical teaching against that of the Apostle Paul. To elevate what Jesus taught over against what His apostles…
Reading It Rightly
This is the final part of James Renihan’s essay on the scope of theology. Read part one here, and part two here. Scope as a Theological Tool There is another function of scopus, already alluded to, but which now deserves at least brief…
Still Complementarian
In the summer of 2016 the MOS team was in the center of a rather public controversy over the doctrine of the Eternal Submission of the Son (ESS). I believe strongly that this is an errant doctrine. It is…
Was Paul Co-Dependent?
Was Paul Co-Dependent? Reflections on 2 Corinthians for Singles (and the Rest of Us) 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 says something extraordinary. Paul walked away from an open door of ministry in Troas because he couldn’t find Titus. What’s up here? Why…
Applying the Beatitudes
The Beatitudes, according to Matthew, mark the beginning of Jesus’ public teaching ministry. They are the first things that Jesus emphasized as he proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. Unlike Moses at Mount Sinai, Jesus began his Sermon on the…
The Lazy Pastor
At the outset of a difficult topic – pastoral laziness – I want to be clear that my purpose is to encourage both pastors and their congregations. Where conflict arises over the minister’s work ethic, I believe most of the…
The Whole and the Parts
This is the second part of James Renihan’s essay on the scope of theology. To read part one, click here. The Scope of the Whole We have already cited the common language of the great English Protestant Confessions, Presbyterian, Independent…