From the Editor

Micah 2:1-5 The Bible is full of irony. One of the most obvious examples is found in the book of Esther. In it, a man named Haman – close advisor to the king – plots against the Jews. More to the point, he specifically plans against Modecai, a particular Jew. So great is Haman’s hate, that he...

Micah 1:1-7 If you look around the United States today (with apologies to our overseas readers), several things stand out. First, we are a military power. We face threats, but we have confidence in our military might. Then there is our economy – the most robust in the world. We live in a time of...

This article is the third part in a series on the book of Jude. The first part is titled How to Wreck a Church , and the second is How to Contend for the Faith . The Church seems to be full of controversy. Much of this is quite necessary, and not unexpected. After all, as the New Testament...

Last week, I entitled my column, “ How to Wreck a Church .” In my mind, the false teachers in Jude had (and have) the potential to do just that. They come in secretly; they flatter; they are immoral and follow their own desires; ultimately, they will be destroyed by God. But when we step back and...

As I look back on my days at seminary, I can see some courses which were more helpful than others. This is probably due to a combination of factors: my own interests and aptitude; the strength of the teacher; the subject matter itself. Most classes were valuable, but a few classes were forgettable...

Escapism seems to be everywhere. If you have internet access, try typing “escape” or “escapism” into a search engine. You might not want to visit all the sites that come up in such a search, but what you will see – if you need proof – is that many people seek to escape. Or think about the...

Let me start with a personal testimony. David Wells’ first book in what might roughly be called this series is entitled No Place for Truth: Or Whatever Happened to Evangelical Theology? Say what you will about that volume (and it has its critics), but for me it was transformative. When I try to...

Teaching has its own occupational hazards. Teachers complain about lack of respect and pay. They frequently gripe about the students under their care. Teachers grumble about other teachers. In fact, you can read complaints about any and all of these things from teachers in the ancient world, from...

Paul’s letter to the Philippians begins with an expression of confidence. Paul’s confidence is ultimately in God. It was God who had begun a good work in the Philippians (Phil 1:6); and it was God’s grace that they had been partakers of, along with Paul (Phil 1:7). But when Paul looked at the...

When I give instructions to my children, or even to my students, they often come in the form of warnings: “Be careful not to postpone this assignment to the last minute…” “Watch out for cars on the road…” “Make sure to proofread your papers…” I don’t think I’m alone in doing this; in fact, I think...