In many people’s thinking, to ask—How does systematic theology help us read Scripture more faithfully?—is wrongheaded and backward. Rather, should we not ask—How does Scripture help us get our systematic theology right?
I was in my late teens the first time I read the words “apologetics” and “apologist.” At first, I thought these words had something to do with Christians apologizing for misdeeds undertaken in the name of Christ. It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that apologetics was precisely what I needed at that moment when I was struggling with whether or not the claims in the Bible were believable.
We all want to get better at biblical theology, because we want to understand the Bible so that we can please God by trusting him for salvation, overcoming sin, and loving him and his people with everything we are. How do we become better biblical theologians?
The same principles that have helped me solve so many complicated parenting cases are also helpful in the practice of history. When multiple independent sources agree on the key contours of a story, it is worth considering the possibility that the narrative they share is credible.
We release missionaries from our churches and send them off to where the church is not and where the church is weak.
Surely, as he teaches and leads, the pastor will be faithful in directing church members to obey God’s commands including: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
The failure to implement an effective theological education strategy decelerates the development of competent leaders and will restrict biblical growth of the kingdom across the globe.
In the first article of this series, I defined missions and explained how the gospel of God and the obedience of faith function in this definition. Continuing our series on building a biblical missiology, this article deals with the question: who is a missionary? Taking our lead from Romans 1:1-5, I define missionary as follows:
My goal in this article is to set forth a biblical definition of missions, the purpose for which we send missionaries, that which missionaries do—the missionary-mission.
The recent circulation of the head of Thomas Aquinas—albeit one of the most significant theologians of the medieval era—is a sad holdover from the medieval world that our Reformation forbears rightly rejected in toto.
The Christmas season for most of us tends to be a time to slow down, celebrate, and reflect. Yet, Christmas can also provide unique opportunities for Christians to live missionally in tangible ways.
Christmas comes year after year. Even in our secularized, post-Christian culture, our society cannot escape Christmas. This season only exists because God in Christ came into the world to save sinners.
Have you noticed the deluge of fall decor for sale in the past decade or so that seeks to encapsulate the season in a few words? Whether it’s beautifully framed wall art, scripted platters or plush kitchen towels, the words “thankful, grateful, blessed” are everywhere.
The concept of Christian witness encapsulates the many ways in which God’s church is empowered by God’s Spirit to give testimony in the world about God’s redemption in Christ.
Voting is a privilege and a means to pursue justice.
This world can be a discouraging place. All Christians are called to encourage one another in the Lord, but pastors bear a unique responsibility to “care for the church of God.”
The book of Psalms is a literary musical, and a number of the book’s features demonstrate that the individual psalms have been strategically arranged to create an impressionistic movement of thought. One of the joys of Bible study is finding the clues left by the authors, clues that give us leads to solving the mystery. Are there breadcrumbs on the path if we know what to look for?
