The Corinthians could add the church to their lives. It was one interest of many. They could still fit into their society completely. The church and its mission was not the whole of life, not the center of life. The whole and center—that’s the kind of commitment Paul exemplified. That’s the kind of commitment Paul…
The church leader’s authority is not ultimate. Nor is it intrinsic. It is relative and derivative. His authority is relative to the authority of this book. It is derived from the clarity of this book. In other words, the church’s leaders are never allowed to say, “Because I say so.” They can only say, “Because…
What is the “Kingdom” and When Can We Expect It?
Paul never got over the fact the Lord met him one day on the road to Damascus. He never tired of telling others about how the Lord humbled the proud, haughty persecutor, transforming him into a follower of Christ and charged him with the honor of speaking for Christ.
Pain and suffering, sickness and sorrow do not happen by accident. They are not caused by lack of faith. They are not meaningless events that must simply be endured. God works through them all. They come to us by his sovereign design. “Behind a frowning providence, he hides a smiling face.”
Here is a truth that can transform your entire outlook: every detail of our lives is testimony that God is merciful. You see, we are part of a race of rebels. We deserve nothing from God but scorn and condemnation. As John Kent put it in the marvelous hymn, “Blessed God, How Kind:” Preserved by…
Jesus is Lord! These are not empty words. They are not a bumper sticker slogan. They are life-transforming words. This letter unpacks for us what it means to share common commitment to the Lord Jesus.
The local assembly exists as the pinnacle of God’s eternal plan to glorify himself in creation; it is both the sphere and instrument of his glory.