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Essays
Miscellaneous Articles |
First Century Christian Articles |
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1 - Resurrection Is For Now! - A reflection on the here-and-now value of Jesus' resurrection, written for inclusion in a service on Easter Sunday, 2020--during the COVID-19 pandemic.
2 - Peter's Comeback - In John 21:15-19, Jesus reversed Peter's denials, his most spectacular failure, restoring him to favor and commissioning him for his life's service. 3 - Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? An Introductory Overview - An introduction to a framework for the kind of study needed to explore the question of evil and suffering and point to some ideas that will help us when we experience trouble in our lives. 4 - "Will Our Children Have Faith?" - This is a good question for several reasons; together they should serve to remind us of important aspect of child nurturing. 5 - Unclogging Our Mental Arteries - A magazine essay prompted this reminder of the importance of good thoughts for spiritual health. 6 - Before You Fight a Giant, You've Got to Kill a Bear - The faith David exhibited in his victory over Goliath did not originate in a vacuum. 7 - On Grace … And Wrath - The wonder of grace is directly related to the reality of wrath. 8 - Holding Up Tired Hands - A lesson for assisting burdened leaders. 9 - Can We Still Afford Preacher Stories? - Taking steps to ensure our integrity as communicators of truth. Diakonia: Service, Ministry - This series of articles surveys the meaning and use of the cognate Greek words diakonia, diakanos, and diakoneō, translated with words like "serve," "deacon," and "ministry." It is the word Jesus used to describe his service (e.g., Mark 10:45). These articles examine the meaning and use of the word in the Jewish and Greek cultures, compare it with other words with similar meanings, and reflect on its use today. |
From the mid-1990s until it ceased publication in 2002, I was privileged to contribute multiple articles to First Century Christian, edited by Grady Miller. The following are some of those submissions.
1 - This Was "A Church of God"? - Despite their many problems, Paul considered the Corinthian congregation "a church of God." 2 - Reflections on the Idea of Restoration - Considering the plea for restoration in light of the imperfections of the New Testament churches (a sidebar to the above article). 3 - Corinth--Of Pride and Politics - Even as we take note of the variety of issues Paul addressed, we are convinced that their troubles stemmed from just one main problem 4 - Who Is a Christian? - We must let God, and God alone, have the final say for who is and is not a part of his church 5 - Must We Have Labels? - Though used as convenient way to designate people in our various categories, we should raise questions any time we find people who profess to speak where the Bible speaks clinging to labels about which the Bible knows nothing. 6 - The Book of Acts--Too Crucial To Overlook - the church that will do the most good in engaging a pluralistic world which threatens to swallow Christianity must be more aware of the principles in Acts than ever. 7 - "Fallen From Grace" - Paul's use of the phrase, "fallen from grace," used just once in the New Testament, deals with a different concept than the one normally associated with the phrase. 8 - Making Up the Lost Time - the shifts away from longer sermons and revivals characteristic of the past challenges us to think of ways to provide comparable instruction to today's believers. 9 - Look Again at the Fields - A fresh look at John 4 as the context for Jesus' exhortation to look at the fields ready for harvest. 10 - A Passion for Teaching - Nothing you can do has more lasting value than teaching. Especially when what you teach is God’s Word. 11 - Real Church Growth - In our search for the ways to foster growth, we should look to the early church's devotion to spreading God's word. |
Academic Papers
1 - The Purpose of John: A Preliminary Study - Was John's Gospel written to evangelize, strengthen the faith of believers, or both? Was its primary audience Jewish, Hellenistic, or both? This paper explored these questions and proposed a tentative conclusion designed to be a working model for additional study.
2 - Job's Mind Consoled: A Study of Job's "Repentance" (Job 42:6) - In light of Job 42:7, which reports that Job was spared the Lord’s anger because he had “spoken of [God] what [was] right,” one must ask, of what did Job repent (42:6 ESV)? How does repentance on Job’s part square with God's assessment in 42:7? This paper explores the meaning of verse 6 in light of Job's larger context.
3 - Reassuring the Orthodox: 1 John 2:12-14 - Written to a community apparently shaken by the claims and departure of "antichrists" who denied Jesus' true nature and audaciously claimed enlightenment and sinlessness, John sought to reassure the remaining community members about the fundamentals of their faith (see 1 John 1:4, 8; 2:4, 18-24; 5:13). In the middle of his treatise, he paused in his argument to remind different groups in the church that they could be secure in remaining true to their orthodox views about Jesus (2:12-14). This paper studies important issues for correctly interpreting this text and draws some applications for the reassurance of today's believers who face similar challenges to reassurance.
2 - Job's Mind Consoled: A Study of Job's "Repentance" (Job 42:6) - In light of Job 42:7, which reports that Job was spared the Lord’s anger because he had “spoken of [God] what [was] right,” one must ask, of what did Job repent (42:6 ESV)? How does repentance on Job’s part square with God's assessment in 42:7? This paper explores the meaning of verse 6 in light of Job's larger context.
3 - Reassuring the Orthodox: 1 John 2:12-14 - Written to a community apparently shaken by the claims and departure of "antichrists" who denied Jesus' true nature and audaciously claimed enlightenment and sinlessness, John sought to reassure the remaining community members about the fundamentals of their faith (see 1 John 1:4, 8; 2:4, 18-24; 5:13). In the middle of his treatise, he paused in his argument to remind different groups in the church that they could be secure in remaining true to their orthodox views about Jesus (2:12-14). This paper studies important issues for correctly interpreting this text and draws some applications for the reassurance of today's believers who face similar challenges to reassurance.
Book Reviews
1 - "Hell Is Not For Eternity" - A review of and reflections on Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel's Night: “'Hell is not for eternity' is part of the welcome speech delivered by the Polish prisoner in charge of Elie Wiesel’s prison group upon arrival in Auschwitz (p. 38). . . ."
2 - "The Happy Result of a Bad Experience" - A review and reflections on Gerald Sittser's A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss: "Gerald Sittser would tell you that the loss he experienced is not really unique. . . . At one level, he is correct, . . . At the same time, his loss is unique . . ."
2 - "The Happy Result of a Bad Experience" - A review and reflections on Gerald Sittser's A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss: "Gerald Sittser would tell you that the loss he experienced is not really unique. . . . At one level, he is correct, . . . At the same time, his loss is unique . . ."