All Christian discourse, is in some sense a dealing in mystery. To speak of “mystery” in the theological sense is simply to acknowledge that the reality of things far exceeds our insight and understanding as human beings. This is true with respect to the Trinity; this is true with respect to the incarnation; this is true with respect to God’s Providence and this is true with respect to the atonement. The reality of these things is infinitely greater than our ability to understand, appreciate…

Is anger a fruit of the Spirit? In rare cases, it may well be. The Bible describes what happened to Saul when he heard about the plans of Nahash the Ammonite: “So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon Saul when he heard these words, and his anger was greatly kindled. 7 He took a yoke of oxen and cut them in pieces and sent them throughout all the territory of Israel by the hand of the messengers, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and…

It is interesting to notice how often the Bible makes mention of physical beauty. If God judges the heart then why are there so many passages that specifically allude to a person’s physical appearance? 1 Samuel 9:2 is a perfect example: And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people. (1 Samuel 9:2 ESV) Why does the Bible make such a big deal about…

We sometimes assume that a great disaster will surely bring about revival – but that is not always the case. People don’t always connect the dots from great apostasy to great calamity. In Jeremiah’s day he had a fascinating argument with the exiles in Egypt who had fled from the calamity in Jerusalem. They said that the disaster had come because they had STOPPED offering sacrifices to pagan deities. “But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings…

The doctrine of pacifism is generally, though not exclusively, associated with the Anabaptists. The Anabaptists came out of the Radical Reformation and stressed adult or believer’s baptism (the prefix ana means “again”), communalism and a belief in the purity of the primitive church. Their association with pacifism came about largely as a result of their one experience with political power when in 1533 they gained temporary control of the city of Munster. They persecuted and expelled all…

After every mass shooting we are immediately reminded by media personalities, politicians and even pastors that NOW is not the time to talk about guns. We need to pray, listen, empathize, and eulogize the victims and the first responders. Yes. Absolutely. Let’s do all of those things but then please – PLEASE – after that can this be the time when Christians finally get around to having our long overdue conversation about guns? A lot of people are dying while we try very hard to avoid this…

I find it odd how many Old Testament commentaries will downplay the hope of the resurrection within Old Testament texts. The Apostle Paul clearly understood this to be a foundational belief and expectation of the Old Covenant community: “And now I stand here on trial because of my hope in the promise made by God to our fathers, 7 to which our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship night and day. And for this hope I am accused by Jews, O king! 8 Why is it thought incredible by…

Pastor Paul here. The article I wrote a couple of years ago called "What Does The Bible Say About Divorce And Remarriage?" has been one of the most widely read articles on our TGC Canada website - apparently, there are a lot of people going through this or helping a friend through this. In light of that, a while ago I decided to turn it into a podcast episode. If you are helping a friend navigate these issues or if this is something you are wrestling with yourself, this may be helpful for you.…

Jeremiah 34:18-20 is an important passage for understanding covenant imagery in the Bible. If you think back to Genesis 15 when God “cut” a covenant with Abraham, you will remember that a number of animals were cut in two and spread apart to make a pathway of blood. The lesser party was generally to pass through the pathway of blood as a way of proclaiming a self maledictory curse upon themselves: “So shall it be done to me if I break the terms of the covenant.” The Mosaic Covenant put a great…

Acts 21 is one of the most interesting chapters in the New Testament particularly with respect to our understanding of the gift of prophecy. As Luke is narrating Paul’s journey to Jerusalem he mentions this encounter in Caesarea: On the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him. 9 He had four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. 10 While we were staying for many days, a prophet named Agabus came…

Prophets in the Old Testament operated outside the established political and social hierarchy. Their job was to speak truth to power. God told Jeremiah: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. 3 Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And…

When should we pray and when should we work? If we try to do something in the strength that God supplies does that indicate a lack of faith? If we pray for God to do something for us that we could do for ourselves does that indicate a lack of gratitude and initiative? These are important questions that every believer wrestles with at some point or another in his or her Christian journey. Thankfully the Bible does seem to address these questions fairly frequently – in fact I ran across a passage…