Do We Have the Right Books in Our Canon?
I was recently interviewed by Gavin Ortlund on his podcast: “Which Canon is the Right One?” Enjoy!…
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The post Do We Have the Right Books in Our Canon? appeared first on Canon Fodder.
Pastors, You Don’t Have to Be an Expert on Everything
Every once and a while I read a book that provides one of those genuine (and rare) light bulb moments. It’s not so much that the book changes the way you think about the world, but rather it explains why the world works the way it does. And in our ever…
New Book: 5 Things to Pray For Your Spouse
“When are the two of you going to write a book together?”
My wife Melissa and I have been asked this question many times over the last few years. I’m excited to announce that we have finally written a book together! On Feb 1st, we rel…
Your Greatest Doubts and Fears: A New Sunday School Class
“Don’t forget in the dark what you learned in the light.” –C.S. Lewis
These words by C.S. Lewis remind us that the Christian life can be filled with dark times—doubts, fears, and questions about all sorts of things. What if Chri…
Is Deconstruction the Same as Deconversion? A Few Reflections on Reforming the Church
The last few years have been a rough stretch for the evangelical church. Plagued not only by a complex and intractable health crisis with COVID, the church has also faced an increasingly polarized cultural-political environment as well as numerous inte…
@RTSCharlotte 2021 Year in Review
Well, it’s New Year’s Eve. And I would imagine that most of us are more than ready to get 2021 in the rear-view mirror. We all thought it would be different than 2020, but, alas, it was not to be. Not only is COVID back with a vengeance, but the year…
Where Are All the Heretical Bishops in the Second Century?
I’ve noticed that Michael Bird has recently posted an article on heresy and orthodoxy in early Christianity. From what I can tell (I can’t see the entire article because it’s behind the paywall), he is pushing back against the popular…
Struggling with Doubt? Here are 5 Important Truths to Remember
The great nineteenth century Baptist preacher, C.H. Spurgeon, once confessed: “On a sudden, the thought crossed my mind—which I abhorred but could not conquer—that there was no God, no Christ, no heaven, no hell, and that all my prayers were but …
Thankful for Larry W. Hurtado
Well, it’s Thanksgiving Day, 2021. And there’s much to be thankful for this year, like any other year. But, I want to take a moment to remember my friend, mentor and Doktorvater, Larry W. Hurtado. After all, today marks the two-year anniver…
A Preview of What I Will Be Up To at ETS and SBL
Next week I will be headed to Dallas, and then to San Antonio, for the annual meetings of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL)—two of the largest scholarly gatherings in the world. In addition to the normal…
Romans, the “Righteousness of God,” and the 1984 NIV
I was recently on the Knowing Faith podcast with Jen Wilkin, J.T. English, and Kyle Worley. We had a great time focusing on some of my favorite verses in the Bible, Romans 3:21-26. Martin Luther called those verses, “The chief point, and the very cent…
A Key Sign You are Maturing as a Preacher
As a seminary professor (and a pastor) I spend a lot of time helping students grow and develop as preachers. After hearing a student preach, I will often get coffee or lunch with that student and we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the serm…
Did the Heretics Outnumber the Orthodox in Early Christianity?
One of the most common arguments about early Christianity—made popular by Walter Bauer’s 1934 book Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity—is that the earliest centuries had such enormous doctrinal diversity that the “heretics” were a…
Men, Are You Submissive?
Submission.
Of all the words in the Bible, this may be one of the least popular. After all, our cultural moment is not one that values a posture of submission to authorities. On the contrary, our world insists we should challenge and critique those ove…
Check Out the @RTSCharlotte Women’s Bible Study on the Book of Hebrews
Back in 2017-2019, I taught a weekly Bible study for women on the RTS Charlotte campus. For 33 weeks, about 150 women gathered together to study the book of Hebrews in all its richness and depth.
Thankfully, our great video team here, led by Matt McQua…
5 Reasons to Come to @RTSCharlotte Preview Day on Sept 29th!
If you are considering seminary, you will not want to miss the RTS Charlotte preview day on Sept 29th. Here are a five things you’ll get to do if you come join us:
1. Take a tour of our beautiful 20-acre campus. We are blessed with a wonderful pr…
How Do You Know If Your Church Is Legalistic?
Legalism. Pretty much everyone agrees that it’s bad. And in a world where Christians seem to disagree over basically everything, that’s saying something.
Even so, if you asked the average Christian to define legalism, the answers may not c…
Should You Be a Professor or a Pastor? Thinking Through the Options
Since I am a professor at a seminary, it is not unusual (indeed, it is very common) for students to come to me for advice about whether they should enter the pastorate or seek to be a professor. While many of these students may have entered seminary w…
Tolkien, Lewis, and the Blessings of a Messy Desk
Last week I finished a key portion of one of my research projects. And then I did what I normally do during such times (indeed, it is coming a bit of a tradition)–I cleaned up the colossal mess that I had made.
Before it was all said and done, books w…
Tolkien, Lewis, and the Blessings of a Messy Desk
Last week I finished a key portion of one of my research projects. And then I did what I normally do during such times (indeed, it is coming a bit of a tradition)–I cleaned up the colossal mess that I had made.
Before it was all said and done, books w…
How Difficult was the Book of Revelation’s Journey into the Canon?
The story of the New Testament canon is a fascinating one, with many twists and turns. There are books that were accepted very quickly, almost from the start (e.g., the four gospels), and there are other books that struggled to find a home (e.g., 2 Pe…
College Students: Here Are Some Thoughts On Picking a Good Church
Well, it’s that time of year. Thousands of college students all over the country (and the world) will soon be moving into their dorm room or house, eager to get settled in for the new academic year.
High on the agenda for many students will be di…
Is It a Waste of Time for Seminary Students (and Pastors) to Learn the Biblical Languages?
It’s that time of year again.
A wonderful new crop of seminary students has arrived here at RTS-Charlotte and has already begun the grueling month-long experience of Summer Greek. And, like all seminary students before them, they will begin to ask the …
What is a “Gospel” Anyway? A Few Thoughts on Gospel Genre and Why it Matters
When it comes to reading (and interpreting ) the Gospels, one of the fundamental questions pertains to the kind of document we are reading. What exactly is a “Gospel”? And did the earliest readers of these books know what they were reading?
Such ques…
What is a “Gospel” Anyway? A Few Thoughts on Gospel Genre and Why it Matters
When it comes to reading (and interpreting ) the Gospels, one of the fundamental questions pertains to the kind of document we are reading. What exactly is a “Gospel”? And did the earliest readers of these books know what they were reading?
Such ques…
The One Critical Thing Missing in Most Sermons
As I continue to do the rounds of podcasts and interviews for my new book, Surviving Religion 101, the same question keeps getting asked:
What can parents (and churches) do to help better prepare their kids for the intellectual challenges of college?
I…
What Do You Do When an Abusive Leader Is Allowed to Remain in Ministry?
A couple of weeks ago, I watched with great interest how the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) would handle some particularly tough issues during its annual gathering in Nashville. Like any such gathering, there were things that were encouraging, and t…
Are Christian Parents Too Protective of Their Children?
In 2017, Jack Gilbert—who teaches microbial science at the University of Chicago—published a fascinating book: Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System.
As the title suggests, Gilbert challenges a core assump…
Are Christian Parents Too Protective of Their Children?
In 2017, Jack Gilbert—who teaches microbial science at the University of Chicago—published a fascinating book: Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs for Your Child’s Developing Immune System.
As the title suggests, Gilbert challenges a core assump…
One of the Earliest (and Clearest) Summaries of Early Christian Beliefs
A common claim among critics of Christianity is that early Christian doctrine was a bit of a mess. What we believe now—about the incarnation, divinity of Jesus, etc.—was a late development within the early Christian movement. And, so the implication go…