I could come to terms with loss, if good-bye only meant see you next summer; if the cold sting of death's winter was blunted by whispers of spring's tiding. But this past year heaps snow upon snow, loss upon loss; I feel like it is always winter and never Christmas. On April 11 we held … Continue reading Meditating on death: a memorial for 2020
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GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 6
Implications of the Study: How to Be a Disciple according to Matthew 28:19–20 The final implication that I want to draw out from the above study of the Great Commission is about how to be a disciple. If one makes a disciple by baptizing a person and teaching that person to obey everything that Jesus … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 6
GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 5
Implications of the Study: How to Make Disciples according to Matthew 28:19–20 One of the most revelatory aspects of the above grammatical and syntactical analysis of Matthew 28:19–20 is that it reveals how to make disciples. If all the participles take on the imperatival value of “make disciples,” then the relationship between “going,” “make disciples,” … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 5
GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 4
Implications of the Study Now that the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the key components of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19–20 is complete and the ambiguity of the participles resolved, attention must turn to the implications of the above study for individual Christians, the 21st-century church, and mission/evangelism organizations. The implications of the above … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 4
GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 3
Relationship of Participles to Imperatives in the Gospel of Matthew: Participles that Follow Imperatives in Matthew If the participle that precedes the imperative in Matthew 28:19–20 adopts the imperatival force of “make disciples,” then it is reasonable to ask if the following two adverbial participles do the same. A search in the Gospel of Matthew … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 3
Sinning in the Name of Christ: Ravi Zacharias, Paul Tillich, and the Skeletons under the Altar
Christian Apologist Ravi Zacharias (1946–2020) and Liberal Theologian Paul Tillich (1886–1965) share several things in common: Both men were considered premier Christian apologists. Both men rose to fame later in life. And both men used a superior position to prey upon women. Allegations against Zacharias first came to public attention in 2017, when Lori Anne … Continue reading Sinning in the Name of Christ: Ravi Zacharias, Paul Tillich, and the Skeletons under the Altar
GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 2
Relationship of Participles to Imperatives in the Gospel of Matthew: Participles that Precede Imperatives in Matthew The best way to discern the function of the participles in the Great Commission is to analyse how participles are used throughout the Gospel of Matthew. Because the three participles are adverbial participles related to the imperative “make disciples,” … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 2
GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 1
Introduction to the Issue The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20 is one of the most beloved and well-known passages of the Bible for Christians. Further, it is one of the most frequently preached passages of the Bible and is frequently used as the foundational passage for modern evangelism and missions. For Matthew, the author of … Continue reading GUEST POST: Another Look at the Great Commission, part 1
A (Very) Short Defense of Close Communion for Baptist Churches
For churches that have adopted the Baptist Faith and Message as their confessional document or statement of faith, there is a simple defense of close communion — the practice of restricting access to the Lord’s Table to those who have been baptized in accordance with Scripture. Article VII reads as follows: Christian baptism is the … Continue reading A (Very) Short Defense of Close Communion for Baptist Churches
Ministry in the Dark Winter
It’s common knowledge that the holidays are an especially-sensitive time. As we approach late-November, families wrestle with increased stress and anxiety. Money gets tight. The schedule gets full. The days grow darker and the nights grow longer. For many, the holidays aren’t the most wonderful time of year. Instead, they’re a time of increased stress, … Continue reading Ministry in the Dark Winter