#42 1 Peter
Martin Luther, the great Protestant and Lutheran reformer, “recognized 1 Peter (along with the Gospel of John and Paul’s Letters) as ‘the true kernel and marrow of all the New Testament Books. For in them [readers]… find depicted in masterly fashion how faith in Christ overcomes sin, death, and hell, and gives life, righteousness, and salvation.”
#41 Theological Liberalism: 1800s to Present
While sin and temptation are Satan’s tools against individual Christians, sinful theological liberalism has been his primary weapon against the Church as a whole for several hundred years. Influenced by philosophers such as Immanuel Kant, who “declared his age ‘an age of criticism’ and called readers to reject the authority of the Church and the Bible," Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768-1834) is known as the “father of modern theology” and, more specifically, the “father of modern liberal theology.”
#40 Hebrews
Because the author of Hebrews is unknown, it can only be said that the Epistle is the work of “one of the [greatest] theologians of the New Testament.” While it is unclear to whom this title belongs, there have been many assumed authors, such as the Apostle Paul…
#39 Titus
In a similar fashion to all Pauline epistles, the Apostle Paul greets Titus by acknowledging himself as the author: “Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (Titus 1:1). For this reason and more, the Epistle to Titus was unequivocally attributed to the Apostle Paul, apart from Marcion, until the nineteenth century…
#38 Constance, Trent, and Dort
In the fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries, papal contests haunted the Roman Catholic Church. The Papacy’s move to Avignon was supported by many and condemned by others. These events lead to two popes within Catholicism: a pope in Rome and another in Avignon…
#37 Philemon
The Apostle Paul's authorship of Philemon, the shortest book in the New Testament, is uncontested by most New Testament scholars.1 The Tubingen School made the only occasion of an argument against Pauline authorship in the nineteenth century and has since been dismissed as irrelevant and untrue…
#36 I Corinthians
The first letter to the Corinthian church addresses a plethora of issues. The church at Corinth, plagued by “division (1-4), sexual immorality (5-7), and disordered worship (8-10),”1 is having a difficult time shaking off Greco-Roman values. However, this is not the first time that Paul writes to the Corinthian church…
#35 Romans
Paul begins the letter to the Romans with an introduction: “Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God” (Rom. 1:1).1 He immediately identifies himself as the letter's author and establishes genuine authority due to his apostleship and purpose as a minister of the Gospel…
#34 The First Four Ecumenical Councils
The early church was characterized by both success and hardship. Christianity successfully became a leading world religion despite persecution from the Roman Empire and later the Muslims. However, physical suffering was not the only issue that early Christians faced…
#32 Evangelism Encounter
Previously, in my Christian walk, I had never shared the Gospel with a stranger. I had plenty of experience talking about Jesus with my friends, family, and peers, but the thought of approaching someone I did not know and sharing Jesus with them often left my stomach in knots…
#31 Kansas City Korean Baptist Church
My good friend Samad, who is ethnically half Korean and half Pakistani, invited me to visit Kansas City Korean Baptist Church. While it was preferable to attend a church that worships in English, I did not want to pass upon the opportunity to hear the saints worship in a language that I did not speak…
#30 Gisbertus Voetius: Missiological Protestant Pioneer
Gisbertus Voetius, a pioneer in Protestant missiology and a Dutch Reformed theologian, served the Lord from AD 1589 to 1676. He was a minister, theologian, and professor during a vital time in European Christianity called the Dutch Second Reformation or Further Reformation, a continuation of the Protestant Reformation in the Netherlands…
#29 Theodicy
Theodicy is concerned with answering the question, “If God is sovereign and good, then why does He allow evil and suffering in the world?” While there are many conclusions to this question, the most prominent one found in the Old Testament comes from the books of Job, Ecclesiastes, and Habakkuk…
#28 The Covenants of Micah
The Book of Micah is a ridicule of sin, a call to repentance, and a guarantee that the Lord will hold fast to His word and deliver on His covenantal promises. While characteristics of the Abrahamic and Davidic Covenants are expressed throughout the book, the most evident characteristics, as demonstrated by the chart below, are those of the Mosaic Covenant…
#27 Baptist Ecclesiology
This short essay will concern itself with the ecclesiology of the Baptist denomination. However, it will follow Scriptural prescriptions and doctrines found within the Bible. It will examine the church’s views on its purpose, membership, disciplinary action, leadership, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, its relationship with other churches, and its relationship with the state and politics…
#26 Finish the Mission
While many authors wrote this helpful book on missions, it was edited by David Mathis and John Piper. Mathis is the executive director of Desiring God and serves as an elder at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Twin Cities, Minnesota…
#25 Mission and Evangelism
Before Jesus ascended to the right hand of God, He said something significant to His disciples: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:19-20)…
#24 The Church as an Automobile
The church is a lot like an automobile. It comprises parts that work together to carry passengers down the road. Similarly, the church as a body is made up of parts…
#23 Sukuma and Folk Islam
The Sukuma people of Tanzania represent a unique example of a folk religion. Their religious practices, distinct from Islam or folk Islam, are entirely dependent on their cultural context and location, making them fascinating subjects for further exploration…