Theology

Introduction We live in a world full of suffering, of which the Church is not excluded. For that reason, the Church must understand the role suffering takes in our lives and how it should shape our understanding of Christianity and participation in our faith. Examples and lessons on suffering permeate the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, which the major biblical characters also experience. Among these examples, and by no means the least of them, is the apostle Paul. Through

Introduction One of my favorite passages found in the gospels is the prologue of John; the passage John 1:1-18. I particularly find the first three verses, John 1:1-3, and the use of the “Word”, or Logos in Greek, interesting. In those three verses, a type of creation narrative arises, but one that revolves around Logos, in which Logos is described as being divine, eternal, and the creator. Later in the prologue, in John 1:17 , Logos is revealed to be Jesus Christ, thus appl

Several weeks ago, I was listening to the podcast “Wise Disciple” with Nate Salah ( “Is Voddie Wrong about Churches?” ). He was discussing the need for pastors to focus on finding FAT Christians in their congregations. (Don’t worry. FAT is an acrostic.) This is to say, pastors need to prioritize their time and efforts upon Christians who are F aithful, A vailable and T eachable. There are multiple reasons why this principle ought to be followed by pastors. But before addressi

I've been fascinated by Marxism since my parents first told me about the Cold War we were living in when I was almost 10-years-old (1983). I remember asking them why the Soviet Union had nuclear weapons aimed at us. After my parents reassured me that we had just as many nuclear missiles aimed back at them -- ensuring that they will not use these weapons against us (peace through strength) -- they explained it to me like I was 10-years-old (because I was). While not using thes

During the presidential elections there are many voices that arise “crying out in the wilderness,” as it were, proclaiming all sorts of weird ideas. One of those ideas is the thought that within this seemingly hostile and divided political and cultural climate even within the church, Christians who hold to a particular view are looking to crown a new political messiah and usher in some sort of a new kingdom. I cannot speak for all who claim to follow Jesus Christ. Perhaps the

For the past few weeks, Christians have been castigated, especially by some Christian pastors, for shouting and being unkind toward unbelievers. The echo of “Jesus would not act this way” has resounded in the cultural sanctuaries, drowning out the Christian message of sin, repentance, and salvation in Jesus Christ. And rightly so! The Olympics opening ceremony and the follow-up women’s boxing controversy of allowing humans with XY chromosomes to pummel women with XX chromosom

A few months ago I wrote an article on the West’s move towards a post-Christian culture ( Post-Christianity: What's That? ). Since the article’s publication at least two prominent atheists decried the fall of Christianity in the West. One claims to have converted to Christianity ( Ayaan Hirsi Ali ) and the other maintains atheism but embraces “cultural Christianity” (Richard Dawkins) . They, along with fellow atheists Bret Weinstein and Tom Holland recognize that the fall o

The previous article in our discussion of suffering covered three supports that God gave us to persevere: prayer, scripture, and the Church. Along with those supports, we also discussed the proper attitude one should have in suffering with the example of Job. To further the discussion of this topic, we should next look at King David and how he dealt with the suffering in his life. David's life was notably marked by bountiful blessings and severe suffering. Although he is prob

On October 7 th of 2023 an event happened that would change the trajectory of world history. Hamas’ attack on Israel carried the same weight historically as December 7 th of 1941. However, since it involved Israel it carried even more significance in certain religious circles. On October 13 th of 2023 I wrote an article beseeching my brothers and sisters in Christ to pursue fidelity to Christ rather than discernment of the "End Times" ( Is This the End in Israel? ).  Since

We live in a troubled world, a world that is plagued by sin which leads to pain and suffering. This state of the world is nothing new, it has gone on since the fall of man. The entirety of humankind from Adam to us have dealt with a variety of suffering as a result of this fall. However, though we do not live in a more sinful time, for every age has overflowed with sinfulness, we seem to be facing a different struggle. Our society is fighting a battle of the mind, and losing

Our society of recent, has been obsessed with definitions and identity. Many people are questioning who they are and putting their identity in singular aspects of their being such as politics, gender, job, sexuality, and race, etc. This leads to a terrible misunderstanding of our own nature along with painful collisions with reality. Throughout history various ideas on the nature of man have pervaded throughout civilization. Some believe that man is nothing more than the phy

As Christians we are used to being told that we need to be leading godly lives. We know we should be following in Christ’s example. But what does that look like? Is it praying, studying scripture, attending and serving at church? These are all good things that we should do and they should be a response from our faith in Christ, but they are themselves not the core qualities a Christian should have. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 , we are given eight qualities that a Christian should have a

Alistair Begg has been a faithful minister of the gospel and pastor for nearly 50 years, 40 of which he has served at the same church near Cleveland, Ohio. Begg also started a popular radio ministry called Truth for Life . His ministry has been influential for the gospel and discipleship of the church for decades. Begg’s thick Scottish accent and fatherly tone has been a mainstay in evangelical homes and an encouragement to fellow churches throughout his ministry. He connec

I recently read Galileo's Error: Foundation for a New Science of Consciousness by Philip Goff. I actually listened to it on Audible over the course of four days (mostly while walking my dog or working out). After listening to the first few chapters I decided to purchase the hard copy in order to read it more carefully.  I had no idea what to expect when I started listening to Goff's book narrated by Maxwell Caulfield. I did not know what worldview Goff held or what position

Clarifying Terms  If you’ve paid attention to the religious discussions about politics, then you have seen two developments. One of the developments is a grassroots solidifying of good ole’ conservatism—what some will call patriotism or nationalism. Recent history shows a close relationship between the emboldening of good ole’ conservatism and Trump’s administration—something that depending on your political worldview is either a helpful reinforcement of healthy politics or a

"Why are we obligated to follow God's commands?" To respond by saying, "we are obligated to follow God's commands because God has commanded that we ought to follow His commands" is circular and does not work. It seems to me that the best way to answer this question is by noting that God's commands correspond perfectly with ultimate reality. Adam Lloyd Johnson, in his book Divine Love Theory , has noted that ultimate reality is the triune nature of God which *IS* love (1 John

The year was 2006 and I was in my first preaching class in college. I attended Grace University, a small undergraduate Christian school on Omaha, Nebraska. My first class on preaching was taught using a book titled Communicating for a Change: 7 Keys to Irresistible Communication by Andy Stanley. In the book Andy makes a compelling case for the single point message. A method of preaching that takes the congregant from engagement to tension, to encouragement, and then to convic

Evil was on full display on your screens, X feed, Facebook and Instagram.  We could either look away and pretend it does not exist or we could stare it in the face and grieve. In the past week we have been inundated with harrowing news and details concerning the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 th of 2023. The worst attack against the Jewish people since the holocaust and the worst terror attack in the world since 9/11 and perhaps, even worse than 9/11 when we c

Question: Dear Dr. Tim,  I'm interested to know if you have any biblical thought on the alien thing?!? Do you think there might have been sightings, contact, etc.? I was wondering if there is anything biblical in regards to that? With the recent government hearings on this and the conspiracy theories going around for some reason you were the first person I thought to contact. - Tammi Dr. Tim's Response: Hi Tammi! Yes, I do have some thoughts about what to do with extraterrest

Is slavery good?  Absolutely not! The first book of the Bible makes it clear that being sold into slavery against one's will is the epitome of evil. Scripture also shows how this specific evil (as well as all evil, suffering, and affliction) will ultimately be used by God for good. In Genesis, chapters 37 through 50 , the Bible recounts the story of Joseph being sold into slavery. Joseph was a favored son among his brothers and faced betrayal when they sold him into slavery o