Mark WardSome of the angriest comments I’ve ever received came on a post I wrote about Easter. I honestly forgot that some Christians are very upset about the use of a(n allegedly) “pagan” word to describe the preeminent Christian holiday. Here’s what one...
Tobin PerryOften, when we talk about the early church, we’re tempted to idealize it. But that’s before you get to 1 and 2 Corinthians—which were written to arguably one of the most dysfunctional churches in the New Testament. Then you’re...
Why is the most important Christian holiday not mentioned by name in the Bible? Actually, the word “Easter” does appear in the Bible, but only once—and only in one translation. Among all major English translations of the Scripture, only the King...
Jake MailhotHow soon after Jesus’ resurrection did his followers begin worshipping him as God? Some scholars argue that worshipping Jesus alongside the Father was a later development—that Jesus was not believed to be God until decades after his resurrection...
The Christian faith is full of profound truths that defy human understanding. These grand mysteries point us to God’s greatness and goodness and, when contemplated, evoke awe and worship. At the center of our celebration of Easter are two of these...
Logos StaffEverybody wants glory, but not everyone is willing to pay the price required to attain it. Jesus’ path to glory was not through teaching, preaching, healing, or any of the works he did during his earthly ministry. His path to glory led through the...
Kelley MathewsShuffling along the dusty paths of ancient Israel, travelers and residents would inevitably stumble upon piles of rocks. A particular pile near Gilgal, however, showed evidence of being constructed with purpose. The mighty warrior Joshua had...
Blake AdamsFor Catholics, Orthodox, and many Protestants, Holy Week is the most sacred time of the year. Traditionally, it is more important than Christmas, as it focuses on the central event of the gospel: the death and resurrection of Jesus. Contents The...
Ryan LyttonAs I’ve mentioned elsewhere, and speaking as a Pentecostal, Pentecostals do not typically have a stellar academic reputation. One of my friends often jokingly introduces me by saying, He’s a Pentecostal—but he went to Gordon-Conwell! as if to beg...
Paul GrimeThe Bible doesn’t command Christians to follow an annual cycle of religious observances. And as best we can tell from the historical record, in the decades immediately following Jesus’s ascension into heaven, they didn’t. Yet, within a few centuries...
Matthew EverhardSince the fall in the garden of Eden, death has held dominion over all living things, not least of all human beings. Though Scripture tells us of an occasional Enoch or Elijah, death claims all living entities eventually, no matter their age, title...
Michael F. BirdJoan Osborne’s 1995 pop hit What If God Was One of Us? asked an excellent question. Another song, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing—a famous hymn of Charles Wesley and George Whitefield—gives the correct answer. The ancient world had many deities, even...
Jesse NigroAnglicanism is a religious identity claimed by millions of faithful Christians across the globe. In fact, the Anglican Communion is the third largest Christian communion of churches after Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. It is a tradition...
Theology is the world’s most important topic. The word “theology” may have only four syllables, but it’s a big word—a very big word. Theology is the study of God. But anytime you set out to study someone as large as the creator of the universe, it’s...
Matthew BoffeyGod chose a small group of women to share the greatest news of all time. Why did Jesus appear to the women first instead of the disciples? On Saturday, they rested. But early Sunday morning, the women leaped into action. Motivated by love, they...
Karen EngleThe significance of Palm Sunday was lost on me as a child. I suspect it’s lost on most Christian adults, too. My first memories of Palm Sunday were of sitting patiently in Sunday school next to my friends, holding palm fronds.
It’s women’s history month—and March 8 was International Women’s Day. To celebrate, we’re highlighting 20 Christian women in Church history who served God in both extraordinary and ordinary ways. 1. Priscilla (first century AD) Though the Bible...
When I tell people that I’m a seminary professor—or, more precisely, a biblical scholar, I get all sorts of weird looks and remarks. Among those persons from a non-religious background, or else who are virulently anti-religious, I often get...
Steven WedgeworthThe Church season known as Lent is here again. Many Christians who did not grow up practicing the liturgical calendar are now becoming very interested in it. Some are madly in love with all things liturgical, seeing Lent as one way to rediscover...
What is Ash Wednesday? Also called Day of Ashes, Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent—the 40 weekdays before Easter for Catholic, Orthodox, and some Protestant believers. Many Protestants in less liturgical churches or people outside the faith...
Kevin GrassoGalatians 2:16 reads, “But knowing that a human is not justified from works of the law but through pistis Iesou Christou, we also trusted in Jesus Christ in order that we might be justified from pistis Christou and not from works of the law because...
Learn what the word “revelation” means, what the number 666 might be, approaches to interpreting the book of Revelation—and more.
Guest AuthorBy Justin Eimers Introduction The influence of Cyprian of Carthage is felt to this day in some of the doctrines and theologies of the Roman Catholic Church on penance and church unity. Many have believed that because of this influence Protestants...
Lexham PressIn this excerpt from Suffering & Glory: Meditations for Holy Week and Easter, J. I. Packer takes readers on a journey with Jesus on the Emmaus road and explores how like the two disciples, we too can find help in our time of need.* *** On Friday...
This post is adapted from the January 6 entry in A Light Has Dawned: Meditations about Advent and Christmas, available now from Lexham Press.
Jason StoneWhat you’ll see in this Logos Live episode Prolific author and renowned Bible scholar N. T. Wright discusses a different perspective for responding to COVID-19, why it’s important to be rooted in Scripture, and how to carry out the Church’s calling...
Matthew L. Halsted"If we completely detach our modern-day applications from a text’s original, historical context, we risk misapplying the text—sometimes in embarrassing ways."