Category Archives: New Testament

The Fate of Those Who Despise Truth – Amos 5:10-13

In Amos 5:10-13, we see a corrupt society where the wealthy elite maintain their wealth and power by dishonestly fixing the system in their favor. A just judge is despised. God’s punishment is appropriate: whatever you use your wealth to build will be taken from you before you can enjoy it.

Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places – Amos 5:1-7

The question Amos 5:1-7 poses to us today is this: where are we seeking our security? Are we, like Israel, confusing human institutions for the activity of God in the world? Are we conflating the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of the earth?

“Good Will Toward Men”, Lectio Difficilior, and the Inspiration of Scripture

Luke 2:14 has well known variant readings (is “good will” nominative or genitive?), and despite scholarship preferring one over the other, the choice between these readings is not clear. How do variant readings and translations affect our understanding of the inspiration of the Bible? What if ambiguities weren’t something God intended to work around but something he intended to work within.

When Word-For-Word is Not so Word-For-Word

Even someone as awesome as William Tyndale can make a mistake. And even as revered a translation as the King James Version can unthinkingly perpetuate it.

“It is No Longer I That Live, But Christ Lives in Me”

To put one’s faith in Christ necessarily involves a total reorientation of one’s life towards God and righteousness and not simply an adding of Christ to one’s previous way of life. The Law, rather than being a means of obtaining righteousness, had the goal of leading us to the end of ourselves in our pursuit of righteousness and to our single-minded focus on God’s grace in Christ as the means of righteousness.

Sermon: When a Good Church Becomes a Great Church

The lesson from Colossians chapter 1 for us today is this: that a church’s health is directly proportionate to the degree to which it is singularly obsessed with knowing God and pleasing him. Are we “full” of the comprehension of God’s will?

A Gospel of Reconciliation, Not Merely Justification

Paul’s gospel is not really one of justification, but of reconciliation. Humanity, because of its sin, exists in a state of rebellion and enmity with God. Despite our best efforts to improve ourselves we find we cannot. Because our problem is not just sinful behavior but really hatred and mistrust towards God, the solution for our problem is not just legal justification but reconciliation. God demonstrates his love for us despite our rebellion. We respond in loving faith and are empowered by the Holy Spirit to love and trust God, to no longer want to rebel.