The Fruit of the Spirit: An Introduction
What Metaphor? The fruit of the Spirit in Galatians five brings to mind images of an orchard. It’s a serene and beautiful scene. However, the more I look at the…
Jeffrey Stivason
Jeffrey A Stivason (Ph.D. Westminster Theological Seminary) is pastor of Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church in Gibsonia, PA. He is also Professor of New Testament Studies at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Pittsburgh, PA. Jeff is the Editorial Director of Ref21 and Place for Truth both online magazines of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.
The Deadly Sins of Proverbs 6:16-19: Hands that Kill
Perhaps you have noticed by now that Proverbs 6:16-19 is not simply a list of ills that God hates though it most certainly is that. But it is more. On…
A Walk of Deliberation: Ephesians 5:15-20
As we come to the end of our series on walking in the book of Ephesians it is appropriate that Paul would urge believers to walk carefully.[1] The adverb “carefully”…
Good News of Great Joy
When I was in college I took a class on various religious traditions. My class visited a Jewish synagogue and while there the priest said this in response to a…
Jeremiah, Christ & Forgiveness
The holidays are a wonderful time of year. However, for some they are a time of guilt. The season reminds them of things they said and did or did not…
Communicable Attributes: God is Holy
When I was a young teen trying to get comfortable in my own skin words were a commodity that could make or break you. Utter one wrong word and social…
Liar Liar
Several years ago I sat across from someone who lied to me. At the time I would have called him a friend. He certainly was no friend. However, in the…
The Psalms: A Mentor to Our Spiritual Experience
How do we think about the Old Testament saint’s believing experience in relation to our own? Perhaps we think better of them than we do of ourselves! Or maybe we…
Persecution: Lessons from Pliny, Newsom and Lightfoot
Paul once commented to Timothy, “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”[1] This text tends to make the typical American Christian uncomfortable. …
Stand in the Day of Trouble
When Freud arrived in America to give five lectures at Clark University he is said to have quipped, “We are bringing them the plague.” He knew of what he was…
Sanctification: The Spirit’s Influence
One afternoon a group of bored boys decided to bother an old man working in his yard. After causing the man a little trouble they moved on. However, the town…
The Resurrection: Motivation for Holiness
Motivation is what moves us to do something. For some, the reason for being at the gym is the ten or twenty pounds they need to lose. Some study for…