The History of Unrealistic Expectations Placed upon Pastors Throughout the history of the church, pastors have been burdened with expectations that exceed both biblical warrant and human capacity. While pastoral…
Introduction Though often treated as an ancient heresy confined to the early centuries of the church, Gnosticism remains a persistent theological temptation. Its modern expressions are rarely labeled as such,…
Among the many genres of Scripture, the parables of Jesus hold a unique power. They are simple and profound, familiar and unsettling, inviting and confrontational. They draw hearers into a…
From the moment the first humans fell, Scripture begins to sing a song of promise. In the protoevangelium of Genesis 3:15, God declares enmity between the serpent and the woman,…
My first encounter with a Universalist in 2014 was more than just a conversation. It was a profound awakening, a moment that sparked a deeper theological concern within me. It…
Few figures in modern evangelicalism have had as profound an impact as Francis A. Schaeffer. A theologian, philosopher, pastor, and cultural critic, Schaeffer was a prophetic voice in the twentieth…
Wilhelmus à Brakel: A Systematic Theologian for the Common Person Introduction Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635–1711), a name revered in Reformed theology, holds a unique place among the great theologians of…
The three uses of the law—restraining sin, convicting sinners, and guiding believers in holy living—reflect its multifaceted role in God’s moral order. While the third use promotes societal order and…
Two summers ago, I preached through the book of Jonah. It remains one of the biblical narratives that I identify with most personally. Like Jonah, I once ran from God’s…
