Being Christian Without Losing Your Mind
If you want an insider’s view of church (and society) life in New Testament times, read 1 Timothy. There you’ll find some things you won’t necessarily hear from the pulpit today. I’ve handed over (Hymenaeus and Alexander) to Satan so that they can be taught not to speak against God. (1:20) I want women to …
Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for showing mistakes, for correcting, and for training character. — 2 Timothy 3:16 This famous passage from Paul has certainly been abused. It’s sometimes used as a justification for reading the Bible literally. Actually, Paul was referring to the Old Testament, since the New …
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry even though I used to speak against him… — 1 Timothy 1:12-13a For some reason, I’ll occasionally see a clip from a televangelist shouting and gesturing. There’s no doubting that he feels himself …
Just as a human body, though it is made up of many parts, is a single unit, because all those parts make up a single body, so it is with Christ. — 1 Corinthians 12:12 Sometimes we simply assume that no sooner did Jesus leave than the church began. We judge the past from our …
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence. Know him in all your paths, and he will keep your ways straight. Don’t consider yourself wise. — Proverbs 3:5-7a I have an annoying habit, and wonder if you share it with me. When faced with a major project or event, my mind …
“Now the one who had received one valuable coin came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest grain where you haven’t sown. You gather crops where you haven’t spread seed. So I was afraid. And I hid my valuable coin in the ground. Here, you have what’s yours.’” — Matthew …
If your enemies are starving, feed them some bread; if they are thirsty, give them water to drink. By doing this, you will heap burning coals on their heads, and the Lord will reward you. — Proverbs 25:21-22 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who harass you. — Matthew 5:44 The old proverb …
So many are talking about me: “Even God won’t help him!” — Psalm 3:2 This was what an old Hebrew songwriter heard when he was suffering. His enemies taunted him with it. It was as if they were saying that God was an absentee landlord: provided everything, but nowhere to be found when something broke. …
Elijah and Moses appeared and were talking with Jesus. Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Rabbi, it’s good that we’re here. Let’s make three shrines…” — Mark 9:4-5a Good old Peter. He gets right to the point. The Transfiguration, where Jesus radiates while talking to Elijah and Moses, took place atop a …
When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, reason like a child, think like a child. But now that I have become a man, I’ve put an end to childish things. — 1 Corinthians 13:11 The Christian faith is not a smooth trajectory upward. Rather, it’s an upward trajectory characterized by drops and …