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Keeping the Church Healthy: How Discipline Fosters True Holiness
Many people love going to church for the music, the fellowship, or the preaching. Ask them about essential elements of a healthy church, and you’ll probably hear about dynamic worship or warm community. What’s rarely mentioned, however, is a weird thing called church discipline—a practice that’s sometimes overlooked but is actually vital for a biblical congregation. Far from being outdated or harsh, church discipline helps preserve a church’s spiritual integrity, encourages repentance, and keeps believers anchored in God’s Word. The Three Marks of a True Church Little known to most people, the 1561 Belgic Confession offers three marks by which the true church is known: (1) preaching the pure gospel, (2) observing the sacraments (i.e., baptism and communion), and (3) practicing church discipline. Throughout church history, church discipline has been an integral component of God-fearing churches. However, a recent survey of pastors revealed that 55% of churches have never formally…
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Egyptian Wisdom Meets the Bible: Parallels Between Amenemope and Proverbs
It often comes as a surprise to people when they realize that there are striking similarities between the content found in biblical wisdom books and certain ancient texts from surrounding cultures. Although Scripture is unique in its monotheistic worldview, there are some interesting overlaps in the Bible’s wisdom writings with other wisdom sources from polytheistic cultures. As Christians, what are we to make of these similarities? For our purposes, we can illustrate this phenomenon by comparing Proverbs with an Egyptian document called The Instruction of Amenemope, a collection of wisdom sayings that are clearly polytheistic in nature. There is a lot of thematic overlap in both. For example, both teach the concept that wealth is not everything. They also both admonish us to practice integrity and fairness in daily transactions, caution us against the fleeting nature of riches, and emphasize what we could call contentment. Here are some notable examples.…
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Finding the Gospel in the Karate Kid? A Lesson on Hermeneutics
Note: Make sure to read the end of the article. When we think of The Karate Kid (1984), images of martial arts training, teenage struggles, and the iconic crane kick often come to mind. However, beneath the surface of this classic film lies a profound allegory that mirrors the Gospel story found in the Bible. This might seem surprising at first glance, but a closer examination reveals significant and undeniable parallels between the movie’s plot and characters and the biblical narrative of redemption. The Garden of Eden and the Move to California The journey begins with the main character, Daniel LaRusso, and his single mother moving from New Jersey to California. Daniel’s mother enthusiastically describes California as “like the Garden of Eden.” The Garden of Eden, as described in Genesis, is a place of perfection and new beginnings—a paradise where humanity first dwelled in the presence of God. Similarly, California represents a…
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Did the Old Testament Saints Believe in a Canon of Scripture?
From our perspective we sometimes take for granted that we have an authoritative canon—a collection of inspired Scripture from God. But it is worth thinking through how the Old Testament saints viewed the collection of authoritative writings. Did Old Testament believers recognize a specialized, authoritative collection of writings? Looking at the Old Testament evidence, it seems that the Jewish people recognized certain writings as authoritative from God, while at the same time acknowledging a different quality of other writings. The Law of Moses: A Special Collection with Special Rules We see early evidence of Scripture being regarded as authoritative in the book of Deuteronomy. For example, Moses instructed all the people to gather every seven years to hear “this law” (Deut 31:9-11). Further, Moses instructed the Levites to store the book of the law along with the ark of the covenant (Deut 31:24-26). Additionally, Israel was instructed that nothing could…
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Truth, Experience, and the Authority of Scripture
It is very common in today’s culture to argue that experience is the ultimate authority. However, as I have written before, not only is it foolish, but it is dangerous to elevate experience as the determiner of truth. Additionally, Christians need to be adamant that lack of experience does not prohibit one from having an opinion or even speaking authoritatively on an issue. The ultimate authority can (and should be) the authority that is Scripture. Experience as the Preferred Pathway to Knowledge Experience tends to be elevated to a supreme status in our culture. It is common to hear arguments like, “You don’t know what it is like,” “You have not been there,” or, “You are not like me, so you don’t know.” Whether it is a culturally sensitive issue (like the racial minority decrying whites for not understanding their oppression), or an individual issue (like someone describing his or…
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What the Early Church Said About Abortion: Quotes from Christian History
To be Christian is to be anti-abortion. From its earliest days, the church has stood firmly against the practice of taking innocent life, recognizing the unborn as precious creations made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). This conviction is not merely a cultural stance but a foundational aspect of Christian faith, rooted in Scripture and upheld throughout church history. True Christianity is marked by obedience to Christ’s teachings and a commitment to the sanctity of life. While it may be easy for some to claim the name of Christ while supporting abortion, such a position contradicts both the clear teaching of Scripture (Psalm 139:13–16; Exodus 21:22–25) and the witness of early Christians who opposed abortion in the face of a pagan, life-disregarding culture. To follow Christ is to uphold life, defending those who cannot defend themselves. Christian Culture and Abortion Western cultures love to praise abortion. Case in point,…
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Were Levites Allowed to Own Land? A Look at Acts 4:36-37
Levites weren’t supposed to own land—or so the common understanding goes. Yet in Acts 4:36-37, we read about Barnabas, a Levite, who sells a field and generously donates the proceeds to the Apostles. Was Barnabas acting in disobedience to his heritage? Or is this a possible contradiction in the details of Scripture? The answer is that the Levites’ relationship with land ownership is a bit more complex than we might initially expect. The Levites and Land Ownership It is a well-known fact that, as a tribe, the Levites were not given their own land allotment among their fellow tribes. While Joshua delegated specific tribal allotments to the eleven tribes of Israel (cf. Josh 12–22), the tribe of Levi did not receive any specific land allotment. The Levites were not left completely homeless, however, for they were given cities to dwell in among their brothers (cf. Josh 14:4). They would at…
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A Sunday Service in the 2nd Century: A Description from Justin Martyr
Justin Martyr is a name unfamiliar to many. However, Justin Martyr would have been very familiar in early Christianity. He was a first-class Christian apologist, and in his writings, he defended the peacefulness of Christians by describing the practices of the church around 150 A.D. (within 60 years of the Apostle John’s death). Although he is not an inspired writer, his observations are interesting in many regards. Does worship in the 2nd-century church look similar to our churches today? I find the testimony of Justin Martyr particularly insightful in answering questions like that (First Apology, 67, ca. 150 A.D.). Justin Martyr on the Order of Service In his observations, Justin Martyr captures a typical Sunday service as it would have unfolded in the early church—a time marked by learning and extended times of worship. The description offers a structured portrayal of early Christian gatherings. The congregation would come together, often…
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The Root Word Fallacy: Why Biblical Words Don’t Always Mean What You Think
Words have power, but not always the power we think they do. In biblical studies, it’s a common error to assume that the meaning of a word can be traced back to its ancient roots, as if the essence of that word has remained untouched through the ages. But language is not a fossil—it’s alive, evolving with each generation. Just as the word “nice” no longer implies ignorance, many words in Scripture have meanings that shifted over time. This dynamic nature of language can make interpreting ancient texts challenging, especially when we fall into the trap of the root word fallacy. In this article, we’ll explore why this common mistake can lead to misunderstanding in Bible study or preaching, and how recognizing it will aid our approach to Bible study. Introduction to the Idea of the Root Word Fallacy We’ve covered fallacies before, including the Red Herring Fallacy, The Strawman…
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Socialism vs. Scripture: Understanding the Spiritual Danger of This Ideology
As the 2024 American election approaches, voters face a stark choice: the survival of a nation built on individual freedom or the allure of socialism, which is increasingly creeping into the American mainstream. What people don’t often realize, is that this isn’t just a political debate—it’s a spiritual and moral one. Socialism, once synonymous with failure and oppression, now finds support among a growing segment of Americans, especially the younger generation. One poll noted that 61% of those between the ages of 18 and 24 thought positively of socialism. Another poll said that 43% of Americans thought some form of socialism would be a good thing for the United States. The popularity of socialism in the United States is due in part to the political popularity of politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but it is also clear that many young people embrace socialism without really understanding what socialism…