ecclesiology

Episode 59 – UK Oliver – Confessionalism in the UK

Cuatro and Michael interview Oliver Allmand-Smith from Trinity Grace Church, Manchester, UK. Oliver is a pastor and author, among other ways he serves God's church. His book, Under God, Over the People will help you understand the role of government. Oliver's Church...

5 Deceitful Schemes Seeking to Ruin Churches

In Ephesians 4:14, Paul desires that local churches “…may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” In this post, I want to give you 5 examples of deceitful...

Spirit Baptism and Water Baptism

Baptism and the Spirit In the New Testament, we recognize the word “baptism” is not only used to refer to physical water. For example, John the Baptist says in Mark 1:8 that Jesus is coming to “baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Or, in 1 Corinthians 12:13 Paul says,...

Sundays Are For Training

I graduated from High School and Bible College with adequate grades. I tried, but I didn't exactly...

1 Timothy 2:12 Revisited — The Authority Word Problem

1 Timothy 2:12 Revisited — The Authority Word Problem

In How to Use a "For" Clause: 1 Timothy 2:12 and Egalitarianism, I explained how the two phrases in verses 13 and 14 should guide our understanding of how Paul uses the verb "do not permit" in verse 12. More recently, I came across Defusing the 1 Timothy 2:12 Bomb, an...

A Letter to a New Believer

A Letter to a New Believer

I received a question about how to grow as a Christian and what advice I would offer to someone who was recently converted on how to "practically" mature in the faith. The person specifically stated "I need a literal path, not just read your Bible, attend church,...

Women Professors and the Seminary’s Place in the Church

Women Professors and the Seminary’s Place in the Church

John Piper controversially opined back in January that women should not teach in seminaries. The essential reason he gave is that seminary professors should be models of the pastoral office that seminary students can emulate. I made some thoughts on the topic known on...

Don’t Get Woke. Get to Know Your Local Church Brethren.

Don’t Get Woke. Get to Know Your Local Church Brethren.

Nestled within 1 Corinthians 11, we find a likely familiar passage concerning the Lord's Table which pertains to the current social media conversation on racism and socioeconomic class. Critical race theory is probably the last topic I want to write about at the...

3 Reasons not to Baptize Young Children

3 Reasons not to Baptize Young Children

A 2014 Christianity Today article highlighted a growing trend in the SBC of baptizing children age 5 and under. From my personal observation and discussions among other Southern Baptists, I have no reason to believe this practice is slowing down in 2018. It is my...

How to Use a “For” Clause: 1 Timothy 2:12 and Egalitarianism

How to Use a “For” Clause: 1 Timothy 2:12 and Egalitarianism

Did Paul mean in 1 Timothy 2:12 that he is really prohibiting women from teaching or exercising authority over men on a permanent basis? Let's do some grammar work. 12 I do not allow a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; instead, she is to remain quiet. 13...