Re-thinking ordination
Back in the 1970s many of us learned to be suspicious of ordination and all that went with it. The spectacle of some leaders being given special status among the […]
Are Christians Better People Than Others?
Peter Abelard (1079-1142) managed to get himself into theological and moral trouble throughout most of his life. When he wrote Sic et Non (‘Yes and No’) to argue that the […]
Paul’s Journal (Acts 9.3; 2 Timothy 4.7)
God is light with us, God is light behind us, whispered into time. Is his light abiding? Springing as a clay bird, his wondrous voice encircling, strikes me like a […]
Why preach Deuteronomy?
For many, Deuteronomy is a closed book. Assuming that it is directed to the Israelites, countless Christians have too long missed its vital message. Perhaps even more tragic is the […]
The Road of Tyranny
Tolerance used to be defined as the ability to respectfully engage with others, even if you disagree with what they say. Nevertheless, it is clear that the new ‘tolerance’ is […]
The Character of Christ and the Person of Christ
John Stuart Mill is known as the great liberal political philosopher of nineteenth century England. He was also an atheist, but later in life he came to write of Christ: […]
Do Muslims and Christians Worship the Same God?
The woman in the hijab was surprised. She approached me after a Muslim/Christian debate and asked if she could talk to me. I jokingly asked if her husband was present […]
How can we benefit from covenant theology, and why is it so important?
Two perennial questions that most Christians will ask focus on the meaning and message of the Bible as a whole. They might be expressed as follows: How do I gain […]
Jesus beyond the Talmud
A Jew’s pattern of moral behaviour involves absolute adherence to the literal directives of Torah (the Five books of Moses) especially the 613 mitzvot or commandments as classified by Maimonides […]
Getting into the Book of Revelation without Getting Lost
Many years ago, when I worked in the entertainment industry, the first TV commercial I did was a 15-second advertisement for ‘Famous Grouse Whiskey’. If I had known one day […]
The Rites of Initiation: Circumcision and Baptism
God has left His new covenant people with two visible signs of His invisible grace: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Down through the ages, Christians have differed in their understanding […]
Isaiah and Prophecy
In meeting regularly with a Muslim friend, I am often surprised when perhaps I should not be. The topic under discussion is commonly prophecy, and recently he made the claim […]
Return to Eden: Philipp Melanchthon’s Exposition of Genesis 3.15
God originally placed Adam and Eve in Eden, which is literally a place of ‘delight’. After sin entered in, in Genesis 3, God exiled Adam and Eve. In between these […]
No Beginning No End
‘In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth’ Genesis 1:1 For over a decade I have had the privilege of teaching Christian Studies to primary aged students. This […]
The Purpose of Prayer is to Change God’s Mind, (Part 3)
1. Introduction This article addresses the third question about God’s repentance: “How can God’s changing His mind be reconciled with God having an eternal plan, decided and settled in eternity […]
The Purpose of Prayer is to Change God’s Mind, (Part 2)
1. Introduction In the first instalment of this series, I showed that God’s repentance is not because He sinned in any way whatsoever. In this part, I ask: “How can […]