Treasuring Christ

Understanding Revelation

2011-05-10T16:12:00.002+01:00

The apocalyptic form of Revelation has often made it an off-putting choice for personal Bible reading and study. Yet it would be a mistake to assume that Revelation is only for theologians or the most academic of believers. Though its contents are sometimes obscure and confusing, the basic message of Revelation is the gospel, as Graeme Goldsworthy has argued. The whole book is about Christ being

What does John teach about combatting heresy in 1 John?

2011-05-08T10:21:00.000+01:00

It seems clear that John wrote his first epistle specifically to counter various forms of Gnostic heresy which had infiltrated the church. Gnostics believed that the spirit was good, but matter was evil, and denied the Incarnation of Christ as God made flesh. More extreme forms of Gnosticism such as Docetism suggested that Jesus was a phantom and only appeared to have a body. John emphasises in

What does John teach about eternal life in his gospel?

2011-05-07T17:29:00.000+01:00

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." (Jn 3:16)'Eternal life' is one of John's most frequently used phrases in his gospel, as he seeks to explain the nature of the salvation which Jesus Christ came to bring. Jn 3:16, in many ways a summary of the gospel message, explains that eternal life is given to anyone

What is the role of John the Baptist in John's gospel?

2011-05-06T16:43:00.000+01:00

'There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.' (Jn 1:6-8) In the Prologue to his gospel, John emphasises that John the Baptist was 'sent from God' as a 'witness' to Jesus Christ, described as the 'Word' and the 'light'. The Old

What is the role of signs in John's gospel?

2011-05-06T16:41:00.000+01:00

'Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.' Jn 20:30-31The first half of John's gospel focuses on establishing the identity and salvation purpose of Jesus Christ. The 'signs' which John describes

Paul's Teaching on the Cross

2011-03-18T20:32:00.003Z

When reading the gospel narratives of Christ's crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, you could be forgiven for not really understanding what was going on. The gospel writers are focusing upon the historical events; they certainly want to show that Jesus' death was the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy and was inaugurating a new covenant and means of access to God, but they don't give a

Corporate Redemption: Ephesians and the Church

2011-03-05T09:29:00.003Z

Imagine it's 1945. A man escapes from Auschwitz concentration camp and runs off into the woods. How does he feel? Glad to be free, but constantly in fear of capture.Now imagine being in Auschwitz when the Allied forces arrive. They proclaim their victory over the Nazi regime and set you all free. Together, you walk out under the sign 'Arbeit macht frei' (work sets you free). The truth sinks in:

Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: Truth not Deception

2010-12-28T19:37:00.000Z

'we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.' 2 Corinthians 4:2What a challenge this verse is! How often, in conversations with work mates or family, do we try to 'cover up' the bits in the Bible we find difficult or that we know they will find offensive? Do we

Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: The New Covenant

2010-12-27T19:25:00.000Z

'He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant- not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.' 2 Corinthians 3:6Paul rejoices in this letter that God has not only saved us and restored our relationship with Himself, but He has also entrusted us with a ministry for Him. When we come to trust in God and our sins are forgiven in Christ, we are

Soundbites from 2 Corinthians: Relying on God not ourselves

2010-12-26T19:13:00.003Z

Over the next few posts, I'm going to pick out my favourite verses from 2 Corinthians and share the challenges and encouragements I've received from them. This letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth is possibly my favourite NT letter- whenever I read it, in whatever circumstances, it speaks to me so strongly about persevering through suffering and rejoicing in our salvation and the fact

A Christian Evaluation of Utilitarianism

2010-12-05T16:59:00.000Z

Utilitarianism is an ethical theory developed by Jeremy Bentham and his protegee, John Stuart Mill. Ethical theories deal with the reasons which justify moral rules, and for Bentham and Mill, the moral worth of an action could be determined by how much happiness or pleasure it produced. The roots of utilitarianism can be seen, therefore, in ancient hedonistic philosophy, as developed by

New Breed Conference - Taking No Man's Land

2010-11-21T11:47:00.004Z

Yesterday we gathered at Highfields Church, Cardiff for the New Breed conference 2010. Last year, Andy went along, and there were a total of 15 blokes there. This year, there must have been 50 people -mostly in the 20s-30s age bracket- and there were a group of around 10-15 wives, fiancees and single women. New Breed is growing! But I guess you might be asking, 'What is it?''Working in

The concept of Home

2010-08-26T12:04:00.001+01:00

My husband and I were talking about this and it made me think through what a Home is in the Bible. Why are we so obsessed with creating a home for ourselves? Is it right to do that?The overall conclusion I came to is that the reason we are home-makers is that we seek to recreate Eden, our Paradise that was lost.In Eden, as described in Genesis 1-2, we lived in a perfect world, in a perfect

Seeking Spiritual Experiences

2010-08-25T11:40:00.004+01:00

In our Church Bible study last night, we looked at Revelation 1 where John is 'in the Spirit' and sees the Lord Jesus Christ in glory. He receives a message for the church, given by an angel, from Jesus and ultimately from God the Father. Someone pointed out that John was probably doing hard labour each day as part of the penal colony on Patmos. It wasn't perhaps the place where you would expect

By Faith Alone... how important are our good works?

2010-07-27T17:07:00.004+01:00

In thinking about the Reformation teaching of salvation by faith alone, I've been thinking about how important our 'good works' are as Christians. The following is adapted from a long email conversation with a friend on this topic.The main idea of reformation thought is that the Bible teaches that God created man to be in perfect relationship with Him and give Him glory. The fall has severed that

Sex before marriage: what does the Bible say?

2010-07-08T18:47:00.002+01:00

Some people think that the Bible doesn't say much about sex. Other people think the Bible is really negative about sex. I was asked by a Christian friend recently how I would go about explaining what the Bible says about sex before marriage to someone who is a Christian and sleeping with their boyfriend or girlfriend. This post is really my response to that question.Summary:God has such a high

The Teaching of the Reformation

2010-06-24T21:59:00.001+01:00

In my last post, I looked at Luther's discovery and his desire to spread the message that the Bible was actually about God saving humans by His grace, not about humans earning God's favour through their own works. Now I'm going to look in more detail at Luther's key teaching, and the teaching of the Reformation as a whole.Luther developed three key slogans:BIBLE ALONE- as the sole source of

Why did the Reformation happen?

2010-06-22T20:07:00.003+01:00

I'm currently studying Reformation Church History, so I'm hoping to post on this topic to help me to understand and revise it.The Reformation was a huge change within the Church in the C16th. Whereas the Church during the medieval era was led universally by the Pope, the Reformation marked a separation between "Protestants" and "Roman Catholics". Many people today complain about the division of

Reaching the Unreached

2010-06-06T21:11:00.002+01:00

I've just read Paul Bassett's chapter called 'The Inner City' in a book called 'Social Issues and the Local Church'. It was published back in 1988, but Bassett's challenge rings in my ears as urgent and relevant for Christians today.There is a whole section of society in the UK that is unreached. I'm not thinking about a particular ethnic minority group (although they do feature in this picture),

An Overview of 2 Corinthians 1-6

2010-06-05T09:25:00.001+01:00

Here's a quick overview of the first six chapters of Paul's letter to the church in Corinth, written around 55 AD. Chapter 1 God comforts us in all our troubles. Paul endured distress for the Corinthians' salvation. Paul went through times of despair, but this happened so he'd rely on God. Paul reiterates that God makes him and the Corinthians stand firm in Christ, sealing them in His Spirit.

Predestination

2010-03-05T17:41:00.001Z