“Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again” (John 3:3, NIV). “Please be prepared to share a brief testimony next week about how you came to know the Lord.” Our Bible study leader looked around our small circle of women and smiled. “I’m sure we’ll […]
It is often said that the apostle Paul changed the focus of the Christian gospel from kingdom of God, stressed in the four Gospels (Matthew 9:35), to the saving work of Christ, stressed in his epistles. But did Paul really make such a profound change within Christianity? Letter to Corinth It is true that Paul […]
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). With these words, Mark’s Gospel inaugurates the ministry of Jesus. They carried tremendous impact in His day, and they should in ours as well. Jesus spoke into a time of heightened expectation. John the Baptist had shattered […]
Jesus broke into the history of humanity and began His ministry by declaring, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). In fact, this statement represents the axis of His entire ministry. Kingdom centered The phrase kingdom of God appears more than seventy […]
Have you ever read the incredible little prophecy in Genesis 49:8-12? Its surprising prediction of part of the gospel story may not be so familiar to you. It contains one of the earliest forecasts of Jesus’ life-giving work on the cross: “Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your […]
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28, 29). If there is a word that captures the character of […]
Did you know that the Bible Advocate is going to be 160 years old next year? What a legacy! It’s been an honor and pleasure to have served as the editor for almost seven of those many years. We have come a long way since the US Civil War era in which the BA was […]
Bloodied, bruised, beaten, nailed, and speared. It was hard to believe that Jesus, the Son of God, the Word (Logos) made flesh, was dead. After all, He was the Messiah, the promised and long-awaited anointed Savior! Ancient prophecies told of His kingdom might and power. During His earthly ministry, Jesus healed the sick, gave sight […]
I stopped listening to Professor Miller’s answers to student questions after only a few days in his class. He had two PhDs and could intelligently discuss any topic under the sun, but he somehow managed to make basic college math unintelligible. He repeated the same complex answers over and over, as though the repetition was […]
We often hear fellow believers referred to as evangelicals. What does it mean to be an evangelical Christian? Because of the recent popularity and disparity-diversity of the term evangelical, we’ll explore it from biblical, popular or political, and ecclesiastical perspectives. Evangelical is one of a family of words (evangel, evangelism, evangelistic, etc.) that are all […]
