Speaking the Truth in Love
When it comes to today’s volatile and divided ministry environment, these words stand out as particularly relevant: “Speak the truth in love” (Eph 4:15).
Some conversations have a lot of truth but very little love. Other conversations have a lot love and affection, but very little truth. The biblical ideal is that we have both things.
It is for just this reason, that I am excited about the new book by Cheryl Marshall and Caroline Newheiser, When Words Matter Most: Speaking Truth with Grace to Those You Love (Crossway, 2021).
Cheryl is the director of women’s ministries at Founders Baptist Church in Spring, Texas. Caroline is the assistant coordinator of … Continue reading...
Men, Are You Submissive?
Submission.
Of all the words in the Bible, this may be one of the least popular. After all, our cultural moment is not one that values a posture of submission to authorities. On the contrary, our world insists we should challenge and critique those over us.
The classic bumper sticker captures it well: “Question Authority.”
And if submission is already an unpopular concept, it only grows more unpopular in verses like Ephesians 5:22: “Wives submit to your husbands as unto the Lord.” Indeed, this passage (and its counterpart in 1 Pet. 3:1) has been ground zero in the submission wars, both in our churches and the broader … Continue reading...
Check Out the @RTSCharlotte Women’s Bible Study on the Book of Hebrews
Back in 2017-2019, I taught a weekly Bible study for women on the RTS Charlotte campus. For 33 weeks, about 150 women gathered together to study the book of Hebrews in all its richness and depth.
Thankfully, our great video team here, led by Matt McQuade, captured that series in HD video. We have made the entire Bible study available to the public for free, including handouts for each installment.
Since their release, we have been so encouraged to see how these videos have been utilized by groups all over the country and the world. I have received emails from places like Slovakia and Indonesia, telling us that they … Continue reading...
Seminary Wives: You Are Not Wasting Your Lives
Every year I see a new crop of seminary students, eager to jump into their studies and to prepare for ministry. But, behind the scenes, there is another story that often goes untold. The story of the seminary wives.
Of course, I recognize that there are also seminary husbands, but there is a unique challenge for seminary wives as they sometimes struggle to find their own calling in the midst of their husband’s pursuit of ministry.
Seminary can be a wonderful, exciting time, full of fresh spiritual growth. But it can also be a struggle–financially, spiritually, and relationally. In the mist of these struggles, it is easy for wives to … Continue reading...
How Early Christianity was Mocked for Welcoming Women
I recently received a question on Twitter about where in our patristic sources we see early Christianity mocked for being a religion filled with women. The short answer: lots of places.
But before we get there, we should begin by noting that early Christianity received this criticism precisely because it was so popular with women during this time period. Sociologist Rodney Stark estimates that perhaps 2/3 of the Christianity community during the second-century was made up of women. This is the exact opposite of the ratio in the broader Greco-Roman world where women only made up about 1/3 of the population.
This means that women intentionally left the religious systems … Continue reading...