A Key Sign You are Maturing as a Preacher
As a seminary professor (and a pastor) I spend a lot of time helping students grow and develop as preachers. After hearing a student preach, I will often get coffee or lunch with that student and we will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the sermon and how it can be improved.
Over the years, I have learned to ask students a key question that can reveal a lot about how they are developing as a preacher.
“What did you leave out?”
Most of the time that I ask that question I am met with a blank stare. Students expect to be asked about the content of the sermon—i.e., what … Continue reading...
Did the Heretics Outnumber the Orthodox in Early Christianity?
One of the most common arguments about early Christianity—made popular by Walter Bauer’s 1934 book Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity—is that the earliest centuries had such enormous doctrinal diversity that the “heretics” were as prevalent, if not even more numerous, than the “orthodox.” It was not until the 4th century, it is argued, that the orthodox began to turn the tide.
But let’s test this theory by asking a simple question: who were the bishops in second-century Christianity? Who were the leaders of all these churches? If heresy was as widespread as orthodoxy, we should expect to find a number of bishops that are openly Marcionite, Ebionite, … 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...
5 Reasons to Come to @RTSCharlotte Preview Day on Sept 29th!
If you are considering seminary, you will not want to miss the RTS Charlotte preview day on Sept 29th. Here are a five things you’ll get to do if you come join us:
1. Take a tour of our beautiful 20-acre campus. We are blessed with a wonderful property nestled in the heart of south Charlotte. You will not only see our many buildings, but also our wide open lawns for picnics, sports, or just catching up on your reading outdoors. And North Carolina is especially beautiful in the fall!
2. Sit in on a class with our top-notch faculty. The Charlotte campus has 12 residential faculty members… Continue reading...