Orthodox inspiration holds that God knows what He’s talking about, even when it doesn’t fit with what we think or understand. It believes that, whether or not it seems to make sense, the Bible is always right. Whether we’re dealing with science or history, it says that, since Scripture is from God—and God does not and cannot lie—the Bible will always be right. It leaves God and His Word in authority, choosing to bow to Him. Read More
Author: Julian Stoltzfus
The Inspiration of Scripture | Part 2
In our discussion on the inspiration of Scripture, we now move from how God inspired the Bible to what that inspiration entails. As we discovered last time, most Christians agree that Scripture is inspired, but they often disagree when they define that inspiration. Just as they have various understandings of the process God used, they also hold various beliefs on how inspired the end product—Scripture—actually is. Read More
One Word | Panteles
The glorious dichotomy presented in Hebrews is that Christ is both the priest (the one who offers) and the atonement (the One offered, the perfect sacrifice to pay for sin). He goes to God to plead our case, and He gives His life—bearing God’s wrath—to secure our freedom. The Old Testament priests always came up short because they never had an offering good enough to pay for sin.2 Christ, in contrast, does. He is a priest beyond all others because He truly, finally, paid for sin. He is the perfect priest. Read More
Are Spiritual Gifts for Today?
Spiritual gifts can be controversial and overwhelming. The basic concepts are clear in Scripture, but we are often worlds apart in our understanding of how those concepts should be borne out. Some people practice spiritual gifts too little, others seemingly too much. Before we can properly practice spiritual gifts, we must understand what they are. Read More
The Inspiration of Scripture | Part 1
The word “inspiration” brings many different thoughts to mind. In the modern sense, we sometimes think of inspiration as a motivating or energizing force. An artist may feel a flash of inspiration for his next painting, a musician may be inspired to compose a new song, or I may search for inspiration to study for and write this article.
Yet, historically and theologically, inspiration carries a different meaning.
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Valuing Scripture
The Word of God is a great gift. Think about it—where would we go to learn who God is if we didn’t have His Word? While creation does testify of God, we can’t fully know Him simply by studying the starry sky or a nearby bush. We can look within, but our own hearts are deceitful and our minds are darkened (Jer. 17:9, Rom. 1:21). We can’t hope to know Him unless He first shows Himself to us. The Bible is that revelation, God’s gift to us—Himself. Scripture is the source of all knowledge of God; therefore, to truly know God we must know His Word. Read More
One Word | Logos
Jesus is the epicenter of Scripture—the source of it all and the point of it all. He said, “The Scriptures...bear witness about me.”5 Logos reminds us that Jesus is the fullness of the Word of God—the divine Word in human flesh. Read More
The Canon of Scripture | Part 3
We remember that our confidence in the canon is not in our own observations, nor is it in the abilities of mere men to correctly identify and compile God’s words, but it must ultimately be in God’s faithfulness to His people. By this we believe that God has truly provided us with His Word and has given us all we need. And so we know that, “The canon of Scripture today is exactly what God wanted it to be, and it will stay that way until Christ returns.”11 Our Bible—Genesis to Revelation—contains every word God intended for His people. It is truly and fully the Word of God. Read More
The Place of Music in the Church
Music. How do we use it and how does it affect us? Josh reminded us several weeks back that music is an integral part of our Christian faith. Trish then gave us six reasons why music is important in our personal lives. It is a great gift that, used properly, is a God-given blessing that bolsters us as we struggle and sing our way through this life. Read More
The Canon of Scripture | Part 2
Just as God was at work in creation, in the calling of his people Israel, in the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and in the early work and writings of the apostles, so God was at work in the preservation and assembling together of the books of Scripture for the benefit of His people for the entire church age. Ultimately, then, we base our confidence in the correctness of our present canon on the faithfulness of God. Read More