Author: Julian Stoltzfus

The Canon of Scripture | Part 1

God speaks. Through His word He formed the heavens. He breathed out stars. He breathed into man, giving him life. And He did not abandon man—He spoke to him, telling him of Himself. To Abraham He gave a blessing and a promise. To Moses He gave direction and the law. To the prophets He gave warnings and judgments. He spoke to the apostles, teaching the new covenant through Christ. He spoke to the church, guiding them into truth and into grace. And He speaks to us today. Read More

Three Ways We Can Value 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. Read More

The Word of God

Scripture tells of our need for Christ, predicts who He would be, and records His life and His fulfillment of all that was predicted. It unfolds who we must be as His people and reminds us that He is coming back for us. Jesus is the epicenter of Scripture—the source of it all and the point of it all. He said, “The Scriptures...testify of me.” He is the fullness of the Word of God, the divine Word in human flesh. Read More

One Word | Yowm

We live in an age in conflict over origins—the origins of morality, of truth, and of our world. The third controversy specifically houses an entire spectrum of beliefs and perspectives. While orthodox Christians believe that God created our world in a literal week, modern scientists promote evolutionary theory. They claim that God isn’t a necessary part of our origin, arguing instead for a natural process of development in which our world came about through a long staircase of improvements. Read More

Divine Revelation

We have a knowledge of God, but where does that knowledge come from? At the base level, how do we know God? Do we have the ability within ourselves to search out the character and will of God? No. We, with our limited capacities, can only guess at who God is. “There are mysteries which the human mind, unaided by revelation from God, can never unravel. They are beyond us. The only way by which such things can be found out is by getting information from one who knows—and who, besides the Infinite God, can know them—except through revelation from Him?” Read More

Why Theology Matters

The word theology often reminds us of stuffy libraries and even stuffier scholars. We see it as an intangible world of theories and arguments, totally removed from daily life. But, while we may sometimes view it as an accessory to Christianity, it’s really an essential element of every Christian’s faith. All Christians must be theological in some sense. We can’t grow spiritually without right theology; we can’t even maintain true faith without it. Read More

One Word | Karpos

Karpos, the original Greek word which is here translated “fruit,” is the simple fruit of trees and plants. It grows according to the nature of the tree or plant, never contrary to it. You won’t find a cherry growing on a peach tree; trees grow fruit according to their nature. Jesus makes it clear in Luke 6 that our actions reveal the true state of our hearts. He says, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” Read More

Gospel Relationships: Transcending Work and Weather

Church relationships are vital for every Christian. Scripture has no category for an unchurched Christian, so to be a Christian is to be in the church, both globally and locally. And the local church manifests itself in the relationships between its members. Through these relationships we maintain our faith, and through them we grow into the image of Christ. Read More

Pursuing Sexual Victory | Article 3 of 3

The pursuit of sexual victory must begin in our minds. Paul reminds us that our bodies are to be a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable to God. He immediately follows with a reminder that true transformation starts in our thoughts (Rom 12:1-2).

We can never think lofty enough thoughts about God. He is supremely higher, holier, and more benevolent than we have the capacity to understand. Though we cannot know Him fully, we can know Him truly, and we must diligently pursue an accurate knowledge of Him. The resulting awe is a powerful tool for fighting sin. Read More