The Jewish crowd buzzes, a hornet’s nest of heated discussion. Some of the men, visibly upset after the debate, can’t seem to beat the visiting Alexandrian’s arguments proving Jesus is the Christ. One man stands off to the side, stroking his beard thoughtfully. He heard the Alexandrian teach from the Scriptures before, when he took a trip to Ephesus a few months ago. Apollos’ words flowed with compelling eloquence even then. But something is different today. A new authority rings in Apollos’ tone. Somehow, he’s gained greater understanding about this Jesus, tying in elements he Continue Reading
What Phoebe’s Story Tells Us about How Paul Saw Women
Rolling the scroll back together carefully, the woman tucks it into a smooth leather satchel. She wriggles into her sandals and secures them, slips the satchel over her head onto her shoulder, and grabs her favorite traveling cloak. As a businesswoman, this is not the first time she’s made the trip from Cenchreae to Rome, nor will it be the last. But this trip is special. At the door, she takes a deep breath and pauses for a moment, her hand on the satchel. A smile plays across her lips. She’s tasked with carrying her dear friend Paul’s letter to the believers who gather in Rome. Continue Reading
How Moses’ Sister Matters When It Comes to Women in Leadership
Two men and a woman stand at the entrance to the dark tent, clad in the simple, long robes worn by nomads to ward off the scorching desert sun. As the family concludes their conversation, the woman wanders a little way from the tent to watch the setting sun. She carries her head held high. Her noble countenance bears lines from harsh weather and deep suffering and weighty concerns. As a young girl, she’d proved her mettle by guarding her infant brother when all little Hebrew boys suffered under Pharaoh’s order of death. With bold, quick insight, she made a request of Pharaoh’s Continue Reading
How the Differences between the Old and New Testaments Affect Prophecy
Years ago, our church prepared to bring in some prophets who would minister by sharing words from the Holy Spirit with selected individuals in the congregation. One friend, nervous about the upcoming ministry time, said, “I’m afraid God is going to smite me!” (“Smite” is KJV English meaning “to strike or afflict suddenly.”) Our friend’s fear stemmed from a misunderstanding about how the New Testament gift of prophecy functions. Five factors contribute to the changes between covenants regarding prophecy.[i] 1. The Old Covenant featured prophets, priests, and kings. In the New Continue Reading