Regarding the issue of women in church leadership, both the complementarian and the egalitarian view can be supported by Scripture. It’s only possible for one of these views to be correct, though—either women should be barred from at least some leadership roles in the church, or they should not be excluded from any. While the debate between evangelical scholars on this issue continues, real people are affected by the theological positions held by those whose voices they trust. What happens if we get this wrong? If egalitarians are incorrect in their view that Continue Reading
Severe Warnings in the New Testament We Can’t Afford to Ignore
I'm disturbed by recent exposures of casual, careless, and cavalier attitudes toward prophesying. It's time to refresh our understanding of the incredible privilege of speaking for God. For a robust view of prophecy to begin with, we need to understand both the similarities and the differences between prophecy in the Old and New Testaments. Prophecy in the Old Testament largely served to remind God’s people to return to his covenant when they (repeatedly) strayed. By contrast, the main purpose of the New Testament spiritual gift of prophecy is to strengthen, encourage, and comfort Continue Reading
Why Prophetic Words Must Pass the Test of Evaluation
I struggled off and on with bouts of depression as a young woman, so when the blues hit me three months after Scott and I got married, it wasn’t a new experience. I decided to ask for prayer at church. We had recently joined a small start-up fellowship which numbered perhaps twenty and met in a tiny, rented building. Most of us were in our twenties or thirties. What we lacked in wisdom and experience, we made up for with zeal. When I asked for prayer about my depression, more than one individual chimed in with a prophetic word. I was told the depression happened because I was Continue Reading
How Jesus’ Incarnation inspires awe in believers
Judah stretched and yawned, absently fondling the soft ears of the sheep lying nearest him. Shepherd’s Field was quiet at night, as usual. The tiny town of Bethlehem lay just down the road. Not much going on there tonight, either. Judah didn’t mind. He was a thoughtful lad, an animal-loving daydreamer. The older shepherds often teased him about his wandering imagination. “The boy’s mind must be in the heavenlies again!” Zebediah would say, causing the others to chuckle and shake their heads. Despite the teasing, Judah enjoyed his apprenticeship as a Levitical shepherd. It Continue Reading