This passage appears to be Paul’s central thrust as he deals with the three problems the Thessalonians were facing. In Chapter 1 severe persecution and afflictions threatened to unnerve them. In Chapter 2 false teaching about the day of the Lord threatened to confuse them. In Chapter 3 the undisciplined lives of some threatened to derail them. Paul’s words, about gaining the glory of Christ in 2:13-17, seem to be his primary and unifying exhortation to them.

“Begin with a rejected foundation.” It is hard to imagine architects in training hearing such things from their professors. It is easier to imagine the administration letting go professors with strange views like these.

ave you ever noticed how often stones show up in our common vocabulary? Sticks and stones may break our bones. We live a stone’s throw away. A rolling stone gathers no moss. And now PBU has changed its name to “Cairn.” In a previous article Dr. Toews showed how the Old Testament frequently used stones …

The purpose of a sign is to point away from itself and to what it signifies. The memorial cairn at Gilgal pointed away from itself and to what the Lord had accomplished on behalf of His people and in fact for all the peoples of the earth.

Christian virtues reflect the awesome character of God. He has purposefully designed that his glory be displayed through believers in Jesus Christ whose lives reflect their new hearts.

s our two children were growing up and got involved in the characteristic sibling altercations, my response to such frays was often a stern admonition to the offending party: “Brandon, be nice to your sister!” or “Candace, be nice to your brother!” I eventually became dissatisfied with my response for several reasons. Among them, I …

Over the next four issues the In Depth column of the magazine will address four virtues – humility, kindness, forgiveness, and patience. The word “virtue” emphasizes the strength of one’s moral life and conduct, whereas the word “character” emphasizes that one’s moral excellence is imprinted or “engraved” on one’s life. Both ring true biblically in that we are to grow into the fullness of Christ and that the life of Christ must be imprinted upon us.

The opening of the Letter to the Ephesians expresses a deep joy and awe at the grandeur of God’s infinite generosity. This majestic sublimity undergirds the apostle Paul’s doxological praise.

Maintaining a biblical worldview is always a challenge. How tempted we are to view life from the perspective of our circumstances rather than through the lens of God’s revelation!

Preaching the Gospel in today’s world is anything but an easy task. How do we do it? Should we soften down some of the more confrontational aspects of the gospel message and focus on issues that resonate with today’s culture to try to get a hearing from an audience that is increasingly uninterested in what we have to say?