Notable Women and Their Role in the Early Church

Paul with Aquila and Priscilla

Over the last few decades, there has been a growing movement in the religious world pushing for women to be able to serve as preachers, pastors, or in other leadership roles within the church. In fact, I wrote an article back in 2009 commenting on a study that indicated then that the number of women pastors has doubled in a decade. This trend has only accelerated since that time.

As more “conservative” religious groups feel pressured to welcome women in various leadership roles in their churches, there is more of an attempt to defend this practice by appealing to the Scriptures. Lately, I have noticed some religious people citing certain women mentioned in the New Testament as “proof” that women are permitted to preach in any public forum, oversee a local congregation, or exercise some other leadership role in the work or worship of the church.

In this article, I want us to briefly notice some of these prominent women of the first century church and see what the Scriptures actually have to say about them. We will also be reminded about what the New Testament says about women serving in these roles.Continue Reading

Cold, Empty Churches

Empty church

Corydon E. Fuller, in Reminiscences of James A. Garfield, described a period in which he (the author) was working with a school in Hambden, Ohio, in 1851. In this “little village” that “enjoyed no past, and had no hope in the future,” there were two churches which he described in this way:

“The two churches stood like gladiators over against each other, shabby in their weather-beaten habiliments, faded and tattered by winter’s storms and summer’s heat. Without, they were forbidding and repulsive; within, the fires had grown cold upon their altars, and the worshipers had departed, save a few fossils who had come down from a former generation.” (Reminiscences of James A. Garfield, p. 39)

No additional information is given about these churches and how they got into this condition. However, any church could find itself in this condition in the future, no matter its current state.

The churches Fuller described were once active in their work and worship. Yet over time, their services had “grown cold,” and most of the “worshipers had departed.” Whether one condition led to the other or both happened concurrently, they were related (and can also be in our churches today).Continue Reading

Book Review: The Wolf in Their Pockets

The Wolf in Their Pockets (cover)Last year I reviewed a book by Chris Martin – Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media – about how social media affects us and how we can avoid its pitfalls. Since I finished that book, I’ve been recommending it to others (read my review here). So when I heard that he had a new book coming out, I was sure to pre-order a copy of it.

[Full disclosure: I was able to get a free copy of the ebook before the release, hence the reason why this review is being posted before the official release date. But this was after I pre-ordered a printed copy of it.]

The new book – The Wolf in Their Pockets: 13 Ways the Social Internet Threatens the People You Lead – deals with the same theme as Terms of Service but is directed at church leaders and the challenges they face as the members of their churches are under the influence of social media.Continue Reading

How Does “Revival” Happen Today?

Worship lights

It is common to hear religious people talk about attending events called “revivals.” As I write this article, a recent “revival” at Asbury University has captured the attention of believers and unbelievers throughout the country and around the world. As it continued, other “revivals” started in different places. Many people were convinced that this was from God, and, of course, others were skeptical.

This article is not about the events at Asbury University per se.* Instead, I want us to consider this concept of “revival” from a Biblical perspective. If a “revival” is to happen today, what will that look like? How will it come about? Let us consider a few questions briefly.Continue Reading

Video Lessons on 2 Timothy

Bible Study Series: 2 Timothy

We recently completed a 10-lesson series of video lessons on 2 Timothy. You can click on the video player below to begin watching the series. Or you can scroll down to go directly to individual lessons.Continue Reading

The Problem with Ecumenism

Hand shake

Ecumenism refers to the movement to promote unity among various religious groups despite differences in doctrines and practices. Often the focus of this is among “Christian” denominations, yet some want to extend this more broadly to include other religious groups as well. This can be seen in the growing number of outreach activities, ministries, and events shared by different “faiths” who, in previous generations, would not have fellowship with one another. One manifestation of this can be a deemphasis on evangelism since that would imply that someone needs to be taught and converted to the truth rather than accepted in their current condition.

Many people see these kinds of efforts as being unquestionably good. After all, with everything that the Bible teaches about unity, how could ecumenism possibly be a bad thing? Unfortunately, the “unity” promoted by ecumenism is not the same type of unity that is described in the Scriptures.Continue Reading

Members One of Another

Group Praying

For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (Romans 12:3-5).

Paul told the saints in Rome they were “members one of another.” They were part of the same body; therefore, they were to act in a certain way toward one another.

The same is true for us today. As we are members of the Lord’s church – particularly members of a local congregation – certain responsibilities come with that. In order to help us learn how to treat our brethren and fellow members of the body of Christ, we are going to consider what Paul told the Christians in Rome about their treatment of “one another.”Continue Reading