2 Clement on the Prosperity Gospel

2 Clement is one of the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. It was probably written sometime in the first half of the second century. It’s an early Christian sermon on the Christian moral life and the nature of the church. Toward the end of the work, the author takes a shot at what looks like…

Recommended: The Marks of Scripture

Many Christians today simply have no functional doctrine of Scripture. We may affirm that Scripture is “inspired” or “the word of God,” but we don’t fill these terms up with very much content. Some Protestant traditions affirm biblical inerrancy. Roman Catholics have a well-developed set of doctrinal statements on Scripture. For many of us in…

Are Methodists Arminians?

I often hear that Methodists are Arminians, rather than Calvinists. This is true, but only in a limited sense. Wesley did publish the Arminian Magazine later in life, though he and Calvin had far more in common than we often acknowledge. His indebtedness to Arminius, moreover, was particularly related to notions of grace, free will,…

A New Study Bible From Baylor

Baylor University Press has just released the Baylor Annotated Study Bible, edited by W. H. Bellinger, Jr., and Todd D. Still. From the back cover: The Baylor Annotated Study Bible represents a monumental collaborative effort, bringing together nearly seventy biblical scholars–Baylor faculty, graduates, affiliates, and friends–to refresh our view of the sacred texts. A reliable…

Temptations and Witness in Stressful Times

It’s easy to appear righteous when things are going well. Difficult situations, however, have a way of revealing those parts of ourselves that we would prefer to keep hidden. These are stressful times, and stressful times are tempting times. How should Christians live in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? I recently posted a prayer…

10 Guidelines for Prayer in these COVID-19 Times, by Dr. Peter Bellini

The following originally appeared on Facebook and is reproduced here in several different languages with the author’s permission.  1. PEACE- Pray against spirits of division, suspicion, anxiety, panic, and fear that grip our communities. 2. LEADERSHIP- Pray for wisdom, truth, direction, compassion, and strength for all leaders (political, medical, economic, ecclesial, etc) in authority. 3. PROTECTION-…