Simply Gospel

May my steps be worship. May my thoughts be praise.

  • Onesimus and Perfection

    Onesimus and Perfection

    The letter to Philemon is one of the most fascinating books in the New Testament. It’s among the shortest books in the Bible, but it’s incredibly dense in terms of practical applications. It’s also a book that stirs my curiosity; there’s so much unspoken backstory that I really want to understand.  But there’s only one thing I want to focus on right now: Onesimus’s legal status when he was baptized. Onesimus, Paul, and Roman Law Onesimus didn’t just break household rules when he fled Philemon’s household. He broke the law. The Roman government was paranoid about the possibility of a… Continue reading

  • Tossed To and Fro By Every Controversy

    Tossed To and Fro By Every Controversy

    Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head — Christ. – Ephesians 4:14 – 15 In Ephesians, Paul warns his readers against following trends in spiritual matters. This was as important in the early church as it is today. It’s easy to get swept up in the pull of public opinion. It’s easy to want to do things that feel… Continue reading

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  • Sell Your Cloak to Buy a Sword

    Radically Christian: Luke 22:36 Re-Examined: Sell Your Cloak to Buy a Sword As soon as they finished the discussion about the swords, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed and where a group of armed soldiers came to arrest Him. When the apostles saw that Jesus was about to be arrested, they asked, “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?” (vs 49). Without waiting for an answer, an apostle drew a sword and blood was spilled. The servant of the high priest had his ear cut off and he was standing there bleeding. Jesus intervened, saying, “‘No more of this!‘ And… Continue reading

  • Stones

    The Morning Drive: Stones The leaders bring her to Jesus and remind Him of the Law of Moses and the command to stone those guilty of adultery. They want to know what Jesus thinks should be done. They are trying to place Him in a moral, ethical, spiritual, and legal juxtaposition.  Would Jesus agree with the Law of Moses or would He speak against the Law? Would Jesus show compassion to the sinful woman or would He condemn her based on their accusations? You remember Jesus’ reply in John 8:7, “Let him who without sin among you be the first… Continue reading

  • Prosperity Gospel at the Top

    Huffington Post: Trump Spiritual Advisor Wants You To Send Her Up To 1 Month’s Pay Or Face ‘Consequences’ I hesitate to post this since it almost guarantees some kind of partisan reaction, but I have to admit that I never thought the prosperity gospel would wind up being so big. To me, Jesus’s words are clear — your physical blessings have little to no correlation with your spiritual health. Paula White, a prosperity gospel preacher with close ties to President Donald Trump, is calling on followers to send her donations of up to one month’s salary. Those who don’t pay up… Continue reading

  • Slavery, the Civil War, and Why It Still Matters

    Radically Christian: Slavery, the Civil War, and Why It Still Matters to Me I hear people say, “We can’t judge the actions of people 150 years ago by today’s standards.” I would say I’m judging American slavery not by today’s standards, but by the standard of Scripture. Most of these men not only claimed to be Christians but used Scripture to defend their cruelty and their perception of white supremacy. They kept their neighbors in chains. They beat them and raped them. It wasn’t as though it had never occurred to any of them that this behavior might be wrong. There were… Continue reading

  • What U.S. Christians Miss About North — and South — Korea

    Sojourners: What U.S. Christians Miss About North — and South — Korea Sitting on the 28th floor of the Lotte Hotel World in downtown Seoul having breakfast with a long-time ecumenical friend from Korea, I asked him what the churches in his country were thinking about the present crisis. He immediately responded, “We’re asking, ‘What are the churches in America thinking?’” ••• Two realities here in South Korea seem unknown or underappreciated in the U.S. First is the fact that the Korean War has not ended. There’s no treaty, and no permanently recognized peace — only an agreement 60 years ago… Continue reading

  • 3 Reasons to Fast

    Wes McAdams: 3 Reasons Christians Need to Be Fasting I’ve written about fasting before, so it’s nice to see another Christian writer touch on the subject in a practical and accessible way. Especially after a season usually given to excess, it’s good to consider denying self. I realize the subject of fasting is not a popular thing to talk about, but that is exactly why we need to discuss it. Few biblical practices are neglected in the church today like fasting. Here are three reasons why we all need to be fasting. We need to fast because we need to be… Continue reading

  • The Word Became Flesh

    In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but… Continue reading

  • Removing the Sword from Our Words

    When Jesus told Peter to lay down his sword, he instructed us all to reject violence and unnecessary conflict. This is not restricted to my refraining from physically attacking you for differing beliefs; it must, by extension, affect our words and attitudes toward those outside the body. If I unthinkingly hurt you with my words, then I am every bit as guilty of attacking you as if I had truly taken sword against you. Ephesians 6:17 and Hebrews 4:12 both compare God’s word to a sword. It pierces hearts and minds; it divides between right and wrong. It discerns the… Continue reading