A Congregation is a Voting Body

By Kevin Schaal | February 23, 2025 | Comments Off on A Congregation is a Voting Body

There is a compelling exegetical case for congregational church government.  That case is so compelling that structuring a local congregation in any other way seems to be disobedient to the pattern of polity laid out in the New Testament.  While there are many other passages, these key passages indicate not only how the early church…

Podcast – Interview 63: In Our Image and Likeness (Michael Riley)

By Proclaim and Defend | February 22, 2025 | Comments Off on Podcast – Interview 63: In Our Image and Likeness (Michael Riley)

We are discussing the January/February edition of FrontLine, “AI: Developing a Christian Perspective.” Our guest this time is Mike Riley, who wrote the article, “In Our Image and Likeness.” What follows is an AI generated introduction! The rise of artificial intelligence has brought with it not just technological challenges, but profound ethical and theological questions…

Epaphras: An Example for Us Today

By David Huffstutler | February 21, 2025 | Comments Off on Epaphras: An Example for Us Today

I love looking at leaders in the Bible and seeing how they are examples for us today. Epaphras is one of those guys. A little digging in Colossians uncovers some details about Epaphras, an otherwise “minor character” in the New Testament, but a major character in Colossae and an exemplary leader for us today. Two…

The Inevitability of the Resurrection

By M. R. Conrad | February 20, 2025 | Comments Off on The Inevitability of the Resurrection

Jesus’ tomb was empty. But why? How? Who? So many questions filled the mind of Cleopas and his friend as they slowly walked the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus. In the aftermath of their Savior’s crucifixion, they could not fathom the inevitability of the resurrection. Encounter with a Stranger Just that morning, a normally…

An AI “Interview” with C. H. Spurgeon

By David Shumate | February 19, 2025 |

Editor’s note: This “interview” is excerpted from a chat session with Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 Sonnet, and some observations about the process follow the excerpts. The session was initiated by the following prompt and Claude’s response: Prompt: “Assume the role of the famous 19th-century English pastor Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I would like to interview you. Are…

Missionary Support (3): Challenges and Benefits of Deputation

By David Abel | February 18, 2025 | Comments Off on Missionary Support (3): Challenges and Benefits of Deputation

I’ve designed this series of articles to help churches gain a new perspective on missionary support. Previous articles have discussed: 1) deputation and the Bible and 2) the church’s decision to invite and support missionaries. In this article, I focus on the challenges and benefits of deputation. Why Is It So Difficult to Raise Support? Does it…

Dismantling USAID is a Moral and Strategic Necessity

By Kevin Schaal | February 16, 2025 | Comments Off on Dismantling USAID is a Moral and Strategic Necessity

The Times of Israel just ran a post (which was linked at Realclearreligion.org) entitled “Dismantling USAID is a moral and strategic tragedy” claiming the effectiveness of and call for the preservation of USAID. The following is the essence of this story. Make no mistake about it: USAID was and is indispensable, no matter its faults.…

Podcast – Interview 62: Developing a Biblical Perspective on Technology (Erik Hanson)

By Proclaim and Defend | February 15, 2025 | Comments Off on Podcast – Interview 62: Developing a Biblical Perspective on Technology (Erik Hanson)

We are talking about FrontLine magazine on this podcast, interviewing authors of our articles as they come out. The theme of the most recent edition of the magazine is “AI: Developing a Christian Perspective.” Our author today, Erik Hanson, wrote an article for us called “Developing a Biblical Perspective on Technology.” It’s an introduction, laying…

Follow Your Head: A Theology of Woman from the New Testament (Part 2 of 2)

By Holly Huffstutler | February 14, 2025 | Comments Off on Follow Your Head: A Theology of Woman from the New Testament (Part 2 of 2)

For the first part of this two-part series, click here.  The Role of Women: Submission  We can think of the role of women in submission in terms of the home and the church. Submission in the Home  “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the…

It’s a Conspiracy!

By Erik Hanson | February 13, 2025 | Comments Off on It’s a Conspiracy!

A Biblical View of Conspiracy Theories The phrase “It’s a conspiracy” resounds in society today. For example, a 2023 YouGov survey demonstrates Americans’ propensity to believe certain events and situations can be explained by formulating a conspiracy theory. This survey finds that 54% believe that Lee Harvey Oswald did not act alone in the assassination…