Theology

This article challenges us to move beyond surface-level interpretation by examining not just what Scripture says, but what it does -using Jesus's approach to the divorce law in Deuteronomy as a compelling example of how reading within the broader biblical narrative and understanding authorial intent transforms our understanding. We discover how asking "what is the author doing?" rather than simply "what does this permit?" can radically reshape your interpretation of difficult passages and help you apply Scripture with wisdom and theological integrity.

This article explores how words function as active forces that accomplish purposes beyond merely conveying information, drawing on speech-act theory and Scripture's description of God's word as inherently powerful and generative. We are challenged to reconsider their approach to biblical interpretation and preaching, recognizing that when we speak God's word, we participate in its transformative work rather than simply transferring content.

Jesus' critique of the Pharisees in Matthew 23 reveals a pattern of spiritually abusive leadership that mirrors Pharaoh's oppression of the Israelites - imposing heavy demands while withholding the support needed to meet them. We are challenged to examine whether their own leadership practices create unsustainable expectations around time, resources, and change, and to consider how they might instead become leaders who help rather than burden those in their care.

This article explores how Palm Sunday's triumphant scenes actually reveal Jesus making a deliberate, prophetic claim about his identity through symbolic performance rather than military might. We are challenged to see past the familiar pageantry of the story and recognise how Jesus subversively redefined power itself -fulfilling messianic expectations not through conquest, but through a carefully orchestrated act of humble obedience that his opponents understood all too well.

This article presents a selection of carefully chosen books that will challenge church leaders to deepen their pastoral calling, engage thoughtfully with cultural conversations, and build genuine relationships within their faith communities. These books examine how evangelical culture shapes them, confront complex issues like gender with both biblical conviction and pastoral kindness, and recognise the vital connection between meaningful relationships and church growth.

This article examines the practical considerations behind choosing a Bible translation, particularly the tension between readability and linguistic precision, and the important question of how gendered language in the original texts should be handled in modern English. We are challenged to think carefully about their own translation choices and what trade-offs they're willing to make in pursuit of either word-for-word accuracy or inclusive language that reflects the original intent.

This article examines the strongest theological arguments supporting complementarian positions on gender roles in church and marriage, presenting three biblically-grounded cases that deserve serious consideration in the ongoing debate. The article helps us gain clarity on how complementarians understand creation design, scriptural directives, and practical church function - and may find themselves challenged to engage more thoughtfully with this perspective, even if they ultimately disagree.

This article examines the strongest scriptural and theological foundations supporting egalitarian views on gender roles in church and marriage, including arguments about the image of God in both men and women, the trajectory of biblical liberation, and the practical outworking of Galatians 3:28. We look at how egalitarians interpret key biblical passages and will be challenged to think carefully about how creation theology, redemptive history, and Paul's vision for Christian community shape our understanding of gender and leadership.

In today's fragmented information landscape, church members arrive with theological convictions shaped by countless sources beyond the pulpit - making doctrinal consensus nearly impossible and demanding something more than confrontational correction. This article explores how leaders can shepherd their congregations toward theological understanding through the principles Paul modelled with Timothy: prioritising patience and grace while addressing genuine doctrinal threats, recognising that faith formation is gradual, and remembering that the ultimate aim of correction is love, not uniformity.

This is part of a series of blogs exploring what the Bible teaches about communion.

This is part of a series of blogs exploring what the Bible teaches about communion.

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 5 - Consumerism and 'Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 5 - Consumerism and 'Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 5 - Consumerism and 'Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 4 - Self-Assertion and 'Your Will Be Done'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 3 - Globalism & Nationalism and 'Your Kingdom Come'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 2 - Narcissism and 'Hallowed Be Your Name'

This is part of a series on the Lord's prayer, culture and spiritual warfare in which we look at the subversive prayer that Jesus taught to his disciples and how that prayer engages in the war of ideas with the philosophies that pervade our age. Part 1 - Identity and 'Our Father In Heaven'

As we gathered at church on the first Sunday of November, there was an atmosphere of nervous anticipation. We all had heard the night before that England would be going into a second lockdown for at least 4 weeks. Now we face the uncertainty of when we will be able to meet together in person again. Hopefully it will be just 4 weeks, but we have already been told not to count on it. At times like this it is more important than ever to remember why exactly it is that we meet together as church. For what purpose and for what end?

Jesus taught his disciples an incredibly subversive prayer. Every line of the short prayer that he taught does battle with a different ideological stronghold of our day and carries power in culture creation and in spiritual warfare.

Fairy stories aren't simply an underlying reality pointing to Jesus, but Jesus and the gospel is the underlying reality to which fairy stories point.

In the churches that we lead, Word and Spirit belong together. As we continue planting new churches, we shouldn't assume that this convergence will happen on its own. It is a key value that we should build in from the start.

In this article I want to answer the question that pops into all of our minds at some stage, 'why should I give my money away?' I want to sober us to what money really is and also, with our permission, what power it can have over us.

One of the ways we can evangelise our cities is through the long, hard and yet intimate friendships we have with those who do not yet know God. It is through friendships that we will see people set free and brought into the truth. Friendships are a powerful yet simple way to evangelise, and if ever the world has needed true and honest friendships it's now.

It is through your identity that the world relates to you, and you to the world. The former through outward characteristics that set you apart from the multitude, the latter is entirely inward and relates to your experiences, choices and desires. This second aspect of identity is what this post is discussing. Who you are, your sense of self and value that impacts your daily choices and life trajectory.

Ever since humanity rebelled against God and sin entered creation, there have been two different kingdoms at work in the world. The weeds and the wheat have been growing together, and will continue to do so right until the end of the age, and so those who find their identity in God have been faced with the challenge of living out that identity in a world that has fundamentally different values.

The first line of prayer that Jesus spoke to the disciples was, 'Our father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.' At once Jesus provides our basis to approach God, that He is our intimate Father, and also what His name is due: honour. What Jesus said here immediately is highlighting what our hearts and minds need to know as we enter into prayer. Importantly, note how at this point 'I' isn't in the picture.

Have you ever noticed that Jesus didn't seem all that bothered about inconveniencing other people? Given that he lived the perfect life it can be surprising to see him do things that put other people out, but this is exactly what we see - particularly when it comes to dealing with something that is far more significant than the convenience of his friends - prayer. 

Prayer is of absolute necessity in a church plant. I feel confident enough to say as planters, if you’re not praying than your plant is not and will not be growing. Prayer in a church plant is like water from a watering can on a garden, it’s essential. If prayer isn’t at the core of your plant than your core will crumble. However, if prayer is pursued and applied your plant can produce great fruit according to God’s will. I’d like to share five practicalities I’ve learnt and applied to my own prayers in the hope that they will help propel your plant to where God wants it to go

One of the worst kept secrets in church planting is prayer.  Pretty much every church planter has a instinctive awareness that prayer plays a big part in what they are trying to do, and they devote their time and effort to praying (or if they don't, they probably have a sense deep down that they should).  Put simply, we can make a few key statements about prayer that outline the experiences of many planters in this area. Prayer works. Prayer is crucial. Prayer is hard.

As we read the Bible, we find that revelation is not the only role that words play. Time and again throughout the scriptural story, it would seem that words are also God's chosen mechanism for shaping reality in a more direct way. 

This article explores what it means for Christians to live as "elect exiles" - citizens of heaven living faithfully within earthly cultures that are not truly home. It challenges us to consider how they we authentically influence their communities without being assimilated into worldly values, drawing insight from the Old Testament account of Jewish exiles in Babylon who faced the same tension between maintaining their identity and engaging their context.

The book of Proverbs is a collection of nuggets of wisdom that was compiled around 3000 years ago. In our age, where talk is cheap and social media trolls abound, it is more relevant than ever before. Here are 29 of our faves...

In the case of the resurrection of Jesus, the evidence is clear. There are historical facts that do not lend themselves to any other interpretation (and over the centuries, people have tried all sorts of explanations). When the impossible is eliminated, that which remains, however improbable, must be the truth – Christ is risen indeed.

Often the life of Jesus is ignored. The ancient creeds say that he ‘was born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate’, as though the thirty years in between aren’t worth mentioning (so because you and I were neither born of a virgin nor suffered for the sins of the world, would that make us irrelevant too?). More modern theologians explain that the reason Jesus’ humanity matters is so that he was qualified to die for us. There is truth in this, but the life and humanity of Jesus also matters in its own right.

If Jesus were not divine, he would not be qualified as a saviour (what creature could bear the weight of the sin of the world?). This is well documented, and is often presented as the central consequence of Jesus’ divinity. It is not, however, the only consequence. Here are three more reasons that Jesus’ divinity matters.

The events of Good Friday can be viewed as the darkest and most hopeless day in human history, or they can be seen as the greatest and most glorious thing to have ever happened.

When we think of mission, we can tend to think in a very human-centred way: mission is all about us, as humans, doing God a favour by telling people about him, and by going to other countries to share the gospel. If, however, we understand that the Bible sees this task as part of God’s bigger mission, the way we understand and do mission will change.

Acts is the earliest account we have of the activities of the early Church. It is mainly a description of the missionary activities of the apostles (and particularly Paul from chapter 13 onwards). Looking through the story of Acts will help us understand God’s mission in the early Church.

So far in the Biblical narrative, God’s mission has reached the point where the Messiah of Israel has died for the world’s sins, been raised from the dead, and sent off his followers to be witnesses to these events all the way to the ends of the earth. God’s ultimate mission is to see the world filled with his glory. At the moment, that mission is being accomplished by Christians proclaiming the Gospel and making disciples. As disciples are made, people who have the destiny of being “conformed to the image of [God’s] son” (Romans 8:29) are appearing. The more the image of Christ is seen in believers and the more widespread that image is, the closer the moment when God says: ‘mission accomplished.’ That moment will ultimately be when God recreates or renews heaven and earth and the whole of new creation is saturated with God’s presence (Revelation 21-22 – see below). So what does the New Testament tell us the final steps in God’s mission becoming accomplished will look like?

The story of God’s mission is one continuous story. In the Old Testament, the New Testament and Church History, the mission remains the same – bringing together all of creation with a global community of worshippers under Jesus, to the glory of God the Father. Whilst the mission is unchanged, at different times in history, the way the mission was to be fulfilled has varied. Before the fall, it was through Adam and Eve filling and subduing the earth, with no reference to the redemption of sinners or need for reconciliation with God. For much of the Old Testament, it was through God’s interactions with the nation of Israel, and though there were prophetic exhortations to be a light to the Gentiles, the majority of this season of salvation history was focussed around this one nation. For three years, it focussed around the personal ministry of Christ and his disciples as he preached the kingdom, healed the sick, and freed the oppressed. It was following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ that the mission of the church to the Gentiles took centre stage. The last thing that Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended to heaven re-iterated the mandate for their mission. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

Persecution is normal for Christians. It is easy to be blinded to this reality. In Western nations, Christianity has tended to dominate the cultural agenda since the reformation. This experience can divert our focus from the global, historical, and Biblical reality that persecution is a part of the normal Christian life.

As the church has fought to hold fast to the truth over the last 2,000 years, disagreements about that truth have been commonplace. There are very few theological questions that have not become the subject of debate. Many of these debates arise around secondary issues and are conducted in a gracious and loving fashion, but sometimes battle has raged around key theological issues.

Many of us reading these notes will be Christians with no Jewish background at all, and we easily accept the idea that we are loved by God and accepted solely because of Jesus, with no reference to our cultural or ethnic heritage. However, the idea that non-Jews could become part of God’s people without first becoming Jews was highly controversial for the first Christians, and many of the struggled to understand or believe it. In fact, a fair amount of the New Testament is written to address this exact subject. In this article, we will see why this required such a big change in thinking, and how it has always been God’s intention to have an ethnically and culturally diverse people as his own.

As the sun began to go down over Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples were preparing to eat the traditional Passover meal. Only Jesus knew that this would be the last time all thirteen of them would eat together, and that this Last Supper would mark a decisive break with everything that had gone before, both for their tight-knit discipleship unit, and for the whole world.

Abraham was originally a childless, city-dwelling idol worshipper named Abram in what is now Iraq, yet God chose him to be the father of the Jewish nation, and the defining Old Testament example of faith. God made a covenant (a binding agreement) with him, which went on to shape the whole of the Biblical Story. This covenant was reaffirmed, clarified and expanded on a number of occasions when God met with Abraham. It is often referred to as the Abrahamic Covenant, and is one of the central themes of the whole Bible.

Adam and Jesus had much in common. Neither had a biological father, but rather were the result of the direct action of God. Both came into the world without a sinful nature, and both endured testing and temptation. Both were given authority by God to rule and both had a mission to complete. If the similarities between Adam and Jesus appear stark, the differences are even starker. Adam yielded to the temptation, whereas Jesus overcame it. Adam decided to disobey God in the Garden of Eden, whereas Jesus resolved to obey in the Garden of Gethsemane. Adam went to the tree to sin. Jesus bore sin on the tree. Though their performances were different and the outcomes were polar opposites, Adam and Jesus were the most significant men to ever live because they both occupied the same role – head of humanity.

It is impossible to understand what it means for a Christian to be ‘in Christ’ without first understanding the Trinity. When these truths are discussed in the Bible, there is frequently a link drawn between the relationship that Christ has with a believer and the relation that the Father has with the Son.

A relationship made to last is that of Christ with believers. Christians are described as ‘in Christ’ and it is on this basis that we receive every spiritual blessing that is found in the gospel. It is in Christ that we are blessed, chosen, adopted, redeemed, and sealed (see Ephesians 1:3-14). It is in Christ that we are a new creation (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). We have died with Christ and we have risen again with him.

In a number of different New Testament passages (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Peter 4:7-11), the church is described as a body with Christ as the head. In each case, the point is made that individual members have different gifts and make different contributions, yet the whole church holds together as one.

World peace is God’s idea. God created a world that was ‘very good’. Humanity was given the role of filling the world and subduing it. The idea was to create a global community, living in harmonious relationships akin to those seen in the Trinity (see the article on ‘The Trinity Goes Viral’ for more on this). The world was made for peace, and God has set in motion his purpose to once again bring about a world of peace, promising a day when the nations will, "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

The church is more than a gathering assembled in a public place. Anybody could do that, but it would not make them the church. What defines the church is its relationship to God. Among the metaphors used are a ‘temple of the Holy Spirit’ (Ephesians 2:22), the ‘body of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 12:27), the ‘bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7-9), and the ‘people of God’ (Titus 2:14).

The Trinity is important because God is important. God is Trinity, and so to know God as he is, we must know him as Trinity. Historically, the idea of God being Trinity has been defined by saying that he is ‘One God in Three Persons.’ The Father is a person. The Son is a person. The Spirit is a person. Together they are one God.

One of the most important statements about God in the whole of the Bible is only three words long. “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) This verse doesn’t simply say that God loves or that God is loving, although these things are true. Such a statement would stop short of the point that is being made. Love is not simply something that God does, but something that he is. Love is an intrinsic part of who God is. This is a difficult claim. Indeed, the way many people perceive God, it would be impossible. How could God be love if he had existed for eternity past without anybody to love? Of course, God could begin to love once he had created the world, but this is merely to say that God is loving - when there is an appropriate object, he will show love. It leaves God dependant on his creation in order for him to be a loving God. And yet the Bible says that God is, by definition, love. The answer is, of course, the Trinity. God is three persons who are united together in perfect relationships. ‘God is love’ means that for all eternity past the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit have been loving one another with beautiful, holy, sacrificial love and will continue to do so for all eternity to come. ‘God is love’ is another way of saying ‘God is Trinity’.

God exists as a plurality of persons in loving relationships. He made humanity in his image. By creating people to be ‘male’ and ‘female’, he made distinct persons who could be united in relationship. Humanity was truly made to be like God.

When the angel announced to Mary that, despite being a virgin, she would conceive by the Holy Spirit, he affirmed God’s sovereignty, and Mary responded by gladly submitting to God’s will. “'…For nothing will be impossible with God.’ And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” (Luke 1:37-38) The idea that nothing is impossible for God is right at the heart of God’s sovereignty. He is able to do anything he desires. Nothing is too difficult or impossible for him.

The topic of free will is one that polarises many Bible-believing Christians. Often a subject of late-night theological debate and speculation, two different viewpoints have emerged (with minor variations in each). At the heart of the different views are different understandings of how God’s sovereignty inter-relates with human free will and responsibility. Most people, on both sides of the debate, would affirm that God is sovereign, and that humans are responsible for our actions, and the divergence of views concerns how these two truths hold together, particularly on the issue of salvation.

God is absolutely sovereign. Not a single sparrow falls from the sky nor an electron orbits a nucleus without his knowledge and his providence. He upholds all things. He is in control of all things. When challenging the idolatry of Israel, God pointed out that what differentiates him from their idols is that before anything started, God has already declared how it would end. “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done.” (Isaiah 46:9-10) God knows the future, surely and certainly. He is already there and He is already at work. The consequence of this is that whenever God says something about the future, he is right and is telling the truth. We can’t know everything about the future, but whatever God has said about the future we can believe with certainty.

Whilst we cannot know God fully, we can know Him truly. That is, all that Scripture tells us about God is true: He is Love (1 John 4:8), He is light (1 John 1:5), He is just (Rom 3:26), and so on. But to claim such things does not mean that we can grasp the full extent of his love, light, or justice.

Deuteronomy 6:4 is arguably one of the most important verses in the Old Testament. It is known as the Shema or Shema Yisrael, named after its opening words in Hebrew. It is the first prayer Jewish children are taught to pray, and is typically the last utterance a Jewish person would want on their lips as they depart from this world. In many ways it sums up the heart of Jewish Monotheism: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4) This prayer is simple but devastating, insomuch as it posed a significant challenge to many of the dominant views in the Ancient World.

According to A.W. Tozer,  “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us... The history of mankind will probably show that no people has ever risen above its religion, and man's spiritual history will positively demonstrate that no religion has ever been greater than its idea of God. Worship is pure or base as the worshipper entertains high or low thoughts of God." (A.W. Tozer) This claim is not overstated. Our understanding and experience of God’s character shapes every area of our lives. It is not an isolated belief, but rather the central axiom on which our own character, our worship, our prayer, our decision making, our relationships, and every other area of our lives are built.

In Psalm 27, David provides his answer to both of these questions. “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4) David’s ‘one thing’ would not come as a surprise to many of us. Above all else, he wants God. What may be more surprising is the way that David has linked this desire to his ‘one place’: The Temple. It seems like David wants to be in God’s presence, and he sees being in the Temple as the way to accomplish this.

God is omnipresent. This means that he is always present in every place. Omnipresence is part of what it means for God to be God. God’s omnipresence is affirmed in Psalm 139, “Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.” (Psalm 139: 7-10) and in Jeremiah, “'Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him?' declares the Lord. 'Do I not fill heaven and earth?' declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:24) God’s omnipresence raises a question about what we mean when we talk about the presence of God. How can we talk about being in the presence of God when we are all in God’s presence all the time?

There are many different ways that people respond to the presence of God, Foremost amongst them is joy. According to Psalm 16, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11).

It has been said that there is no such thing as a stupid question, but I don’t think that is true. Over the years, I have been asked some excellent questions about my faith in Jesus. But I have also been asked questions that have been designed more to provoke than to enquire, more to trap than to seek. For many Christians, the way we engage with difficult questions is one of the biggest challenges we face as we represent Jesus in the world. I believe that we can learn a lot from Jesus himself in this regard.

On a recent Theology Broadcast, I was asked this question: “Why did Jesus say that when men blaspheme against him they will be forgiven but when they do so against the Holy Spirit they are not?” My answer had two parts to it. I don't know. (Even if I say so myself, this was a great answer and one that we could all do with using a bit more). I will find out.​ Having read around the subject a bit, this is what I have learned.

Not the gospel itself, nor even the word ‘gospel’, but the way people use it as a prefix for everything these days.

David and Goliath is not the story of an underdog overcoming impossible odds. Everybody knew David was going to win. Or at least they should have done.

People can go to great lengths to keep the promises that we make. What promises has God given you?

Because of Jesus' death and resurrection...

In Numbers 13, a group of 12 spies are given a mission to infiltrate an enemy land. The mission parameters are very precise. They are to bring back some fruit and answer a list of specific questions:

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. But that's not the point.

There is a parable in Matthew 13 about a man who finds treasure in a field, and sells all that he has to buy it. We are often told that Jesus is the treasure.

Often, accountability groups do more harm than good. I have some very good experiences of them. I also have bad experiences.

We all know what it is like to have a heart to please God, but to find ourselves consistently doing the opposite. The question we must ask is whether it has to be that way. I believe the answer is no.

The parable of the prodigal son is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. A sinful young man comes home to a merciful Father.

My sin no longer defines me. For sure, there are still struggles and still temptations, but the gospel assures me that when I give in to temptation, the sin I commit doesn’t define me; it is not a label I wear. I am no longer a sinner.

Have you ever wondered how much can be done without the Holy Spirit? The answer is more than you would expect.