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But what does it mean for the violent to take the reign of God (the kingdom) by force? This question has vexed modern NT scholars for generations. Prof. George Eldon Ladd omitted this text in his book "Jesus and the Kingdom."

The best evidence for the truth of Christianity is not the testimonial evidence for Gospel miracles or Jesus' resurrection; it is the supernatural move of the Spirit is the great historic revivals. I say this because in the First and Second Great Awakenings and in the Welsh and Hebrides...

On what basis do you read that interpretation into the mystical coming of God's kingdom, which by implication is previously absent?

No, Paul labels joy and peace "fruit of the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-23), but he teaches that the kingdom of God depends on "power (q Cprinthians 4:20)," conceived in terms of "miracles" (so Galatians 3:3-5) and an evidential "demonstration" of that "power" (1 Cprinthians 4:19-20).

Marks, Please explain your alleged parallelisms. For example, how is Christ's word to Ananias explain the expression "I complete in my own body what is lacking or deficient in the sufferings of Christ for His body, the church? In what sense is Christ's suffering "lacking" or "defeicient?" And...

Neither do Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. Millions of Mormons have prayer this prayer and felt an inner witness that the Holy Spirit has confirmed their faith in the Book of Mormon. Your subjective faith is trapped on the same level. Thinking people rightly need evidence for faith. “And when...

Jesus, like Paul, refutes your false alternatives: "But if you do not, then believe me because of the works (miracles) themselves (John 14:11)."

Your politically correct response ignores the apparent implication that God is the actual (not just the theoretical) Savior of unbelievers as well. Also how can God be the Savior of all unbelievers if only the foreordained elect are saved? This text does not yield its meaning as easily as you...

Windmillcharge :"Everyone focus's in on power, but read the chapter, read the book, Paul is not focused on power but on the practical outworking of love." Your response nicely illustrates the wisdom of scholar B. F. Wescott's famous words: "The simple Gospel is no so simple as the simple would...

This thread is intended to draw attention to the elusive meaning of several ambiguous but spiritually important biblical texts. Please make your case for your interpretation, resisting the temptation to pontificate without evidence on what you think the text should mean. Let me begin the...

As good academic commentaries on the Fourth Gospel point out, Jesus' theology of Eucharist refutes the notion that consumption of Communion bread and wine is a merely symbolic act: "For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink (John 6:55)." Here Jesus offends His disciples by teaching...

atpollard: "However, your response speaks volumes about you and I simply don’t care what you have to say any longer." Your ostrich approach the truth is giggle worthy. I dare you to start a new thread on Johannine authorship of the Fourth Gospel. You are obviously terrified of confronting the...

atpollard: "What a coincidence! I have a full copy of MY Gospel and all of my Letters to the Church available online, too. Is that enough to prove that I am the Apostle John? :)" Hardly, because you are apparently ignorant of the scholarly consensus that the Apostle John is not the author of...

1 Corinthians 4:19-20 may be the most important of the neglected texts on spirituality: "I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and will find out not the [God] talk of these arrogant people but their power. For the kingdom of God depends not on [God] talk but on power." Notice what...

Not right now! Just returned from a 16 day cruise from near the top of the Mississippi to the bottom (New Orleans) on the world's largest paddlewheel steamship (The American Queen). Loved the nightly Broadway caliber shows, the seafood, (grouper, walleye, bass, rainbow trout, redfish, salmon...

atpollard: "...I would prefer to pass on repeating the same old “proof texts”, arguments and counter arguments and approach this from a less travelled direction. Total Inability, the “T” in TULIP, has its roots in the “Adamic curse” and “original sin” and our “sin nature” … and the disagreement...

A few years ago, JM became the pastor of a TULIP church in our small city. I got to know Jeff through our local ministerial association. JM soon saw through a fatal flaw in the TULIP position and found himself in a faith crisis that jeopardized the future of his own ministry and the wellbeing...

Enoch: "Since you identify yourself as a Christian you should not even be asking such questions." First, as my post makes clear, I am addressing the objections of many "honest seekers" to the intellectual merits of the Christian faith. I care about their salvation, to which the closed-minded...

I commend Deborah for posing the one question that prompts so many honest seekers to reject the Christian faith. For me, the OP's question needs to be reformulated as these 4 basic questions: (1) How can anyone's death, even the death of God's Son, possibly have anything to do with my guilt...

(1) The greatest problem with the subject of spiritual maturation is this: in the churches I pastored there were so many sweet souls who loved church and worship, but were so intellectually limited that they would have no hope of passing a quiz on the basics of the Gospel, though they would be...