Dr Paul Allen

Before the fifth century dawned, Christians had discussed the freedom of the human will in the context of their long-standing dispute with paganism and gnosticism. Embedded within paganism was the widespread belief in astrology, and astrology taught a doctrine of fate—that individual destiny is controlled by the planets and stars.  Christian thinkers fought against this “astral determinism” by stressing God-given human dignity and freedom. Humans are responsible before God for their own choices and destinies; these are not forced on us by the despotism of fate or the power of the stars. There was a similar issue with gnosticism. A strong vein of gnostic teaching held that only a special class of humans, the “pneumatics” (spiritual ones), had it within them to be saved. The rest of humanity, and even the pneumatics before their gnostic illumination, were compelled to sin by their fleshly natures, despite their rational wills. Gnostics considered matter the wellspring of all evil; fu...

The question of free will has plagued the minds of philosophers, theologians, and ordinary people for millennia. The debate over what free will is and whether we as humans possess such a trait has not abated. If anything, it has increased in recent years. But what does the Bible say?  Can we find any help in God’s Word to answer the question of what it means to freely choose our actions and to be responsible for them? Since the time of the Reformation, the two basic answers that Christians have provided to this question have primarily centred on the theological legacies of Calvinism and Arminianism. The view of free agency associated with Calvinism is called compatibilism. The view advanced by Arminians and others, known as free-will theists, is called libertarian free will. Proponents of libertarian free will offer two planks to their definition of free will. First, for any choice to be truly free, it must be sufficiently unmoored from the constraints of outside causal forces. Tha...

God’s love for us in Christ upends our whole lives in the best way. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14–15 that: The love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. The gospel of Jesus is so powerful that it disrupts our former pursuits in life, which include glorifying and enjoying ourselves, as well as building our own personal kingdoms. As Charles Wesley’s great hymn expresses: Did he die for me, who caused his pain? For me, who pursued him to death? Amazing love! How can it be That thou, my God, shouldst die for me? This amazing love causes us to love God in return (1 John 4:19). It compels us to live no longer for ourselves but for Christ, who died for our sake and was raised. God’s love for us is so precious that we hold it as “better than life” (Ps. 63:3; see Acts 20:24). In the w...

Church history teaches us that conflict in church life is a reality. The disciples of Jesus disagreed with each other; the early church was fraught with division, and disunity has continued to be a recurring issue ever since. From petty controversies to serious errors, conflict is a regular feature of church life. While moral failings and heresy require church discipline (Matt. 18:15–17), how are we to tolerate differences over minor matters that do not warrant church discipline? We can learn a great deal from Paul in his letter to the Philippians on this issue. Rather than exposing the specifics of the controversy between Euodia and Syntyche, Paul winsomely reminds them of who they are before helping them resolve their disagreement. Remember That You Are Beloved of God Paul’s language in Philippians 4:1 is striking. He addresses the church at Philippi as “my brothers,” “whom I love” and “long for” and are “my joy and crown” who are “my beloved.” With candour, he reveals his heartfelt ...

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5:24–25) If we walk by the Spirit, if we are willing to forgo what we’ve come to rely on for comfort—and willing, for a time, to experience the discomfort that happens in the letting-go process—our cravings to indulge will diminish. The Spirit leads us out of ourselves so that we are no longer preoccupied with how we feel, what we want, and what we think we need, and as we grow, we begin to see that self-preoccupation is what imprisoned us all along. As we walk by the Spirit, we are led away from ourselves and directed toward Christ. We become increasingly preoccupied with him. In the process, we come to look more like him. We reflect not the consequences of self-indulgence but the fruit of self-control, along with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness (Gal. 5:22–23). Paul concludes ...

I n the spring of 1992, after the former Soviet Union had been dissolved, then-Russian Ambassador Vladimir Lukin asked American Robert Gates, “So when are we going to get together and make some new rules for spying on each other?” What is true of the CIA and other intelligence groups is openly admitted (the lack of trust), but what is not as openly admitted is that these problems also exist in people’s personal lives. The sad reality of living in a sinful world is that most people are usually untrustworthy and unfaithful. It is difficult to find someone faithful, one who tells the truth and is trustworthy. While that is the unfortunate reality of the world, the church is called to be different. The world is characterized by unfaithfulness and deception. However, God’s people are called to faithfulness without compromise. To help us understand what it means to be faithful and what this work of the Spirit looks like in our lives, there are three questions to help us gain a deeper underst...

“This is the conflicted experience of all believers of all times and in all places.” —Abraham Kuruvilla. Every Christian is like Spider-Man.  Not because we shoot webs, but because we live with a fundamental identity crisis. We've been supernaturally transformed—united with Christ in baptism—yet we still struggle with the same old problems. Why it matters:  The gap between our new identity in Christ and our ongoing battle with sin creates confusion and discouragement. Understanding how sanctification actually works is crucial for faithful Christian living. Here's the sanctification tension: We've been genuinely cured.  Union with Christ in baptism is a real, completed work of God. We're no longer under sin's ultimate authority or the law's condemnation. Christ took on that condemnation—death—so we're freed from both sin and the law's condemning power. But we still experience the effects.  Even though we're united with Christ, sin still "has its ...

On August 20, 636, the most consequential battle in world history took place: the Battle of Yarmuk. Not only did it decide whether the Arabian creed would thrive or die, it became a source of inspiration and instruction for jihadists throughout the centuries — right down to the Islamic State, or “ISIS.” Yet very few in the West are even aware of this battle, much less its influence on modern jihad. The story begins with the Prophet of Islam. In 632, Muhammad died, having united the Arabs under Islam. Afterwards, some tribes refused to pay taxes, or zakat, to the caliph Abu Bakr. Branding them apostates, the caliph launched the Ridda (“apostasy”) Wars, in which tens of thousands were beheaded, crucified, or burned alive. By 633, these wars ended, and in 634, Abu Bakr died. It fell to the second caliph, Omar bin al-Khattab (r. 634–44), to direct the united Arabs against “the infidel.” Thousands of Arabs quickly flooded into Christian Syria, slaughtering and plundering in the name of jiha...

Dear Christian, what do you hope for at the hour of death? Is it not to hear from the Lord Jesus Christ, “Well done, good and faithful servant”? We find this sweet phrase in the parable of the talents (Matt. 25:14–30). Our Lord associates it with a Christian’s faithful stewardship of his God-assigned abilities, capacities, and opportunities. This article will discuss the stewarding of our talents—those natural abilities and that spiritual giftedness that God uniquely entrusts to us. For starters, our talents do not come from us but to us. “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Evidence of our talents should awaken gratitude, not pride. Sobriety is also warranted: To whom much is given, much is required (Luke 12:48). We are but servants—stewards—who will have to give an account. Our natural talents and spiritual gifts are to be employed for the advance of the gospel and for the good of others in ...