Dr Paul Allen

For you know that it was not with incorruptible perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors. ( 1 Peter 1:18 ) Not all the wealth of the world can redeem a single soul, for gold and silver are merely corruptible elements in a world under “the bondage of corruption” ( Romans 8:21 ). Everything in the physical creation is decaying and dying . In fact, one day all these “elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” ( 2 Peter 3:10 ). Even the very seeds that transmit life are “corruptible seed” ( 1 Peter 1:23 ), and all mankind is “corruptible man” ( Romans 1:23 ). Modern science recognizes this universal principle of decay as one of its most basic laws—the law of increasing entropy. Even in this corruptible world, however, some things are incorruptible. There is the “incorruptible . . . word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” ( 1 Pe...

It is virtually impossible to exaggerate the importance of love. Nothing is more basic to true spirituality than this singular virtue. Nothing is more central to Christian living. At the very heart of authentic discipleship is love. Without love, we are nothing. When Jesus was asked, “Which is the great commandment in the Law?” (Matt.  22:36 ), He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (v. 37). Christ then added a second commandment that follows directly from the first: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 39).  In this, Jesus asserted that our love for one another is the identifying badge of discipleship (John  13:35 ). The Apostle Paul further maintained that such love is the fulfillment of the Law (Gal.  5:14 ). That is to say, love meets every requirement of the divine standard. It is a debt that can never be repaid, so love must be given continually (Rom. 13:8). In ...

I’m guessing that, as you read this, several things are demanding your attention. Since sitting down to type this article, my email reported two new messages, my phone alerted me to a new text, and Spotify just finished its third consecutive commercial — and I’m only finishing the second paragraph! Times are few and far between when we are completely undistracted. And distractions do not stay in the car when we enter into church on a Sunday morning. We arrive with the intent to worship Jesus with focus. But the burdens of our week, the tensions of our morning, the children by our side, the anxiety of our upcoming schedule, and the wandering of our thoughts all conspire to distract us. Blame It on Technology? Because temptations toward distractions often arrive through our devices, distraction can feel like a new problem unique to our current technological age. But that reaction concedes defeat too easily. If distraction is technology’s fault, then we have no way to es...

Christians are not to judge other Christians. And Christians are to judge other Christians. That’s what the Bible teaches. In fact, the apostle Paul says both things in the same letter just a few paragraphs apart. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God . ( 1 Corinthians 4:5) Don’t judge other Christians. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? (1 Corinthians 5:12) Judge other Christians. Is Paul contradicting himself? No. Paul is simply instructing us that there are things we must not judge and things we must judge. What We Must Not Judge We must not judge “the hidden . . . purposes of the heart” of other Christians based on their decisions, actions, perspectives, words, or personality that concern us  i...

So let’s recap. First, we introduced the topic and gave a broad look at the categories of women in churches that have concerns about modesty (or a total lack thereof).  In then, we looked at the biblical terminology from 1 Cor   12:23  and 1 Tim. 2:9.  I only did that because the verses with the term “modesty” in them are  generally  the passages that people talk about when the topic comes up. Then, I brought up the  myth  that gold, braided hair was the mark of a prostitute in ancient Roman culture . Finally, we looked at the  actual  mark of a prostitute in ancient Roman culture; wearing the male Toga (often made out of thin, revealing Coan silk).  Then we looked at what gold, braided hair indicated in ancient Roman culture; wealth and status. Now, we're going to take a quick look at the  other  significant biblical text that addresses modesty.  This whole series would be incomplete without addres...

It’s hard to disconnect our experience of God from our experience of the church — and that’s how it’s supposed to be. That’s why God hates the abuse of power in the church, which says, “God is an abuser” ( Psalm 94:16). That’s why God hates the neglect of the powerless, which says, “God neglects the powerless” ( Isaiah   1:17 ). That’s why God hates the worship of one gift over another, which says, “God plays favorites.” The power that the church has to sear impressions of God onto peoples’ souls is awesome and awful. For those who find their faith mangled in a head-on collision with the church, like a totaled car on the highway, what is the way forward? In between “I guess I’ll just wait things out” and “I’m leaving for good” are five realities that frame our wounds , bring them into a better light, and help us take the next steps. Every Community Wounds Itself It has become increasingly popular to tear the church apart for bearing characteristics that are simply ...

This side of heaven, we Christians are pilgrims — but not aimless ones. As runaway slaves looked to the night sky and followed the drinking gourd, so we look to Jesus , our true north, and travel toward him on our journey home. And this is vital, though often overlooked, in our war against sin. The idea of  fleeing  immorality is certainly a biblical one. Joseph fled the advances of another man’s wife, and the apostle encouraged his protégé, “Flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” ( 2 Timothy 2:22). But as Christians, our retreating from sin is  not  a retreating from war. Our flight from sin is as purposeful as it is active — like Tolkien’s depiction of Helm’s Deep in  The Two Towers . An impregnable fortress stood in a large valley in the northwest of the White Mountains . It became salvation for the army of Rohan and all who would dwell within its walls. ...