Dr Paul Allen

Many Christians believe that for faith to be authentic, it must be free from any doubt. While this may be an ideal, it’s far from realistic. Many characters in God’s Word—including Abraham and John the Baptist —experienced episodes of doubt. Though hopefully such experiences are the exception rather than the norm, the truth is, most Christians occasionally struggle with doubt—even apologists . So what is the proper relationship between faith and doubt in the lives of believers? To even come close to answering that question, we must confront an even more fundamental issue. Do we have to prove Christianity beyond a reasonable doubt? Dr. Mike Licona has grappled with such questions for years. This has led him to dispel  claims about contradictions in the Gospels and, most notably, look to the resurrection of Jesus as a litmus test for the truth of Christianity. Christians claim that the resurrection of Jesus was a historical event with theological implications. If Jesus rose from

English: Icon of Jesus Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh , justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles , believed on in the world, received up into glory.” ( 1 Timothy 3:16 ) One of the specific reasons Paul wrote this letter to Timothy is contained in our text. The church is to guard and declare the “mystery of godliness.” A “mystery” in Scripture is something which was previously hidden, but which is now revealed. Here the mystery is the blessed truth that God is in the business of producing godliness in the lives of men and women; in this context, it is through the work of the church (v. 15). This ministry of the church in proclaiming this mystery was augmented by a doctrinal confession, or hymn, which was presented in: “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit.” “The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us” ( John 1:14 ), and was “declared to be th

Icon of Jesus being led to Golgotha, 16th century, Theophanes the Cretan (Stavronikita Monastery, Mount Athos). (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani ? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"(Matt. 27:46, KJV ). It is noon, and Jesus has been on the cross for three pain-filled hours. Suddenly, darkness falls on Calvary and "over all the land" (v. 45). By a miraculous act of Almighty God , midday becomes midnight. This supernatural darkness is a symbol of God's judgment on sin. The physical darkness signals a deeper and more fearsome darkness. The great High Priest enters Golgotha 's Holy of Holies without friends or enemies. The Son of God is alone on the cross for three final hours, enduring what defies our imagination. Experiencing the full brunt of His Father's wrath, Jesus cannot stay silent. He cries out: "My God, my God, why hast thou fo

English: A Russian Orthodox priest, parents, godparents and a baptized baby (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) As the pastor I frequently encounter this recurring couplet of questions posed by prospective members: “Since I was baptized as an infant, and then later (in my denomination’s confirmation ceremony) confirmed publically that I trust Jesus as my Lord and Savior, why do you believe I should be re-baptized? Is this re-baptism not a renouncing of my previous confirmation ceremony, which to me was a precious and public expression of my personal trust in Jesus?” Here is the essence of a letter I recently wrote to answer the question. Let’s call the inquirer something that rhymes with dunking. Dear Person, Your questions are good and show a commendable desire to reconcile what you have been taught with what you are learning now. Here are four handrails for our thoughts to grip as we wade through the issue. 1. Reasons for infant baptism. Most Christians in our country were baptized as

To answer our question from a historical standpoint, we must first determine what facts concerning the fate of Jesus of Nazareth can be credibly established on the basis of the evidence and second consider what the best explanation of those facts is. At least four facts about the fate of the historical Jesus are widely accepted by NT historians today. Fact 1: After His crucifixion, Jesus was buried by Joseph of Arimathea in a tomb. This fact is highly significant because it means that the location of Jesus’ tomb was known in Jerusalem to Jews and Christians alike. New Testament scholars have established the fact of Jesus’ entombment on the basis of evidence such as the following:    Jesus’ burial is attested in the information (from before A.D. 36) that was handed on by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:3–5.    The burial story is independently attested in the source material that was used by Mark in writing his Gospel.     Given the understandable hostility in the early Christ

THE oldest known fragment of a Christian gospel may have been found glued inside an Egyptian mummy ’s mask. Experts believe it dates from just 60 years after Christ ’s death. Biblical scholars say the scrap of papyrus they have recovered may contain part of the Gospel of Mark and dates from about 90AD. The words it contains are yet to be published. The oldest confirmed gospel texts date from the second century. LiveScience reports  the fragment’s discovery comes from a controversial technique which destroys “papier-mache” Egyptian death masks in an effort to unravel the “waste” papyrus sheets and linen used in their construction. The documents recovered from several such masks are due to be published later this year. The ancient Egyptian practice of mummification survived well into the Roman era , but few could afford the rich gold and lapis lazuli of the Pharaohs. Those on a budget who still wanted to preserve their bodies for eternity settled for the best

English: Annunciation by Guido Reni (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Extraordinary births are certainly not unprecedented in biblical history. As part of the Abrahamic Covenant , God promised to send a son to Abraham and Sarah (Gen. 17:19–22). They were both beyond normal childbearing ages and laughed at the prospect of being parents, yet they ultimately witnessed the miraculous arrival of their son, Isaac (Gen. 21:1–3). In Judges 13, an angel of the Lord told Manoah and his barren wife that they would have a special son. True to the heavenly messenger’s words, Samson entered the world and for a time delivered the Israelites from the oppression of the Philistines. Samuel, the first prophet, final judge, and anointer of kings, also demonstrated in his birth the providential power of God. He was the answer to the faithful, persevering prayers of his godly mother, Hannah, who had remained childless until then. John the Baptist ’s mother, Elizabeth, was also unable to have children unti