Dr Paul Allen

Jesus’s parable about servants investing money wisely, more popularly known as the parable of the talents (Matt 25:14), has generated many interpretations. These include: Instruction on using our “talents” (i.e., our innate skills or aptitudes) A moral tale on the value of work Sage advice for financial investment Yet Matthew presents the parable as a kingdom parable (cf. 25:1). He means it to inspire our imagination about God’s realm, not our own. If we listen closely to the parable, we can even glimpse what God is like. But this will mean taking seriously that Jesus is crafting a parable, not drawing a blueprint. The parable of the talents as eschatological discourse Matthew records a series of Jesus’s parables in what has been called the Eschatological Discourse (see Matt 24–25). The parable of the talents is the fourth of five parables that run from 24:43 to 25:46, each increasing in length and complexity. These five parables point ahead to Jesus’s return (παρουσία; see 24:37, 39) ...

John the Evangelist likely aims to present John the Baptist as announcing the fulfilment of passages like Isaiah 8:20–9:2. In this scripture, “gloom of anguish” and “thick darkness” (Isa. 8:22) symbolise the curse of the covenant and exile from the land, while “dawn” (Isa. 8:20), which makes “glorious the way of the sea” (Isa. 9:1), and “great light” (Isa. 9:2) all symbolise what God will accomplish for his people during the new exodus and their return from exile.  The light to which the Baptist testifies is, therefore, the hope of Israel for the glorious eschatological restoration God promised his people through the prophets. John bears witness to the light—how Jesus will bring the dawn of salvation—“that all might believe through him” (John 1:7). John testifies to the fulfilment of the Old Testament promises in Jesus, and the response he seeks from his testimony is belief—faith. To prevent anyone from being distracted by the extraordinary stature of the prophet sent from God or t...

When multiple independent sources agree on the key contours of a story, it is worth considering the possibility that the narrative they share is credible. That is especially true when this shared story includes details that do not place the storyteller in the best light. So, what does all of this have to do with whether or not the resurrection really happened? Multiple independent sources agree on the same general sequence of events regarding the story of Jesus's resurrection. Every retelling of the resurrection mentions that Jesus died, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day, and that he appeared to specific individuals and groups. All four New Testament Gospels and a later independent retelling of the resurrection preserved in the manuscript Papyrus Cairo 10759 identify Mary Magdalene as the first witness at the empty tomb. When it comes to when and how Jesus died, the eminent Roman historian Tacitus agrees with the Gospel writers that Jesus was crucified in Jude...

Romans 12:11 Not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Spiritual erosion happens slowly but surely, like water cutting a channel through rock. By mid-thirties, the believer who started out with zeal in adolescence is on the verge of complacency. The heart once stirred by the Scriptures is now indifferent to them. Such decline happens so subtly that you are often unaware of its deadly work. It usually comes through these almost imperceptible means: A gradual shift from devotion to performance . Christ commended the church at Ephesus for their ceaseless labour but admonished them for neglecting their “first love” (Rev. 2:4 NASB). Spiritual attrition is inevitable when your passion for Christ becomes secondary to your deeds. A gradual change from commitment to convenience. Faithfulness in little things is the stuff disciples are made of. When your relationship with Christ is structured to fit into your tidy agenda, spiritual decline sets in. Christ demands your all—b...

With the recent apostasy of Kanye West, the issue of celebrity Christians has once again surfaced. In addition to Kanye West’s high-profile religious rise and fall, we might think of Russell Brand’s recent profession of faith.  Brand has been vocal on social media, extolling Jesus and the gospel, although at times, he has said and done things that leave believers scratching their heads, not quite sure how they fit with his claim to be saved. We have seen an exponential increase in amateur and professional athletes publicly thanking Christ after competitions. How should Christians respond when a celebrity publicly embraces Christ? Two responses often prevail when celebrities claim to have been converted to Christianity. On one end, we have people who excitedly embrace them, platform them, and treat them as de facto religious leaders.  They see these celebrities as great spokespeople for Christ and the Christian faith. Having such cultural influencers on the side of truth will r...

Thus the LORD used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. When Moses returned to the camp, his assistant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, would not depart from the tent. (Ex. 33:11) Moses is unique in the history of redemption. God spoke directly and intimately with him. He was a prophet and an intercessor, speaking God’s words to the nation and speaking to God on behalf of the nation. Moses was the covenant mediator. He also played a special role in pointing to the coming One, who would be a prophet like himself (Deut. 18:15–19). In Exodus 33, Moses continues to intercede for the wayward Israelites. His intercession had spared them previously, and now Moses intercedes once more. Although stubborn, this people belongs to the Lord. They need more than deliverance from judgment. Moses knows that God himself must accompany the people. God’s covenant presence must be what distinguishes them from all other people on the face of the earth. Moses appeals to the favo...

  Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning, I saw seven golden lampstands, and amid the lampstands, one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and a golden sash around his chest. (Rev. 1:12–13)  John saw Jesus “amid the lampstands.” Much of the imagery in Revelation is challenging to understand, but we don’t have to wonder what these lampstands represent. Later in this first chapter, we are told that the lampstands represent the churches (1:20). When John turned to see the voice speaking to him, the first thing that caught his attention was Jesus standing among his people. Were these early Christians wondering if the church would be snuffed out as persecution increased? When they gathered to hear this letter read to them, it must have provided deep encouragement to see that Jesus was not standing off at a distance while his followers suffered for him. He was right there with them, walking in the midst of them, keeping their fire for the gospe...

“It’s a Christmas miracle!” This exclamation permeates the holiday season from Hollywood to New York City and everywhere in between. While pop culture’s use of this phrase ranges from humorous to heartwarming, the true miracle of Christmas often goes overlooked.  The Incarnation of the Son of God surpasses every miracle that has or will ever occur. It defies human comprehension in a way no other miracle can Because of its profundity, many Christians fail to appreciate how magnificent this miracle truly is, leading to a defective view of what it means that the Word became flesh.  As we celebrate this miraculous event in just a few short days, let’s reflect on the true meaning of the Son of God becoming the Son of Man. One way to improve our understanding of this significant biblical teaching is by refuting what it does not mean. Throughout church history, many errors have arisen regarding the Incarnation. The first error is believing that the Incarnation is the birth of the fir...

“And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger because there was no place for them in the inn.” – Luke 2:7 When I became a Christian, I learned that we really do not know when Jesus was born.  The Bible does not clearly tell us when Jesus was born. In Luke 2, the birth story of Jesus simply says that, at the time of Jesus’ birth, the flocks were in the fields. This likely means that Jesus was not born in December. Why?  That time of year experiences a lot of rain and cold, which would cause a shepherd to keep their flock safe and warm and not roaming in the open fields. Those who defend the Christmas date as the potential time of Jesus’ birth respond by saying there are often weeks during the winter when the weather warms up and allows sheep to roam freely in the fields.  Arguments against Jesus being born in December are many. One, during the winter months, many roads are impassable, which would mean that the governm...

What does this Prophecy mean today? One of the most well-known prophecies about the birth of Christ is Isaiah 9:6, which says,  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  We read this on Christmas cards and holiday signs, but what does it mean? The original context of this promise in Isaiah helps us. Isaiah answers three questions about this child who will be born. What He Brings First, what will he bring? Along with the arrival of this child, Isaiah promises that God will bring three gifts. The first is joy.  Isaiah 9:1 says, “But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.”  These are the northern parts...

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” has been seen countless times on three continents by Polish grandparents and Japanese schoolchildren. It remains evergreen and universal — just like the Saviour Linus describes in his simple recitation of the Nativity as it appears in Luke’s Gospel.  However, that citing of Scripture did not easily pass the cynicism and cowardly cultural gatekeepers of American network television when Charles Schulz and his production team offered the first of what became many Peanuts specials to CBS executives in December of 1965.  In fact, even before those suits tried to remove mentioning Christ from this Christmas show, Schulz’s two partners in the venture, Lee Mendelson and Bill Melendez, advised him to take the Gospel passage out of Linus’ mouth.  As one of those executives said, “The Bible thing scares us.” The Peanuts creator’s response spoke volumes: “If we don’t do it, who will?”  The fact that any mention of Jesus over the public airwaves was co...

Jesus didn’t say, “I am finished.” He said, “It is finished.” Why? Because He was just getting started. It’s a solid reminder about the meaning of our Savior’s last words on the Cross. The work of His walk may have ended on Earth, but Jesus’ steps would continue into perpetuity. Another reason the reminder needs to be bookmarked for many believers is that sometimes, people misquote the Bible–unintentionally or manipulatively. Inside the numbers of the Bible, there are: 66 books 1,189 chapters 3,294 questions 6,468 commands 8,810 promises 31,102 verses And depending on the version you read, there are over 783,000 words What do all those numbers have in common? Every word connected to a number has been misquoted, ignored, misappropriated, taken out of context, misunderstood, twisted into a pretzel, or flat-out put into a lie at some point in history. It’s crucial to understand the sacred words in the Bible. According to theologians, only 1,500 to 2,000 words in the New Testament can be a...

On its own, it’s hard to make sense of Jesus’ eye-lamp metaphor. However, the ambiguity fades when our interpretation of “the eye is the lamp of the body” involves reading Jesus’ words in context. He’s using imagery from the Hebrew Bible to say that one's spiritual health can be assessed in part by observing the way one uses material possessions. First, this single sentence belongs to a large body of teaching found in Matthew 5-7, known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus talks about the body’s eye-lamp in a section of the sermon that focuses on the dangers involved with wealth. This context helps us see that his metaphor specifically speaks to our relationship with money and possessions. Second, as a Jewish teacher, Jesus appeals to common idioms in the Hebrew Bible. Seeing how biblical authors use the metaphorical language of “light-filled” versus “dim” eyes—or “good” versus “bad” eyes—can help us gain a deeper understanding of Jesus’ intended message. For Jesus, the eye becomes an...