Dr Paul Allen

The Holy Spirit Enlightening the Mind BY JAMES BUCHANAN Having considered the general design of the gift of the Spirit, in reference both to the world and the Church, and described the course or process by which a soul is translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s dear Son, I propose to illustrate separately the various parts of the Spirit’s work, or his successive operations on the soul, from the time when it is first taken under his teaching, till it is made ‘meet for the inheritance of the saints in light.’ One of his most necessary operations is that by which he conveys spiritual light into the understanding; and to this part of his work, which is indeed so important, that it is often put for the whole, the apostle refers, when, speaking of the Holy Ghost as ‘the Spirit of wisdom and revelation,’ he prays that by the Spirit ‘the eyes of our understanding may be enlightened’ (Eph. i. 17, 18), and when he describes true converts as having had their eyes opened,...

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. (Heb. 10:12) Where is Jesus now? The question of Jesus’s present location is a valid one because of what we have already learned about his humanity (Jesus has a risen and glorified human body that he will keep forever). So Jesus is literally in a place right now; in his physical human body, he exists somewhere. But where? The Bible is clear that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven (Heb. 10:12; 12:2). Heaven is indeed a place, even though it is invisible to us. The Hebrews 10 passage makes clear that this is where Jesus is even now. What is Jesus doing now? As Jesus sits in heaven at God’s right hand, what is his current role? First, Jesus is mediating for us before the throne of God. The Bible tells us that Jesus is a mediator. He was a mediator when he died on the cross to bridge the gap between sinners and the holy God. But he continues to be a media...

What happened to the ark of the covenant? There are theories galore. Here’s a quick rundown.  Let’s start with Egypt. After Solomon died, his son Rehoboam became king, and Pharaoh Shishak invaded Jerusalem. He carried off treasures from the temple (1 Kings 14). That theory, of course, lies behind Raiders of the Lost Ark. Others think that when King Jehoash from the northern kingdom invaded Jerusalem and plundered the temple treasury, he took the ark as spoils of war (2 Kings 14). Both theories run into a snag. There is evidence that the ark was restored to (or still present in) Jerusalem generations later during the reign of Josiah ( 2 Chronicles 35:3). That brings us to the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. Nebuchadnezzar razed the temple and carried many sacred objects away to Babylon. Some think the ark was destroyed then or taken into exile. Here’s the problem: Jeremiah 52, which we read today in Bible in One Year, gives a long inventory of temple items taken by th...

Sinful acts always have their origin in some form of unbelief. Behind every sin is a lie. The root of all our behaviour and emotions is the heart—what it trusts and what it treasures. And people are given over to sinful desires because “they exchanged the truth about God for a lie” (Rom. 1:24–25):  Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. (Eph. 4:17–19)  Humanity’s problem is futile thinking, darkened understanding, and ignorant hearts. We sin because we believe the lie that we are better off without God—that his rule is oppressive, we will be free without him, and sin offers more than God. This is true of every sin.  We can often identify...

Satan emerges throughout Scripture as a multifaceted adversary whose nature and activities shape Christian understanding of evil. He is portrayed as a high angelic creature who rebelled against the Creator before humanity’s creation and became the chief antagonist of God and humanity. 1  He has been sinning from the beginning, holding no truth, and when he lies, he speaks his native language as the father of lies. (John 8:44) Biblical accounts depict Satan engaging in several destructive activities. He leads the whole world astray (Rev 12:9–10), while he accuses believers before God day and night. (Rev 12:9–10) He prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Pet 5:8)  He masquerades as an angel of light (2 Cor 11:14), and he blinds the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the gospel’s light. (2 Cor 4:4) In the Old Testament, he roams throughout the earth seeking to do injury, opposes God’s people and incites disobedience, and accuses the elect before ...

Christianity is a religion irreducibly and uniquely fixated on the death of its Saviour. Every Sunday, in every corner of the globe, Christians partake of the Lord’s Supper and in so doing proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again (1 Cor. 11:26). We often think of Christ’s death as an atonement for sin, but it is also worth reflecting here that Christ suffered on the cross not just for our sin but for our shame. We tend to focus on the physical pain of crucifixion, and it was horrendous. It was an unbelievably cruel way to kill someone. It was a gruesome ordeal where naked criminals died in excruciating pain. Even many of the Romans spoke out against crucifixion as a hideous and barbaric instrument. But the Gospels don’t focus on any of that. Yes, Jesus suffered physical torment. But so did two other men on that hill, and so did hundreds of criminals who were crucified by Rome. In fact, what’s physically remarkable about Jesus’s death on the cross is that he died so quickly (Mark ...

It had been over three hours by now. Three hours with the crown of thorns pressed into His head. Three hours with the nails piercing His hands and His feet. Three hours with His raw and bleeding back pressed against a rough, wooden cross. Three hours of anguish and suffering. Now, though, at about three in the afternoon, it was coming to an end.  Those who stood within shouting distance of the cross heard the first scream: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” They thought He was calling for divine intervention, a miracle of salvation from God to deliver Him from imminent death. Jesus had one last word to say, but His throat was parched, so He called for a drink, fulfilling the words of the prophets. Then, onlookers heard a second and final scream: “Tetelestai!” It is finished. With that utterance, Jesus bowed His head and delivered over His Spirit. The Apostle John was close enough to hear what Jesus had cried aloud seconds before He died. What must have been going through J...

  Biblical literature portrays Satan as a powerful adversary operating across multiple dimensions—spiritual, moral, and relational. Satan is depicted as “the ancient serpent” who “leads the whole world astray" ( Rev 12:9–10 ) while his character centres on deception, as “there is no truth in him” and “he is a liar and the father of lies". ( John 8:44 ) Satan’s methods reveal a calculated strategy. He “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour" ( 1 Pet 5:8 ), yet he “masquerades as an angel of light" ( 2 Cor 11:14 ), suggesting his deceptions operate through disguise rather than overt force. In the Old Testament, Satan appears as one “roaming throughout the earth” seeking to cause harm, opposing God’s people by inciting disobedience, and accusing the elect before God’s throne. New Testament writers describe him tempting believers to sin, ensnaring the naive, delighting in harming believers, blinding the minds of unbelievers, and masquerading as ...

  In traditional Christian understanding, demons are typically identified as fallen angels 1 , though ancient Judaism and the early church held varying perspectives—some viewing demons as the spirits of the Nephilim, the hybrid offspring of angels and human women mentioned in Genesis 6 1 . From this perspective, Satan and other fallen angels were originally created by God as good beings but chose rebellion and self-assertion 1 . Demons function as personal spiritual beings actively working to advance evil throughout creation 1 . While fundamentally morally ambivalent in broader religious traditions, demons in Christian theology belong primarily to the sphere of evil and exert harmful influence on humans, animals, and nature 2 . The biblical record portrays demons as intelligent agents capable of recognizing Jesus and resisting his authority. In one account, a demon-possessed man lived among tombs, could not be restrained by chains, and would cry out and harm himself ( Mark 5:1–20 )...