Dr Paul Allen

Luke describes the rift that opened between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark in his typical understated way: “There arose a sharp disagreement so that they separated from each other” ( Acts 15:39 ). No elaboration, no circling back later in Acts to tell us how this story ended. We watch Barnabas sail to Cyprus with John Mark while Paul and Silas head to Syria and Cilicia. Really?  Paul and Barnabas ? Friends whose names go together, like David and Jonathan or Peter and John? These brothers who had spent a year together teaching the new Gentile converts in Antioch and then risked life and limb together for the gospel on that first missionary journey? These colleagues became the first missionary team at the particular direction of the Holy Spirit himself ( Acts 13:2 )? And they couldn’t reconcile a disagreement over John Mark? We can be left wondering, If Paul and Barnabas couldn’t stay together, what hope do we have when difficult and painful disagreements arise in our churches and ...

Peter O’Brien’s translation of Colossians 4:2 surprised me: “Persevere in prayer as you watch for the Lord’s return, and be thankful.”[i] What is surprising about that? None of my English translations mentioned “the Lord’s return” — nor does the Greek text! Translated literally, the verse just says: “In prayer, persevere, watching in it with thanksgiving.”  There is nothing explicitly eschatological, and my understanding over the years — it's not my first time to read these words — has been along the lines of Bishop Lightfoot’s comment: “Long continuance in prayer is apt to produce listlessness.  Hence the additional charge that the heart must be awake if the prayer is to have any value.”[ii]If it is not explicit in the text itself, from where did O’Brien import the reference to the Lord’s return? He believes it was implied in the word “γρηγορέω” (English: the name, “Gregory”).  He explained: “Certainly γρηγορέω with the figurative meaning to ‘be vigilant’ turns up in co...

The Resurrection of Christ (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Momentary doubt has clouded the minds and hearts of believers in every age, even those great pillars of faith such as Abraham , David , and John the Baptist . We are all going to come to points in our lives when we wonder if things are really going to work out for the best, if things really are under control when they seem so chaotic. Such thoughts can be expected in this life. But we must be aware that doubt can lead to unbelief, and we must take the Bible ’s warnings against unbelief seriously. Jesus rebuked His disciples for their unbelief when they refused to believe that He had risen from the dead. Even though they had received reports that He had indeed risen, they still did not believe. When He finally appeared to them, “He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart , because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen” ( Mark 16:14).  The reasons for the disciples’ hardness of heart were ...

Psalm 21, Initial D. In: Albani-Psalter (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) “Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.” ( Psalm 37:34 )   In spite of the occasional successes of the wicked, we are to “wait on the LORD.” The Hebrew word used in this passage for “wait” is unusual. The term  quvah  describes the “binding together” of strings to make a cord. The same word was used to “collect” the water and dry land into separate areas on the third day of creation.   It carries the idea of anticipation toward useful results and does not mean to “hang around and wait.” It does not imply useless boredom, waiting for something to happen. The essence of the term is to be alert, watching the events and activities of the Lord and reacting to His timing and direction. Indeed, the word is translated “look” as often as any other term.   The great promise of “eagle’s wings” recorded b...

First page of the Gospel of Mark, by Sargis Pitsak, a Medieval Armenian scribe and miniaturist (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) In early church history, one of the biggest theological debates centered on the deity of Jesus Christ . There are still groups that deny His deity today, from Muslims (who say Jesus was merely a prophet) to Jehovah’s Witnesses (who insist that He is not equal to the Father). If I were asked to defend the doctrine of Christ ’s deity,would this be your response?  Jesus is God for at least the following eleven reasons: 1. The Old Testament predicted that the Messiah would be God  (Isaiah 9:6; Matt.   1:23 ) 2. Jesus claimed a heavenly preexistence  (John 6:62;  8:23 ;  16:28 ; 17:5) 3. Jesus assumed divine authority: * Over the Sabbath (Matt. 12:8; Mark   2:28 ; Luke 6:5) * Over the forgiveness of sins (Mark 2:5–11) * Over people’s eternal destinies (John  8:24 ; cf. Luke 12:8–9;...