Dr Paul Allen

Author: Clinton Archer When Spanish missionaries arrived in California in the 18th century they planted seeds of truth and some other seeds too.  In order to have wine for communion, the missionaries established vineyards, which flourished. After the Gold Rush of the 1850’s Northern California became a major wine producer. But when the 18th Amendment prohibited the production of alcohol, except for religious purposes, only 141 vineyards survived. No one on the international scene paid much attention to these wines. Connoisseurs the world over presumed that a region producing cheap grapes could never compete with serious wine countries like Italy, Spain, or South Africa, and certainly not France. But that all changed in 1976 when the British merchant, Steven Spurrier, invited several California wineries to participate in a blind taste test in France, known as the Judgment of Paris. The cheap wines were pitted against Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, considered the best in the world. The...

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by the command of Christ and by His example as well. On the night before His death, Christ gathered with His disciples to eat the Passover meal (see Matt 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:17–20).  Since the Supper was celebrated in connection with the Passover, we may assume the bread was unleavened. Jesus gave thanks (eucharisteo, from which the idea of Eucharist comes) for the meal. That the institution of the Lord’s Supper was connected with the Passover meal is clear in the phrase “after the Supper” (1 Cor 11:25), meaning after the Passover meal. It is practically certain that 1 Corinthians was written before the completion of the Gospels, which means that Paul’s account is the earliest record we have of the institution of the Lord’s Supper.  The Names of the Supper. The Supper is identified six different ways in the NT: (1) Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:20); (2) Lord’s Table (1 Cor 10:21); (3) Breaking of Bread (Acts 2:42; 20:7); (4) ...

“And as they were eating, Jesus took bread , and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.” ( Matthew 26:26 ) This is the first of 12 specific references to the “breaking of bread” in the New Testament , each reminding the participants of Christ ’s sacrificial death. Although Paul had not been present at the Last Supper , he had evidently received a special revelation concerning it. “For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed [literally, ‘while he was being betrayed’] took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me” ( 1 Corinthians 11:23-24 ). Similarly, drinking of the cup recalled to them His shed blood. All of this helped them remember and appreciate the great reality of eternal life imparted to them through His death, for He had said, “Whoso ea...

Why did the wine run out at the Cana wedding (John 2:1–12)? Did the hosts plan unwisely? Did uninvited guests turn up and exceed their capacity? Did they run short of funds to provide enough wine? The Bible doesn’t tell us, which is a mercy . Because whether it was a failure of human wisdom, strength, or resources — all familiar failures to us — there was a need that the human hosts could not meet. But unknown to the hosts, the Lord of hosts was a guest at this wedding, veiled in flesh. Mary knew, though, and she knew that he was able to make all grace abound so that there would be all sufficiency to meet this need (2 Corinthians 9:8). So she informed her son, the Lord, about the need and glorious grace flowed freely. But the glory that Jesus manifested at this wedding was more than his omnipotent authority over nature. For those who could see it that day, a deeper, brighter glory of the Triune God’s abounding, all-sufficient love for foolish, weak, sin-impoverished people blazed...

Drunkenness of Noah (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) English: Everyone take a drink (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) A Kranz (wreath) of Kölsch beer. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Clearly the New Testament teaches that drunkenness is a sin (Gal. 5:21; Eph. 5:18). Further, the believer is to have no fellowship with professing Christians who are drunkards (1 Cor. 5:11). In that verse drunkenness appears alongside with immorality, idolatry, and swindling, all of which, including drunkenness, are so serious that fellowship with such is forbidden. The Old Testament warns against the abuse of wine and strong drink. Wine refers to the fermented juice of the grape, whereas strong drink denotes any intoxicating drink, often made from barley. “Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler” ( Prov. 20:1). “[Wine] bites like a serpent, and stings like a viper” (Prov. 23:32). It also may lead to poverty (Prov. 21:17). Isaiah warned against those who run after strong drink and stay up late into the eve...