Dr Paul Allen

These glorious facts concerning the lavish commitment of the Spirit to believers are not intended to result in the readers congratulating themselves on their relationship with God, nor are they merely to encourage them.  They are to act as motivations for action, providing incentives and inspiration to be more Spirit-controlled and less flesh-friendly. Similarly, if the word ei (if) is translated as ‘since’, in 8:9–11, the positive nature of Paul’s perspective of the believer is considerably heightened. 7   The Greek word ei is capable of being translated ‘if’ or’since’ and it is often the context that determines the most appropriate meaning. In these verses, given Paul’s desire to encourage the believers to recognize their relationship with the Spirit and thus to benefit from it in their fight against the flesh, it is more likely that ‘since’ is the correct translation; it provides an explicit assurance to the modern reader, rather than uncertainty.  He is not sowing d...

The most effective way to engage Islam and the most motivating means for sharing the gospel with Muslims is through a deeper understanding of the Bible. The better you know God, the more you want to share him with others. The better you know the word of God, the more equipped you are to proclaim this truth to others.  The Nature of God: A Loving Trinity or a Tri-Theism? Need: Rightly understanding the Trinity is critical for understanding everything in the universe, especially for how to evangelize Muslims. Relation to Islam: The God of the Bible is absolutely and fundamentally different than the God of the Quran. Examples: creation, communication, conversion, communion, compassion are all illogical, incongruent and impossible without the Trinity. Consequently, Islam is unable to adequately explain any of these fundamental realities of life. Summary: Muslims grossly misunderstand what we believe about the Trinity. But a proper understanding of the Trinity will r...