Dr Paul Allen

Elliot Clark’s Mission Affirmed: Recovering the Missionary Motivation of Paul. While various factors motivated Paul’s labor, an underlying concern that often gets overlooked is simply this: Paul wants God’s approval. He wants honor or commendation from the Lord on the day when he judges Paul’s work. Therefore, Paul is worried about the quality of his ministry, and whether the churches he planted actually reflect the kingdom of God. This concern trumps the modern fixation among missionaries on rapidity and numbers. The book unpacks this point over the span of several chapters. What exactly are we reproducing? Clark expresses his concern clearly, Today, in many places where the gospel is spreading the fastest and where churches are rapidly multiplying, Satan appears to be the most active in deceiving believers. Simply having the Holy Spirit and the Bible does not guarantee a mature disciple. This is one reason why I’m so concerned with the growing number of missionary strategies that adv...

One’s mind can’t help but travel to Philippi in Acts 16 . As Paul and Silas sit in a jail cell with bloody and torn backs, awaiting their certain death, they feel led by the spirit to sing hymns. We don’t know what their intent was. Were they attempting to evangelize their fellow prisoners? If they were, it worked. Were they attempting to encourage one another?  I’m sure that it was encouraging. Perhaps they didn’t know what to say and were probably concerned that they were about to die, and the Holy Spirit inspired them to sing. Regardless, in the moment of deep pain and distress, they resorted to hymns. There are four reasons why, when our hearts are troubled, when we don’t know how to help someone who is in distress, sometimes fewer words and perhaps singing is the right answer.  Here are four reasons why. It is a command We are commanded to sing. All over Scripture, the Bible tells us to sing. Psalm 96 says, “ Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the L...

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen ( Romans 11:36). Why did God create the world? One of the most foolish answers advanced is that God was lonely and needed to create someone with whom to have fellowship. The Christian doctrine of the tri-unity of God stands completely against any such idea. God has eternal fellowship within Himself and has no need to create anything. Creation results completely from His sovereign will. Some have said the purpose of creation was to prepare the way for redemption: God created it and predestined the fall of man so Jesus could redeem the world. At first glance, this notion looks very pious, since it focuses on Jesus and His work. As we shall see, however, it is inadequate to explain God’s purposes as the Bible sets them out. Looking at Genesis 1, some have said that the purpose of creation was to provide the world for man’s glory and happiness. Man, after all, is the crown of creation, and...

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. [Rom. 11:36] Why did God create the world? One of the most foolish answers advanced is that God was lonely and needed someone with whom to have fellowship. The doctrine of the tri-unity of God utterly opposes any such idea. God has eternal fellowship within himself, and has no need to create anything. Creation results completely from his sovereign will. Others said the purpose of creation was to prepare the way for redemption: God created it and predestined the fall of humanity so Jesus could redeem the world. This notion looks pious, since it focuses on Jesus and his work, but it is inadequate to explain God’s purpose as the Bible sets it out. Looking at Genesis 1, some have said that the purpose of creation was to provide a world for human glory and happiness—that humanity is the crown of creation so that the world was made just for people. This distorts the truth that humanity was created...

English: Jesus Christ - detail from Deesis mosaic, Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus , who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness , and sanctification, and redemption." ( 1 Corinthians 1:30 ) In this one verse we find described four aspects of Christ 's work on our behalf. It is "of him," literally "by his doing," that we are in Christ Jesus, who "is made" or "who became" these things to us and for us. Wisdom of God : This is the preferred rendering. Paul was writing to the church at Corinth (a Greek city). The Greeks were infatuated with wisdom, but Paul declared Christ Jesus to be the "wisdom of God." Such wisdom is likewise imparted to believers ( v. 24 ), while "the foolishness of God is wiser than men" ( v. 25 ). Righteousness: Christ, being "made" righteousness, becomes an all-sufficient righteousness to us. This imputed right...