A Shot Heard Throughout History
Christianity, like baseball, is a beautiful thing. . . .
Theology & Bible
Theology & Bible helps Christians understand Scripture and the core teachings of the Christian faith. Explore Bible-based articles on biblical interpretation, doctrine, salvation, the Holy Spirit, baptism, communion, creation, and key themes across the Old and New Testaments. You’ll find thoughtful guidance for studying the Bible faithfully, applying God’s Word to life and ministry, and growing in theological clarity rooted in the gospel. Whether you’re a church leader, teacher, student, or everyday disciple, this hub equips you to know God through Scripture and live with conviction and hope.
May 1, 2023
In the Beginning
We are just as gullible, just as prone to wander, just as needy as Adam and Eve . . .
My Response: Inerrancy Is a Hill to Defend to the End
By Jerry Harris, Publisher Christian Standard enjoys receiving feedback from our readers. Some of the best comments and letters are printed in our “Interact” section at the back of the magazine. I have personally received both positive and negative comments on articles I’ve written; up to this point, I have never responded, because I believe those viewpoints are also instructive. But when I received this letter from Dr. David Kiger, the librarian at Milligan University, about a phrase I used in a recent column, I knew it was essential I respond. Here is his unedited letter: _ _ _ – LETTER
April 24, 2023
The Rich Young Ruler
Jesus was on the rich young ruler’s side. Jesus was pulling for him. . . .
Again
Here we go again. It’s time for Communion, again. Once more with feeling! Right? . . .
March 1, 2023
Chronicles of Grace (from the CS Archives)
The Perspectives of Our Editors and Essayists Over the Years
March 1, 2023
Where Grace Can Be Found
By Michael C. Mack One of my favorite classes in seminary was Doctrine of Grace, taught by Jack Cottrell. It was an introduction for me in my relatively newfound faith to the nature of God, the essence of salvation, and the call of the Christian life. Thirty-five years later, I’m still learning about grace. I see it everywhere, as God’s Spirit opens my eyes and heart to it. It’s found, for example, in Paul’s instructions to husbands on how to love their wives “just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Ephesians 5:25). Paul then described
March 1, 2023
Why the Resurrection Matters
By Steve Wyatt His name was Cleopas—and he felt hopeless. So did his friend. These two friends had gone to Jerusalem to join up with Israel’s latest, greatest world-changer—another prophet, this time from Nazareth, who was rumored to be the one who would forever end Rome’s tyrannical reign. But instead? Although they had left hopeful, they were returning hopeless. Have you ever been there . . . hopeless? • Yes, these guys were believers. • Yes, they had grown to deeply love Jesus. • Yes, they had dropped everything to follow him. Here’s the problem: Jesus was trapped behind a huge stone, and
March 1, 2023
The Grace-Filled God of the Entire Bible
By Marty Solomon The idea that the God of the Old Covenant is a God of law, while the New Covenant shows us a God of grace, is a common concept that often undergirds our reading of the Bible. This is likely made worse by the idea that the Hebrew Scriptures depict a God that is full of wrath. Even if we reject this idea on principle, it seems to have affected so much of how we read the Bible. I think most of us, whatever our opinion of the Old Testament God vs. New Testament God, would affirm the
The Resurrection and the Afterlife: What Do We Believe?
By Kent E. Fillinger In Bible college, I encountered this simple but powerful two-question outline to discuss the resurrection of Jesus: What proves the resurrection? And what does the resurrection prove? I don’t have the space to unpack the answers to these questions, but I do want to explore what people believe about the resurrection of Jesus to help you consider the array of beliefs you might encounter in your church (and with your family) this Easter. I also want to examine current beliefs regarding the afterlife—heaven, hell, and reincarnation. Views on the Resurrection The 2020 Lifeway Research State of
March 1, 2023
Grace Is Amazing
By James Estep “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.” Penned in 1772 by John Newton, the message of “Amazing Grace” resounds into the 21st century. The tune as originally written is a favorite of many believers. In 2007 Christian musician Chris Tomlin updated the words to say, “my chains are gone, I’ve been set free” . . . but the message remained the same. Grace is amazing! My home church for a while described itself as “An Amazing Grace Place,” which represented them well. But why is grace so amazing? Paul explained why in
March 1, 2023
Living by Grace in a Challenging World
By Doug Crozier In his 2012 book titled Grace, Max Lucado wrote, “Grace is God’s best idea. His decision to ravage a people by love, to rescue passionately, and to restore justly—what rivals it? Of all his wondrous works, grace, in my estimation, is the magnum opus.” Our challenge as Christians in today’s world and culture is to live and breathe and exhibit God’s grace. We will do so by following the roadmap God gave us in the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is the inerrant Word of God! In my work with The Solomon Foundation, borrowers have a
March 1, 2023
Grace Unites Us
My journey in the International Churches of Christ and beyond . . .
March 1, 2023
What Is Grace?
By Mark E. Moore Question: What do we have to do to be saved? Every religion has its own answer to this question. Some encourage sacrifice; others, service; others, rituals of purification or meditation. What all (but one) have in common is some human effort to achieve favor with God. This may include knocking on doors with pamphlets, giving away wealth, self-flagellation, or confession and restitution. The common thread, however, is human effort to reach God’s height. Grace Is God’s Salvation Christianity alone moves in the opposite direction. Rather than us climbing upward, Christianity asserts that God moved downward. Salvation
January 1, 2023
What Is Truth?
A word study traces the Bible’s primary terms for truth—emet in the Old Testament and aletheia in the New—showing truth as lived faithfulness and embodied in Christ, with a call to “don’t adjust it; trust it.”
January 1, 2023
Grace and Truth
New Testament Theology Embodied in Jesus and Carried Out in Cultural Chaos
January 1, 2023
How Do We Arrive at Truth?
By Tyler McKenzie In his book Blue Parakeet, Bible professor Scot McKnight explains that every semester he gives the students in his Jesus class a test. Part one has 24 questions inquiring what they think Jesus is like. Here are four examples: Is Jesus moody? Is Jesus talkative? Does Jesus think marriage is old-fashioned and should be done away with? Does Jesus prefer to go his own way rather than act by the rules? This set of questions is followed by another that asks the students what they think they are like. Here’s the catch. Both parts are the same
January 1, 2023
Jack Cottrell on Truth (from Our Archives)
Jack Cottrell (April 30, 1938—September 16, 2022) wrote many articles for Christian Standard over the years, and one of his favorite topics was truth. While we do not have space to include all his articles on different aspects of this important topic, we have excerpted from several of them here. We’ll let Dr. Cottrell introduce himself. In “What I Have Learned in 50 Years as a Theologian (Part 1),” published in our February 7, 2010, issue, he wrote, Since receiving my AB degree from Cincinnati Bible Seminary in 1959, I have been either preparing to teach or teaching theology (Bible
December 19, 2022
December 25 | Lord of All
The babe of Bethlehem (and Messiah of Matthew’s Gospel) is Lord of all—even wise men. Matthew devoted only one verse to the birth of Jesus (1:25) even though he spent many verses tracing Jesus’ human and divine roots. Then, a good length of time after Jesus was born, the Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.
December 19, 2022
December 25 | Application (‘What the Mysterious Magi Can Teach Us About Faith’)
We don’t know about much about the mysterious Magi, but they help to illustrate what it means to live by faith.
