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 8, 2015

Christian Standard

A Clean Break (1 Corinthians 11:20-23)

By Neal Windham Corinth is a beautiful city. Set on an isthmus dividing the Adriatic and Aegean seas, it was frequented by mariners avoiding the more treacherous waters of the Mediterranean in Paul”s day. As a result, it was a popular destination, well populated, and with a thriving economy. Remains of its stunning temple to Apollo stand in ruins to this very day, silently testifying to a distinctively pagan past. Little wonder that Paul had such a tough time with this church. It seems they were attempting to make the break with pagan society as slight as they possibly could.

May 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 10, 2015: Gifts of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:1-11)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the May 3 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  The apostle Paul spent about 18 months in the prominent Greek city of Corinth during his second missionary journey. Although he faced strong opposition (Acts 18:1-11), still the church grew and prospered. Later Paul received a letter from Corinth raising several important issues. He addressed them in 1 Corinthians. His discussion of spiritual gifts extends from 12:1″“14:40. Obviously this was a

May 1, 2015

Christian Standard

Mystery

By Neal Windham When asked what”s missing when churches marginalize the Lord”s Supper by breaking bread casually and infrequently, Eugene Peterson replied, “Mystery.” He wasn”t talking about cheap novels or detective shows. No, he spoke of a mystery that runs so much deeper, a plot hatched in eternity, hidden for long ages, thoroughly misunderstood, often misrepresented, but, in the end, designed for our good, for our “glory,” as Paul put it. Peterson spoke of a narrative fit for God. The word mystery comes from muo, a Greek verb that means to close or shut. Our word mute shares this root.

April 27, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 3, 2015: Work Together for the Truth (3 John)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the April 26 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  The three short letters sent from the apostle John to first-century Christians were likely all written about the same time. Reading 3 John, the shortest book in the Bible, we see that it is similar to 2 John, but it is more specific in naming the individuals involved. Salutation | 3 John 1 The addressee, Gaius, is a friend of John”s and

April 24, 2015

Christian Standard

Believing Is Seeing

By Robert F. Hull Jr. “Seeing is believing,” we say, but in the logic of the Gospel of John, it works the other way around: Believing is seeing. It is true Peter and John did not believe Jesus had risen from the dead until they entered the tomb and saw the abandoned grave clothes (John 20:6-8). It is also true Mary Magdalene and 10 of the disciples were permitted to see the risen Lord. But was this a privilege all disciples should have? Thomas seemed to think so. He wanted the same experience the other disciples had, or an even greater

April 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Breaking the Chain of Intergenerational Suffering

By T.R. Robertson The book of Genesis tells the story of generation after generation of inherited suffering. Adam and Eve”s sin affected the lives of their children and the generations to follow. Abraham”s poor choices were echoed by the poor choices of his son, Isaac, and trickled on down to the conflicts between Jacob and Esau, and then on to Joseph”s brothers selling him into slavery. If, like me, you were nurtured in the Restoration Movement, it”s likely we share an aversion to anything smelling of original sin mixed with inherited guilt. An unfortunate side effect of this theological bent

April 20, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 26, 2015: Watch Out for Deceivers (1 John 5:6-12,18-20; 2 John)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the April 19 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Deceivers are all around us. While the last two letters from the apostle John are characterized by his emphasis on the importance of love (as in 1 John), he was equally strong in his warnings about false teaching””2 and 3 John are the shortest documents in the New Testament, but they address serious and important issues. Although they deal with

April 13, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 19, 2015: Trust in God’s Love (1 John 4, 5)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the April 12 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  It is easy to understand why John has often been referred to as “the apostle of love.” That theme runs throughout the letters that he wrote to the first-century church. Today”s text is the third time in this epistle when John described love as the supreme test of the Christian life (1 John 2:7-11; 3:11-18). In 1 John 4 he emphasized

April 10, 2015

Christian Standard

Remember Your Baptism

By Robert F. Hull Jr. Sometimes we do not see the wealth of our own church practices until we worship with people whose practices differ from ours. From Easter to Pentecost you will hear in many churches, especially those in the Anglican, Lutheran, and Catholic traditions, the words “remember your baptism.” If you were to worship in some of these churches, you would even see a large vessel of water brought in as a visual reminder of baptism. It is especially during the season when we focus on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus that the baptistery and the table

April 6, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 12, 2015: Love One Another (1 John 3:11-24)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the April 5 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Love is the hallmark of God”s community. It is also the theme of the apostle John”s epistles. The first-century believers to whom John wrote received tremendous encouragement as well as great challenge from his inspired words. Love as Action | 1 John 3:11-18 In the verses just before our printed text, John affirmed the greatness of the Father”s love for his children:

April 5, 2015

Christian Standard

How Much Do You Know About Easter?

By Victor Knowles   Faith in the resurrection of Christ has been called the keystone of the arch of Christianity. How much do you know about the resurrection of Jesus?   1.  Who prophesied the following in regard to the resurrection of Christ? “Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; . . . because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay.” a.  Moses b.  David c.  Isaiah d.  Daniel   2.  Jesus predicted he would be raised on: a.  The first day of the week

April 3, 2015

Christian Standard

Peace Commission

By Robert F. Hull Jr. According to the Gospel of John, it was at his last meal with the disciples that Jesus offered them the gift of his peace and told them not to be afraid (John 14:27). But that was before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion. A few days later they were huddled in a room with the door locked, very much afraid and not at peace. Suddenly the risen Jesus stood before them and said to them, “Peace be with you!” (John 20:19). He showed them his hands and his side, and said again, “Peace be with you!

March 30, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 5, 2015: Believe in the Resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:1-22)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 29 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  Often 1 Corinthians 15 is described as the “resurrection chapter” of the Bible. Tom Friskney wrote, “There is no other chapter like this in the whole Bible; the hope of Christianity resides within it. . . . We may wonder why Paul has waited until now to discuss it. . . . It is not last because it is least,

March 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Living in Captivity

By Cathy Mogus The divided nation of Israel was in political, moral, and spiritual decline when God called Jeremiah to become its prophet. The priest wasn”t happy with his new role. Apparently writing letters””not-so-nice letters””to the captives in Babylon was part of his job description. But there was an upside. Jeremiah had the privilege of informing his displaced countrymen, especially their spiritual leaders, that God had a plan. It boiled down to something like this: “Like it or not, you”re not leaving Babylon for 70 years. So quit dreaming of going home and get on with your lives.” He then

March 23, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 29, 2015: The Son of David (Mark 11:1-11)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 22 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  The “triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem is significant for many reasons. It is one of the few events in his life that is recorded in all four Gospels. It marked the beginning of his last week on the earth. For three years he had taught and lived God”s message for the world. While his popularity was extremely high among the

March 21, 2015

Christian Standard

Jesus Killed a Tree

By Tim Harlow I don”t fancy myself an extreme environmentalist. I”m not a “tree hugger,” but I do respect nature. I have cut down a few trees that were past their prime, and I once accidently killed a small one with a golf cart, but I do love trees. Where I live, the only trees are ones someone planted. So the story of Jesus “zapping” a tree is fascinating to me. Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it

March 18, 2015

Christian Standard

The Church”s Original Hymnbook

By Jim Tune There is an energy about the Psalms. I love the raw honesty that spills out everywhere as David and others confess their inadequacies, cry out for mercy, or plead for justice to fall viciously on their enemies. The Psalms have a voice of their own. Perhaps that is why the book of Psalms touches me in a way that some others in the Bible do not. A friend once suggested the opposite of Psalms is Romans. I get that. In that rather formal letter, Paul meticulously lays out the foundations of the faith by following a specific

March 16, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 22, 2015: The Spirit of Peace (John 20:19-23; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 15 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  This month”s study in the Gospel of John comes full circle today. In the first text we considered, the apostle John introduced John the Baptist to his readers (John 1). Authorities from Jerusalem found him baptizing in the Jordan. He pointed them to the Messiah, Jesus, who would one day baptize people in the Holy Spirit. Today”s text focuses on the

March 9, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 15, 2015: The Spirit of Truth (John 16:4b-15)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 8 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  The Holy Spirit”s role was noted on several occasions during Jesus” earthly ministry. When John the Baptist immersed Jesus in the Jordan River, the Spirit descended in the form of a dove (John 1:32). When Jesus was teaching Nicodemus, he emphasized the need for all sinners to be born of water and the Spirit (3:5). Worship of God is to be

March 2, 2015

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 8, 2015: Another Comforter/Advocate (John 14:15-26)

This treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson is written by Sam E. Stone, former editor of CHRISTIAN STANDARD. It is published in the March 1 issue of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com. ______ By Sam E. Stone  In his Gospel, the apostle John often focused on a central theme for an entire chapter (John 14, 15, 16, 17). The predominant note in John 14 is comfort. The setting is the night on which Jesus was betrayed. After instituting the Lord”s Supper in the upper room, Jesus and his disciples (except Judas) set out for the Garden of

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