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 31, 2011

Christian Standard

A Biblical Response to the Gospel

By Jim Tune Whenever someone is ready to begin a life of faith and discipleship, he or she rightly asks, “What must I do now?” While salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus, most believers in Christ would agree that something must be done. Many modern-day evangelists would encourage the new believer to “come forward” at an “altar call.” Others might encourage the spiritual seeker to say the “sinner”s prayer.” That prayer might go something like this: “Father, I am sorry for my sins and want to turn away from my sinful life. I believe your Son Jesus died

May 30, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for June 5, 2011: God Keeps His Promise (Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for June 5) is written by Stephen Bond, senior pastor with Summit Christian Church in Sparks, Nevada. ____________ God Keeps His Promise (Joshua 1:1-6; 11:16-23) By Stephen Bond In Waiting: Finding Hope When God Seems Silent, author Ben Patterson tells a story from his personal life. In the summer of 1988, three friends and I climbed Mount Lyell, the highest peak in Yosemite National Park. Two of us were experienced mountaineers; two of us were not. I was not one of the experienced two. . . . The climb to the

May 24, 2011

Christian Standard

Eternal Suffering or Eternal Destruction?

By Stanley J. Grenz The traditional teaching of the church””that the lost will suffer unending conscious torment in Hell””has repeatedly been challenged by “universalists” since the third century. They believe that in the end, all will be saved. After the Reformation, a third viewpoint, annihilationism, emerged as a minority position. The doctrine of annihilationism appeared in the 1660 confession of the General Baptists, and among the Seventh-day Adventists and several other Evangelical groups in the 19th century. Since 1960, several prominent British Evangelicals, as well as Canadian theologian Clark Pinnock, have embraced this view. John Stott has likewise expressed sympathy

May 23, 2011

Christian Standard

How Could a Loving God Send Anyone to Hell?

By Jeff Vines Editor”s note: Five years ago we published a series of articles by Jeff Vines that dealt with three difficult questions that are often stumbling blocks for Christians as well as nonbelievers. The articles described a long conversation Jeff had with a circle of skeptics he met in an Australian restaurant. With the current discussion about the reality of Hell, we felt it helpful to reprint the third article in this series. To get all three articles (the first are “How Can We Believe in God with So Much Evil in the World?” and “How Can You Say

May 23, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 29, 2011: Water of Life (Revelation 22:1-9; 13-17)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for May 29) is written by Ron Arnold, senior pastor with Kaimuki Christian Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. ____________ Water of Life (Revelation 22:1-9, 13-17) By Ron Arnold Water department trucks in Honolulu display the slogan “Pure Water””Our Greatest Need””Conserve It” to remind the people of Hawaii to use this limited resource sparingly. This is true in the islands, and may be true in your area, if we”re talking about the physical realm. It”s only a half-truth in the spiritual realm. In the Scriptures, water is a symbol of life flowing from

May 22, 2011

Christian Standard

Rob Bell Isn”t Your Biggest Concern

By Brian Jones With the release this spring of Rob Bell”s new book, Love Wins, we finally have confirmation of what many of us have suspected for years””he”s a flipping genius. Only a brilliant thinker and writer could make heresy sound like refreshing orthodoxy. But this is in fact what he”s done, with flair. Taking something so clear and unambiguous as the reality of Hell after death for nonbelievers and replacing it with false hope, and making even the most grounded among us scratch our heads, is no easy feat. The fact is we shouldn”t be surprised””this has been going

May 19, 2011

Christian Standard

If You Want to Know God, Immerse Yourself in the Psalms

By Barry McCarty Like most Christians, I have always loved the book of Psalms. It was the first hymnbook of the early Christians and the hymnbook and prayer book of the Jews. Jesus died with the words of the Psalms on his lips. After his resurrection, he told his disciples: “Everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44, New Revised Standard Version, author”s emphasis). No other book of the Old Testament is so often quoted in the New. It is a storehouse of messianic prophecies that the first Christian

May 17, 2011

Christian Standard

More than Teacups . . . a Plea for Biblical Literacy

By Megan Gariss I was in elementary school during the mid-1990s when “Magic Eye” posters were all the rage. As you may remember, these posters produced three-dimensional images out of two-dimensional patterns. For some in my class, seeing the image was no problem””they could simply glance at the poster and quickly discern the hidden 3-D image. However, for most of the class, myself included, viewing the image was hard work. We all had different methods of looking at the “Magic Eye” poster, each guaranteed to help the viewer discover the 3-D image””be it a penguin on a raft or the

May 16, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 22, 2011: New Order of Things (Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for May 22) is written by Melissa Wuske, an editor for F+W Media in Cincinnati, Ohio. ____________ New Order of Things (Revelation 21:1-8, 22-27) By Melissa Wuske My grandpa recently died after a far-too-long battle with Alzheimer”s disease. After decades as a faithful husband, father, and leader in the church, he spent the last decade or so of his life struggling to think or speak or remember. He spent the last few years unable to leave his bed on his own, unable to perform the basic daily functions that adults and

May 9, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 15, 2011: Thankful Worship (Revelation 7:9-17)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for May 15) is written by Phil Roberts who serves with Hill-N-Dale Christian Church in Lexington, Kentucky. ____________ Thankful Worship (Revelation 7:9-17) By Phil Roberts Consider these two questions: 1. What is the richest worship you”ve ever experienced? Maybe it still brings tears to your eyes””that worship service where it seemed praise just flowed from you, where you experienced the majesty of God the Father. 2. What is the most difficult time of trial through which the Lord has brought you? Maybe it still brings tears to your eyes””that time it

May 2, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 8, 2011: Perpetual Praise (Revelation 4)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for May 8 ) is written by Tom May who serves with Eastside Christian Church in Jeffersonville, Indiana. ____________ Perpetual Praise (Revelation 4) By Thomas May Revelation 4 provides another of many transitions in the final book of the Bible. John is given a glimpse of the end of time. Picture someone looking at a two-sided coin. On one side, John sees images of God with his people, protecting and encouraging regardless of the apparent circumstances of life; and on the other side are inscriptions of the judgment that will come

April 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for May 1, 2011: Be Like Jesus (Philippians 2:1-11)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for May 1) is written by Lise Caldwell, a freelance writer living in Indianapolis, Indiana. ____________ Be Like Jesus (Philippians 2:1-11) By Lise Caldwell To paraphrase A Christmas Carol, I am a famously competitive person: to begin with. This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate. My husband loves to tell the tale of the time I mercilessly defeated a 12-year-old girl in a game of Scene It at Walt Disney World in order to win Electronic-Banking Monopoly, a game he

April 18, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 24, 2011: Go and Tell (Matthew 28)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for April 24) is written by David Eichenberger who serves with the Hillview Community Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. ____________ Go and Tell (Matthew 28) By David Eichenberger (Note to teachers: The italicized sections are questions designed to help involve your students in the learning process.) We humans have a way with words; the ability to speak makes us different from all other forms of life. We tend to tell others about information and events that stimulate our minds and emotions. It comes as no surprise, then, that when we are

April 11, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 17, 2011: Praise the Lord (Mark 11:1-11)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for April 17) is written by Tim Turner who serves with Christ”s Church in Winterville, North Carolina. ____________ Praise the Lord (Mark 11:1-11) By Tim Turner Can you imagine the anticipation of knowing everything you”ve lived for and prepared for was just hours away? My wife and I just celebrated our 20th anniversary by going on our first cruise. I must confess my excitement as I anticipated the experience””and it lived up to its billing. I was eager for time alone with my wife and to see the exotic places we

April 4, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 10, 2011: Remember the Warnings (Jude 17-25)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for April 10) is written by David Ray who serves with Christ”s Church at Mason (Ohio). ____________ Remember the Warnings (Jude 17-25) By David Ray Jude advised his readers to remember what the apostles predicted (v. 17). But the core of the problem was people were forgetting (or ignoring) both the apostles” authoritative word and their clear warning. The apostles had said, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires” (v. 18). Peter warned, just as Israel had its “lying prophets,” so “there will

March 28, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for April 3, 2011: Remember Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:8-19)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for April 3) is written by Nicholas Cox who serves with Community Christian Church in White Marsh, Maryland. ____________ Remember Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 2:8-19) By Nicholas Cox When I moved from Maryland to Tennessee to attend seminary, I had an odd fear I couldn”t shake. Sure, there were logistics to figure out and hundreds of miles to travel. I had the normal butterflies when it came to meeting new people and facing new challenges. There was also concern caused by moving from an urban setting to a rural one; I

March 27, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Law (Part 2)

Those who first received the Law viewed obeying it a privilege, not a restriction. Can New Testament Christians also see the beauty in these ancient texts? (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) ________ By Matt Proctor Last week we considered the challenge to look again at the Old Testament Law. We listened to the testimony of Christians whose lives had been changed by reconsidering the purposes behind all the directives God gives in the legal portions of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. We considered the

March 25, 2011

Christian Standard

Getting the Most from Old Testament Law (Part 1)

Those who first received the Law viewed obeying it a privilege, not a restriction. Can New Testament Christians also see the beauty in these ancient texts? (This is another in a series of articles titled “Reading the Bible for All It’s Worth” that Matt Proctor is writing this year.) ________ By Matt Proctor Imagine it”s New Year”s Day, and you make a resolution to read through your Bible this year. You begin with Genesis, and all goes well that first week. But hold on. Soon you”ll get to Leviticus, and then what will you do? Genesis starts with a bang as God

March 21, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 27, 2011: Compassionate Service (1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-22)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 27) is written by Robert Woolfolk who serves with Agape Christian Church in Denver, Colorado. ____________ Compassionate Service (1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-22) By Robert Woolfolk As we read Paul”s instructions to the young preacher Timothy, we gain wisdom about godly relationships in the church, which is the body of Christ. Families Godly family interaction is important to the health and vitality of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. How we treat one another speaks louder than anything we teach, preach, or counsel. Paul”s instructions still reverberate 20 centuries

March 14, 2011

Christian Standard

Lesson for March 20, 2011: Leadership Priorities (1 Timothy 4:6-16)

This week”s treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson (for March 20) is written by Bruce Stoker who serves as adult education minister with Memorial Church of Christ in Livonia, Michigan. ____________ Leadership Priorities (1 Timothy 4:6-16) By Bruce Stoker It”s a shame we have made worship such a divisive thing within the church. If we can get back to the “heart of worship,” as Matt Redman”s song says, and recognize with him that it”s all about God, then Paul”s directives in 1 Timothy 4:6-16 ought to clarify the priorities of church leaders. When leaders have their priorities straight, division

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