Articles

  • All
  • Theology
  • Biblical Studies
  • Judaism
  • Short read

Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 6: Kingdom and Mission

 Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 6: Kingdom and Mission 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

The Church is closely related to the Kingdom and to the Mission of God (Missio Dei), but there are potential misunderstandings. This article is an article for clarification of terms that could be potentially confusing. Relationship Between Church and Kingdom The Church is NOT the same thing as the Kingdom of God. I grew up…

read more

The Kingdom of God: An Introduction

 The Kingdom of God: An Introduction 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

There are few concepts more central to the preaching of Jesus than the Kingdom of God. Sadly, however, this concept does not receive an equal amount of attention from Jesus’s interpreters. The concept of the Kingdom of God is used so frequently in the Synoptic Gospels that it can be hard to get a grip…

read more

The Trinity: An Introduction

 The Trinity: An Introduction 867 1024 Andrew Hicks

The earliest Christians wrestled with their articulation of the Trinity. The monotheism that the early followers of Jesus inherited from Judaism prohibited them from concluding that Jesus was one god among many. At the same time, they affirmed the divinity and lordship of Jesus. The complexities that developed in the centuries following the life of…

read more

The TaNaKh: An Introduction

 The TaNaKh: An Introduction 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

Is the Jewish Bible the same as the Christian Old Testament? The answer is not as simple as you might think. In short, the answer is both yes and no. Yes The content of the Jewish Bible is generally the same as the content in the Christian Old Testament though the number of books technically…

read more

The Apocrypha: An Introduction

 The Apocrypha: An Introduction 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

One set of questions I get a lot as a minister and a teacher is about the Apocrypha: “What is the Apocrypha?” “Why do Catholics have extra books in their Bible?” “Are those extra books inspired?” “Why don’t we have those books in our Bible?” This article is for those curious about the Apocrypha. I…

read more

The Septuagint: An Introduction

 The Septuagint: An Introduction 683 1024 Andrew Hicks

Have you ever seen those footnotes in your Bible that have “LXX…” in them? Have you ever wondered what those are? You are not alone. If your Bible doesn’t have “LXX…” in the footnotes, it might have “GK: …” or “Heb:…” in the footnotes. These are all notes about the differences between the Hebrew and…

read more

Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 5: “The Church is… Apostolic.”

 Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 5: “The Church is… Apostolic.” 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

Since its beginning, teaching has been a key part of what the Church does in the world. In fact, right after responding to Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost by being baptized, the very next thing it records these early disciples doing was devoting themselves to the “apostels’ teaching, and fellowship, to the breaking…

read more

Say What You Believe

 Say What You Believe 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

Why do you always say what you believe? Why do you always say what you believe? Every proclamation guarantees Free ammunition for your enemies (Awww!) –  Aaron Burr, Non-Stop, Hamilton So I implore you, I entreat you, and I challenge you to speak with conviction; to say what you believe in a manner that bespeaks…

read more

Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 4: “The Church is….Catholic…”

 Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 4: “The Church is….Catholic…” 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

One distinction is important to make right off the bat. This is NOT referring to the Roman Catholic Church. The distinction that is usually made is between the capital “C” Catholic Church and the lower case “c” catholic Church. We are speaking of the lowercase “c” catholic Church. Catholic just means “universal.” This is not…

read more

Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 3: “The Church is … Holy…”

 Ecclesiological Explorations – Part 3: “The Church is … Holy…” 1024 683 Andrew Hicks

The Church is holy. This is so in two senses. The first, is that the Church is holy. How can we claim otherwise? Jesus died and gave Himself up in order to make his bride, the Church, holy (Eph. 5:25-27). The Church is described to Paul as a group of people who have been sanctified…

read more