The meaning of Romans 8:28: “God works for the good of those who love him”
Romans 8:28 is one of the best known verses in Romans and probably one of the best known verses in the whole Bible.
Here is what it says: “For God works all things together for good to those who love him and are called according to his purpose.”
There’s a good reason people like this verse and think a lot about it. It’s because we all suffer. We all experienced hardships, some of it almost unbearable, and those of us who believe in God and that’s most of us want to know what God’s relationship to that suffering is.
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Why Christians Should Be Involved in Creation Care
Today’s post is adapted from Creation Care: A Biblical Theology of the Natural World. In addition to the book, you can also take the online course, or watch a series of video lectures on creation care by Jonathan and Douglas Moo.
Our world is full of problems and issues. As I write these words, the media is full of stories about a migrant crisis in Europe, global terrorism, conflicts over the implementation of a same-sex marriage decision of the US Supreme Court, and the economic struggles of emerging nations such as China, Brazil, and India. Christians, of course, are deeply involved in these issues and a myriad of others in one way or another.
Moreover, we know that all Christians are called in various ways to evangelism, discipleship, mission, and care for the poor and needy. It…
Why you can trust the New Testament even though there are so many textual variants
There isn’t one, single, original, preserved copy of the New Testament. So how can you trust the text of the New Testament when all the earliest copies disagree with each other?
In this video, Daniel B. Wallace, Executive Director of The Center for the Study of New Testament Manuscripts, explains why you can still trust the text of the New Testament despite it having so many textual variants.
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What Is the Kingdom of God?
Nicholas Perrin recently sat down with us to talk about the Kingdom of God. Take a look at some highlights from our conversation:
The kingdom of God is this compelling vision that Jesus shares with us. It’s rooted in a much longer story—a story shaped by great books like Daniel, like Deuteronomy, like Genesis. But I think for many Christians, if they’re honest, they’re not really quite sure what the kingdom is about.
Kingdom is one of those terms that we Christians throw around, as if we all know what we’re talking about, as if we’re all talking about the same thing. Often, if you scratch below the surface, you see that we’re not talking about the same thing.
What difference does the kingdom really make?
Many of us struggle with these questions. What difference does the kingdom really…
Introducing MasterLectures: Stream Bible and Theology Video Lectures on Demand
Today we are announcing a brand-new video streaming service called MasterLectures.
MasterLectures gives you access to thousands of thought-provoking video lectures from the world’s leading Christian scholars—for one low monthly price.
Take a look:
Who MasterLectures is for
MasterLectures is for curious Christians. If you’re the kind of person who likes learning, MasterLectures is for you. MasterLectures features all-original content on the Bible and theology to help you read the Bible better, understand theology, and grow in your faith.
MasterLectures is for students. Because all videos are filmed with Zondervan Academic authors, they make the perfect supplement to a course textbook. With a subscription to MasterLectures, students get helpful video overviews on the same subject matter in their assigned readings. It’s perfect for students who want a little extra help—or want to get ahead.
MasterLectures is for…
Zondervan and Seedbed Sign New Publishing Partnership Agreement
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., Sept. 20, 2018 — Zondervan is pleased to announce a new publishing partnership with Seedbed, a twenty-first century movement and media platform whose mission is to gather, connect, and resource the people of God to sow for a great awakening. Seedbed’s growing reputation within the Wesleyan tradition, paired with the publishing reach and experience of Zondervan, will produce a co-publishing program poised to bring Wesleyan authors and content to the broader market.
Located in Franklin, Tennessee, Seedbed was established by Asbury Theological Seminary in 2012. Seedbed publishes an array of resources, including curriculum, Bible study resources, youth and college ministry resources, devotionals, video resources, books on Wesleyan theology, and more. Its primary authors are rooted in the…
Why Do We Need to Read the Gospel of Mark in Context?
One reason?
Scripture is not a 21st century text.
The recently released Reading Mark in Context: Jesus and Second Temple Judaism helps the reader see the contour and texture of Jesus’ engagement with his Jewish environment. It brings together a series of accessible essays that compare and contrast viewpoints, theologies, and hermeneutical practices of Mark and his various Jewish contemporaries.
This week we asked the editors, Ben C. Blackwell, John K. Goodrich, and Jason Maston, to weigh in on why they thought it’s important to read the Gospel of Mark in context. Read further to hear what they had to say.
Ben Blackwell:
Just the other day a new student asked me about studying the New Testament and early Christianity. They were wondering how you study…
The 2017-2018 Zondervan Biblical Greek Award Winners
Each year we partner with participating universities and seminaries to honor students who have excelled in the study of biblical Greek.
Join us by congratulating the winners of the 2017-2018 Zondervan Biblical Greek Award!
James Madsen – Nazarene Theological Seminary Zach Hafner – Calvary Chapel Bible College Kathryn Broadwell – Lee University Elijah Eck – Oklahoma Christian University Leonard Lamina – LeTourneau University Sierra Modica – New Hope Christian College Jonah Steele – Lincoln Christian University Garrett Struwe – Simpson University Hunter Costello – North Central University Jordan Troeger – Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary Tanner Heath – Carson-Newman University Andrew Franzen – Moody Bible Institute Zebediah Rose – LeTourneau University Jonathan Guy – Milligan College Hugo Pena – Southwestern Assemblies of God University Spencer French – Bethel College Stephen Lambert – Heritage Seminary Matthew Nisly – Sterling College Benjamin Basham – Montreat College Noah Batts…
When Bibles Do, and Don’t, Follow the Greek. A Couple Examples. – Mondays with Mounce 320
Paul tells the Colossians church, “My goal is that their hearts may be encouraged (ἵνα παρακληθῶσιν αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν) and knit together in love (συμβιβασθέντες ἐν ἀγάπῃ), so that (καὶ εἰς) they may have all the wealth of full assurance of understanding, for knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ (εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ μυστηρίου τοῦ θεοῦ, Χριστοῦ)” (2:2).
There are a couple things worth noting. The first is the value of keeping dependent clauses dependent. The text doesn’t say “encouraged and knit together.” παρακληθῶσιν is the main verb in the purpose clause, and συμβιβασθέντες is a dependent construction (adverbial participle) telling us something about how they are encouraged. Paul is not saying that he wants the Colossians to be encouraged and to be knit together. He is saying he wants them…
What does it mean that the Word became flesh?
John 1:14 is one of the most important verses in the Bible. It reads: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
The Word did not just appear to be human; the Word became flesh.
This assertion stunned the Greek mind for whom the separation of the divine spirit and the mundane world (flesh, sarx) was an axiom of belief.
But the second phrase is equally stunning for the Jew. This Word dwelt (skenoo) among us and revealed his glory (doxa). This verb for dwelling is employed in the Greek Old Testament for the tabernacle of God.
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The Stigma of Mental Illness in the Church – An Excerpt from Mental Health and the Church
The church across North America does a weak job of welcoming and including families of children, teens, and adults with common mental health conditions or trauma. One obstacle is the absence of a widely accepted model for mental health inclusion ministries for kids, teens, adults, and their families.
In Mental Health and the Church, Dr. Stephen Grcevich seeks to put forth a model for a mental health/trauma inclusion ministry of sufficient flexibility to be implemented by churches of all sizes, denominations, and organizational styles. In today’s excerpt, he reveals how the stigma of mental illness impacts families relationship to the church.
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I believe most pastors and church leaders are unaware of the extent to which the experience of a mental health disorder—“serious” mental health conditions such…
Your Sermon, Your Body Language – An Excerpt from Preaching God’s Word, Second Edition
You have a great sermon prepared, and the hard part is done. It would be great if all you had to do was to stand up and speak the words for maximum effectiveness. But it takes more than just words to deliver the message.
In today’s excerpt taken from Preaching God’s Word, Second Edition, authors Terry Carter, J. Scott Duvall, and J. Daniel Hays remind us that spoken language is only a fraction of the way you effectively communicate your sermon.
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Experts tell us that a major part of sermon delivery is body language. Roy DeBrand suggests that the “visual in preaching is vitally important to communication.” By visual, DeBrand means things related to your body, such as clothing, posture, gestures, facial expressions, and…