In the past three weeks, three Christians whom I knew and revered died. Paul Finkenbinder, known as “Hermano Pablo,” was an evangelist whose radio broadcasts in Latin America reached millions. Florence Tracy was a counselor and colleague from my days at Newport-Mesa Christian Center in Costa Mesa, California. Glen Colewas a veteran senior pastor, denominational leader, and college president from Northern California. All were longtime family friends. I mention these wonderful people by name because death is never abstract. It is always concrete, always personal. A person dies, and we who knew and loved them mourn. According to Paul, Silas, … Continue reading Do Not Grieve Like the Rest of Mankind (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14)

Love is not amorphous. It takes particular shape in the attitudes that guide and the actions that express how we feel toward others. In 1 Thessalonians 4:9, Paul, Silas, and Timothy wrote: “you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.” Now, in verses 10–12, they go on to show one application of that general principle to a concrete situation in the Thessalonian church. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your … Continue reading Do So More and More (1 Thessalonians 4:10–12)

What are Christians in American most known for? A few years back, David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons published unChristian, which surveyed the perceptions non-Christian young adults held of the American Church. The results were not pretty. We American Christians are perceived, according to Kinnaman and Lyons’ research, as hypocritical, too salvation-focused, antihomosexual, sheltered, too political, and judgmental. Obviously, caveats apply. Perception is not reality, for one thing. For another, surveys may only reveal “lies, d***ed lies, and statistics,” as Mark Twain famously put it. On the other hand, as any marketing expert can tell you, perception is reality as far … Continue reading Taught by God to Love Each Other (1 Thessalonians 4:9–10)

Is the Bible out of touch with contemporary sexual mores? First Thessalonians 4:3–8 seems to be so, for three reasons: First, it frames Christian conduct in terms of “holiness,” a word contemporaries typically use ironically rather than sincerely. Second, its prohibition of “sexual immorality” seems quaint, given the prevalence of extramarital sex and widespread use of pornography, even among Christians. Third, its warning that the Lord will “punish” the sexually immoral seems heavy-handed, as if God is a pleasure-hating killjoy just waiting to send unmarried, sexually active couples to hell. Consider, with this last point in mind, verses 6–8: The … Continue reading Holiness, Sex, and Punishment (1 Thessalonians 4:6–8)