Churches send out missionaries to spread the Gospel. As we seek to plant new churches we must first adjust our vision of what church planting is. Let’s train missionaries who will reach new people with the Gospel in our communities. These missionaries are the Christians in our churches, some of which are called to evangelize in ways that will see new churches planted.
Read MoreIn “spirit and soul in 1 Samuel” Jefferson Vann examines some metonymies in that book and suggests a different approach to their translation.
Read MoreIn "Psalm 104:29" Jefferson Vann compares various reflections on this verse and explains its significance in the debate over the state of human beings at death.
Read MoreLots of ink has been spilled about MAGA, and I don’t want to add much more. At the same time, all that ink has neglected the final word of the slogan: again. To “make America great again” implies a time in the past when America was great; a time we must recover. Hence, the questions I want to ask: When was America great? What time in American history do you want us to return to so that we can recapture this American greatness?
Read More“Isn’t God so creative? Look at the creativity of God.”
I haven’t been able to stop thinking and pondering on this concept of the creativity of God.
Our God is creative. He created everything. He spoke and it was. The earth, the sky, the sea, the mountains, the plains, the desert, the flowers, the animals. Everything.
But I’ve learned that God is also creative in how he interacts with his children.
Read MoreI have a confession to make: I find it a challenge to pray. It is not something I can easily do. It is hard also to be consistent in praying daily and regularly throughout the day. Prayer cannot be formalized or systematized. For me prayer exposes my weakness and at times my raw unbelief but maybe that is not so bad. If we come to prayer with a sense of our sufficiency to pray then are we indeed praying? When we pray it seems that at the core of what should be occurring in our minds and hearts is just how needy and messy we are.
Read MoreIn “the challenge of translating Matthew 6:25” Jefferson Vann discusses how that verse has been translated historically and makes a case for an alternate translation.
Read MoreJefferson Vann shares a way of keeping track of digital data: the digital index.
Read MoreIn “word abusers” Jefferson Vann addresses R.S. MacArthur’s assertion that proponents of conditional immortality abuse the true meaning of biblical words.
Read MoreOne thing I encourage students and others to do is read widely. Try not to focus your reading in one area. Obviously, we have to read books that relate to our job or profession. But a well-rounded diet of good books, fiction and non-fiction on a variety of topics offers a wholistic understanding of faith and life, something that all of us need in these divisive days.
Read MoreAccording to a paper written by Pastor John Roller in the 1980s, Advent Christians planted 100 churches from 1956-1986. Of those churches planted during the middle and latter half of the twentieth century, 50% lived past the 6th year of existence. In the 2018-2020 Advent Christian Strategic Plan, Executive Director Steve Lawson set a goal of planting twice the amount of churches as we have church closures.
Read MoreWe’re overwhelmed with words, and many are deceptive and misleading. Yet words spoken with love for truth and care for others offer possibilities of greater love for Christ and our fellow humans. With our words, we learn to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15).
Read MoreJefferson Vann shares how to build a digital biblical library if all you have is a computer with an Internet connection.
Read MoreUnequivocally, the end of Roe v. Wade is very good. While it does not result in abortion being banned across the United States, it opens that possibility and has obliterated the notion of a national consensus on the morality of abortion…
Read MoreIn “a sinister desolation” Jefferson Vann sheds some Old Testament light on an often misunderstood New Testament text.
Read MoreI have a friend who attended a legalistic Christian School as a child. He once told me about the day when one of his teachers taught a lesson about the possibility of a lost salvation
Read MoreI am sure that you, like me, have been somewhat preoccupied with world events of late. I am not certain if the number of disturbing events is due to the fact that there are more now than (let’s say) two and a half years ago or that we simply have greater access to immediate information and reporting. Of course we have all been impacted by the covid pandemic. Now there is the unjust war on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his henchmen that threatens to spill over into Europe. Xi Jinping and China’s Communist Party have been intensifying their threats toward Taiwan. Kim Jong-un keeps cranking out new ballistic nuclear missiles. Then there is the cultural and social unrest here in our own country. Inflation is on the rise and so is horrific gun violence. It seems that the very fabric of our nation is unraveling at breakneck speed. All the political and cultural tension and stress has also made its way into the church. Rather than stand as salt and light, the (evangelical) church (my tribe) seems to have imbibed the heady cocktail of blatant worldliness!
I have come to three settled convictions regarding what I am to do in light of all these overwhelming and seemingly threatening circumstances.
Read MoreTwo institutions contributed to developing the theological and ministry stance of Advent Christian clergy: Aurora College (University) and New England School of Theology (Berkshire Christian College). In Occupy til I Come Susan Palmer…
Read MoreSometimes the realization of some truth crashes over you all at once, like a wave breaking on the shore. Other times it mounts slowly, each piece gathered and joined together like a puzzle, until you finally see the picture…
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