born and raised twice in the bay, I preach Jesus and him crucified
*image: Rembrandt van Rijn, The Jewish Bride, c. 1665–9. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Marriage is not about one person getting their way. It is not about power or control. It is not about managing emotions to keep the peace. It is about two people learning to walk with Christ by the way they treat each other. The... Continue Reading →
W. H. P. Hatch and C. B. Welles, A Hitherto Unpublished Fragment of the Epistle to the Ephesians, HTR LI (1958), pp. 33-37. This Ephesians course was developed to strike a balance between close textual analysis and theological synthesis, guiding disciples to grasp both the literary structure of the letter and its real-world implications. The epistle... Continue Reading →
If your whole identity is built on who didn't want you, what's left when someone finally does? That's the tragedy of the incel movement. It feeds off rejection but has no idea what to do with love. The term "involuntary celibate" began as a raw, honest confession. But over time, it hardened into a belief... Continue Reading →
Christian hope is not centered on escaping the body or reaching a final resting place in an immaterial heaven. When Paul speaks of his desire “to depart and be with Christ” in Philippians 1:23, he offers comfort and confidence to believers facing death. Yet, this is not the complete picture. In the same letter, Paul makes... Continue Reading →
We like to think we are rational creatures, measuring options, weighing outcomes, and making deliberate choices. But more often than not, our lives are not led by logic. They are led by love. Or, more accurately, by what we treasure. Jesus said it plain: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also”... Continue Reading →
Phillip W. Martin 