Category: Christian Living

Pursuing a holistic expression of Christian faith that is true to the Bible and applicable for today’s world.

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God Is Sovereign

God is Our Sovereign Lord, a blog post by Peter DeHaan

Discover the Truth About Our Creator’s Sovereignty

Most people recognize God as sovereign. Yet they may not have a good understanding of what that word means. And because of their misperception, God often gets blamed for things he didn’t do.

Sovereign in the Bible

The word sovereign shows up 295 times in the Bible, mostly in the Old Testament, with over 200 times in Ezekiel alone. In all but a handful of cases it’s an adjective along with the word Lord, as in sovereign Lord. God is our sovereign lord.

Only in the book of Daniel does the word sovereign appear as a noun.

Four times we see that “the Lord Most High is sovereign,” three times from Daniel and once from the unlikely source of King Nebuchadnezzar.

And later we read the forward-looking prophecy of Daniel that Jesus is coming and will receive authority, glory, and sovereign power.

Sovereign in the Dictionary

Yet none of these places in the Bible define what sovereign is. But the dictionary is most helpful.

As an adjective—which is how the Bible mostly uses it—sovereign means supreme power. So as our sovereign Lord, we confirm that God has supreme power. No one surpasses his dominion. It is paramount.

As a noun we learn that sovereign refers to someone who exercises supreme, permanent authority, as in a king or queen. God is our king, the king of kings. We ascribe to him ultimate authority without end.

This is how we rightly understand God’s sovereignty.

Sovereign As Most Perceive It

Yet this is not how many Christians—as well as secular society—understands God’s sovereignty.

The common perception is that in God’s sovereign power, he controls everything. Therefore, nothing happens without his approval. But this eliminates us having free will, the ability to make our own decisions—be it right or wrong—about what we do.

More importantly, this incorrect view of sovereignty also means that people can then blame God for everything bad that happens.

How often have we heard someone lament, “Why did God let this happen”?

Yet these things that God gets blamed for stem from four other sources.

  • Other People: One source is people who make bad decisions.
  • Creation: Another cause is the natural order of how God created the world to function.
  • Sin: A third reason is the sinful nature within every one of us.
  • Satan: Last, our spiritual enemy, the devil, wants to mess up our lives and pull us from God. As such, Satan is often the cause of the bad things we encounter in our lives. So blame him.

God can use these things to accomplish his will and ultimately bring about good (Romans 8:28). But it’s an overstretch to say he always causes them to happen.

Conclusion

Yes, God’s sovereignty does allow him to supernaturally intervene in situations. And he can divinely determine to bring about hardship to accomplish his purposes. And he disciplines us to make us stronger.

Though these are both biblical concepts, they emerge as exceptions and not the norm.

To assert that God’s sovereignty makes him responsible for all the horrible events that happen in our life and in our world misrepresents who he is.

We must stop blaming God for our disappointments.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

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The Roman Catholic Church is Not the Enemy

Roman Catholic Church

Martin Luther Supported the Roman Catholic Church and Did Not Want to Leave Her

The name of Martin Luther remains unknown to most in the Roman Catholic Church, and many of those who know of him blame him for dividing Christianity and causing disunity. Yet remember Martin was a Catholic.

He tried to bring about change within the Catholic Church. He didn’t want to start a revolution against her. Only after Church leaders expelled him did Luther resort to pursue a new church practice apart from the Roman Catholic institution.

However, Protestants lessen their Christian heritage if they view Catholics with disdain for pushing Luther away. In the same way, Catholics miss a greater faith perspective if they regard Protestants as rebels. We’re on the same side. We pursue a comparable faith in the same God, we just go about it in different ways.

The Bible is common to our faith. Christian unity in Jesus should be the mutual intent of Protestants and Catholics. We must strive to get along. Our unity will point people to Jesus. Our lack of harmony will repel them.

Protestants can celebrate that the Roman Catholic Church later went through its own mini-reformation. This Counter-Reformation corrected many of the errors Luther had pointed out.

Though the Roman Catholic Church leaders’ reactions to him (and others like him) sparked the Protestant Reformation, the Roman Catholic Church is not the enemy of Protestantism. We are not at war.

Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century

Christian Unity

Though not his intention, Luther, however, did divide the Church. He diluted the Christian stream of Catholicism.

Furthermore, note that Protestantism never enjoyed unity within itself. It started as multiple opposing factions. These groups further divided over the centuries that followed to become 42,000 splintered denominations today.

For all the good the Protestant Reformation accomplished, the painful outcome produced massive division, something the Roman Catholics have smartly avoided.

The Roman Catholic Church’s initial response to Luther and his criticism of their practices was opposition. This stands as a typical posture of an institution when attacked.

Yet, their attitude went beyond resistance to Martin’s words. They grew hostile, both vicious and vile, toward his person. Though not excusable, we can understand this reaction.

The Catholic hostility toward Luther continued for over four centuries. A turning point came in 1937 when Joseph Lortz, a Catholic professor, published a two-volume book on Luther.

His work provided a balanced, scholarly review of Luther. This advanced a better understanding for Catholics of this much-maligned man. Lortz’s work provided a path to thaw Catholicism’s icy attitude toward Luther.

Aided by the later ecumenical efforts of Pope John XXII and the second Vatican Council (1962-63), the culmination of Lortz’s work may have occurred in 2011 when Pope Benedict XVI spoke in Germany, to Lutherans, about Luther in a positive way.

Though this didn’t resolve the issue, it served to reorient attitudes.

Move Toward Unity

To move forward, we can embrace both Catholicism and Protestantism as equal facets of Christianity. We both follow the teaching of Jesus, albeit from different historical traditions. With much more to unite than to divide, both groups must acknowledge that neither approach to faith is error-free or superior, just different.

More importantly, Jesus desires we pursue Christian unity. In his prayer before his death, he pleaded that we, his future followers, would be one, just as he and the Father are one. This harmony will let the world know that the Father sent Jesus to us, John 17:21, 23.

May Catholics and Protestants work together to point the world to God the Father, through Jesus.

May we pursue unity.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

What Does Nondenominational Mean?

Nondenominational: Move Past Denominational Thinking

Many Churches Misuse This Word and Don’t Even Know It

Some churches call themselves nondenominational. But from a practical perspective and a functional standpoint I doubt how true their assessment is.

Nondenominational Definition

Nondenominational refers to a person or an entity—usually a church—that does not restrict themselves to or affiliated with a particular denomination. They do not have any denominational association; they are not related to a denomination.

A synonym for nondenominational is nonsectarian. The definition is similar, in some dictionaries it’s identical.

It means not being associated with a particular denomination or limited to the perspectives of that denomination. Its root word of sect gets at the impact behind this word. Effectively it equates a sect with a denomination.

The Nondenominational Label

In my experience, most churches that use the nondenominational label do so for marketing purposes. They want to eliminate any negative connotations their attendees would have with a certain brand of Christianity, that is, a specific denomination.

At first this seems an enlightened approach. They distance themselves from any denominational limitations and are free to approach God without any denominational baggage.

Yet digging beneath the surface represents a different reality.

When you consider what they believe, it most always mirrors a specific denomination. And when you look at the credentials of their pastors, they usually hail from a denominational school or seminary. Their teaching reflects this influence, whether they know it or not.

It is not, therefore, surprising to find many of the attendees also have this denomination in their past as well. Whether or not they embraced this denominational influence, its teaching continues to form their perspectives.

Recall our definition of nondenominational. One phrase is that they’re not related to a denomination. In truth, most nondenominational churches are in fact related to a denomination, albeit not by name. But they are related by their beliefs and practices.

They may even believe they’re nondenominational, but this perspective is delusional—and even dangerous. I can only think of one truly nondenominational church. They seemed to smartly transcend denominations.

Most all the nondenominational churches I visited over the years have had a Baptist vibe, history, or connection. In one case, however, the nondenominational church was Pentecostal in disguise, as evidenced by their practices, beliefs, and the training of their ministers.

I have nothing against Baptists or Pentecostals, along with their beliefs and practices, but I do dislike them calling themselves nondenominational when it’s not really true.

Nondenominational Marketing

As already covered, this use of the nondenominational label is often a marketing strategy—whether they acknowledge it or not. Their brand carries negative connotations they want to avoid, so they disavow any connection with that denomination.

Yet this tactic is little different than a bait-and-switch sales and marketing ploy.

A related trend is denomination churches removing any hint of their affiliation from their name. Though they maintain their connection with their denomination and don’t claim they’re independent, their name suggests otherwise.

If your denomination’s name is a deterrent to attracting people to your gathering or reaching the world for Jesus, it warrants serious reconsideration. Perhaps cutting all ties is the better approach if you’re serious about growing the Kingdom of God.

Nondenominational in Practice

To be truly nondenominational means to not have the appearance of any one denomination. It means to transcend denominations. Being nondenominational requires taking a comprehensive approach to church practices and beliefs.

This starts by using the Bible as the foundation and studying it afresh and not through the perspective of your experience or the teaching of a particular denomination.

Though this is most challenging to do, it’s not impossible. With God’s help we can reform our thinking to move past denominations and center our focus firmly on him.

This is my goal, and I hope you will make it yours too.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
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Martin Luther’s Concerns

Martin Luther's concerns

Martin Luther’s 95 Concerns Were Distributed in Printed Form and Essentially Went Viral

Martin Luther lived five hundred years ago. He was born at the dawn of the modern era. He became a leading figure in the Protestant Reformation. A key technology in birthing the modern era was the printing press.

The printing press also helped drive the Reformation. It propelled the spread of information. This moved a premodern society into the modern era. (A similar change occurs today, as the internet helps us move from the modern era into the postmodern era.)

This printing technology broadcast a message of spiritual enlightenment to a people poised for religious change. We politely refer to the transformation that emerged as the Protestant Reformation, but the word revolution might better describe the spiritual rebellion that followed.

Luther’s List of Concerns

The fuse that ignited this came from a list of ninety-five concerns that this German monk had about the abuse of one specific church practice: the sale of indulgences, which, at the risk of oversimplification, allowed people to buy their salvation.

We call Martin Luther’s concerns, his talking points, as his ninety-five theses. He wrote it in Latin, so the masses wouldn’t know about his concerns.

However, without Luther’s knowledge, well-meaning followers translated his ninety-five theses into German and printed copies for the people to read.

This turned his handwritten list into a printable tract, which saw wide distribution throughout the country and spread his concerns to a much larger audience.

Widespread Distribution

Though not all Germans could read German, they could understand it as others read to them. What they heard disturbed them, likely in part because many of them had paid for full indulgences, which Martin essentially outed as a scam.

Then others translated his ninety-five points into other European languages. This spread his message across the continent. Though five centuries prior to the internet, his list of ninety-five theses went viral—long before the information super highway and Twitter existed.

Outrage ensued. The private, internal discussion he sought with Church leaders never happened. Instead, a revolution resulted.

But Martin never wanted to lead a rebellion or become its figurehead, he didn’t intend his ninety-five points to attack the Roman Catholic Church, and he certainly didn’t mean to spark a revolt.

Martin wanted to work for change within the system. But the laity, now aware of his concerns, were poised to rebel against what they saw as an unsympathetic Church that exploited them and didn’t care about them or their plight. The people wanted a religious revolt, and that’s what they got.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Christian Living

Beware of Reading the Bible Through the Lens of the World We Live In

Beware Reading the Bible Through the Lens of the World: Biblical Truth Never Changes

We Distort Scripture If We Try to Adapt It to Fit Society’s Views

I write about the need to be careful when reading Scripture to not interpret it through the lens of our experiences, perspectives, and practices. When we do so it clouds our understanding. We must likewise be careful not to read the Bible through the lens of the world we live in.

The world’s perspective is not a biblical one. Society is anti-God and anti-faith in most every way.

We’re bombarded with their messages all day long through music, movies, and television. We’re assaulted by advertisements and social media. It comes to us at work and sometimes even at church.

If we don’t guard our thoughts and our attitudes against these negative influences, we run the risk of buying into their warped perspective that runs counter to what the Bible teaches.

And as we slide into accepting their distorted mindset, it affects the way we understand God’s word.

We begin to interpret passages differently. We begin to put a slant on God’s truth to better align with society’s misguided perspectives. And we begin to ignore passages that don’t align with their secular views.

Yet this is what happens when we try to read the Bible through the lens of the world.

We must stop.

God doesn’t change and neither does the truth he proclaims (Numbers 23:19 and Psalm 55:19). When it comes to his word—which we read in Scripture—it’s the same today as it was a generation ago, as it was a millennia ago, as it was when it was first written.

The Lens of the World Says to Accept Everyone

Scripture doesn’t talk about accepting everyone, regardless of their lifestyle.

Instead, it teaches that we are to love everyone. Jesus tells us to love one another (John 13:34-35). Another time he says we are to love our neighbors—that means everyone who is in need—as much as we love ourselves (Mark 12:28-33).

One way we love them is to tell them the truth—even if they’re not ready to hear it.

The Lens of the World Says Each Person Decides What’s Right and Wrong

The world maintains there is no such thing as absolute truth, that everything is relative. They insist that each person should decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong. But it’s not good when everyone does as they see fit.

It’s happened before and God intervened (Genesis 6:13). Then it happened again (Judges 17:6 and Judges 21:25) and repeatedly throughout the Old Testament.

The Lens of the World Says to Not Talk about Sin

The Bible teaches us what to do and what not to do. When we fall short of God’s expectation, it’s sin. We all sin and miss the mark (Romans 3:23).

But the world doesn’t want us to point this out. Talking about sin makes them uncomfortable. Yet they wouldn’t be uncomfortable if deep down in their hearts they didn’t know that what we say is true.

There is right and there is wrong, but they don’t want to hear it. They want to do what they want to do with no one telling them to stop.

We Need a Biblical Standard

Yet we dare not leave it to each person to decide what is right on their own. This is because one person’s right and wrong will inevitably conflict with another person’s right and wrong. Without a consensus on what is right or wrong, conflict ensues.

Without a moral ethic to guide us, society runs amok. People act with selfish intent. In the process they end up hurting one another.

Instead, we need a standard of what is right and what is wrong. God gives us this. It’s in the Bible. We’ve had it from the beginning.

All we need to do is believe what he teaches us and not attempt to filter it through the lens of the world, less we distort what Scripture says.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
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​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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The Concerns of Martin Luther

Turning Point for Martin Luther

Martin Luther Studied the Bible to See If It Supported Church Practices

As Martin studied the Latin translation of the Bible, he grew worried about the lack of biblical support for the Church’s misuse of indulgences, of essentially allowing people to buy their salvation.

Instead, he found the Bible overflowing with grace. This disconnect alarmed him.

The practice of indulgences confuses many outside the Catholic Church. A simple explanation is that an indulgence offers a way to reduce the amount of punishment for sins by taking a specified action.

These acts might include repeating a prayer a certain number of times, traveling to a specific place on a pilgrimage, or performing an assigned task, such as doing a good deed.

Indulgences can tie in with the sacrament of penance, which involves remorse, confession to a priest, acceptance of punishment, and absolution. Among other things, penance is a partial indulgence that can reduce the time spent in purgatory for a sacramentally absolved sin.

Though his view seems to have changed later, Martin viewed the practice of indulgences as acceptable. His alarm centered on their abuse.

Here’s What Happened

Some overeager church leaders had turned the concept of indulgences into something more. Taking indulgences to an unhealthy extreme, they offered them in exchange for money to raise funds for a church building project—rebuilding Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

This overzealous application changed indulgences from taking a conciliatory action to making a monetary payment.

This fundraising scheme escalated out of control and further impoverished already poor people, as they spent what little money they had trying to make themselves right with God.

Also, these misguided church leaders sold a full indulgence, which guaranteed a quick release from purgatory upon death—a complete pardon, if you will. In effect, they sold the promise of eternal salvation.

Martin objected to the idea that people could essentially buy their way into heaven, with no need to repent. This led the concerns of Martin Luther

This, and the heretical teaching that accompanied this abuse of indulgences, prompted him to act.

Read more about Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation in Peter DeHaan’s book Martin Luther’s 95 Theses: Celebrating the Protestant Reformation in the 21st Century. Buy it today to discover more about Martin Luther and his history-changing 95 theses.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Beware the World’s Influences Overshadowing the Bible’s Truth

Hold on to Biblical Truth, it is the foundation of our faith

4 Ideals We Should Pursue to Stay True to Jesus

As followers of Jesus, we must take care to not let the influences of our world negate our understanding of our Savior and what he stands for. This must be an ongoing effort, because worldly ideas bombard us all day long and not God-honoring principles. And this directly opposes biblical truth.

If we’re not careful, these negative ideas will push biblical truth out and replace it with secular notions. I fear that many in Jesus’s church have unwillingly succumbed to making this error.

Here are four ideals we should pursue:

1. Do Not Be Politically Correct

Afraid they’ll offend others, these people have become politically correct, while pushing aside the idea of being biblically correct. Yet to be true to Jesus and his calling on our lives, we must adhere to biblical truth.

May biblical correctness be more important to us than political correctness. The Bible is the foundation of our faith. If we lose our foundation, we lose everything. And we’ll stand for nothing because we’ll cease to stand at all.

2. Do Not Conform to the World

Paul writes that we are to not conform to the world’s ways. Instead, we are to transform our mind by renewing it (Romans 12:2).

We best renew our mind when we seek God in the spiritual realm and immerse ourselves in biblical truth in the physical realm. The prescription to prevent conforming to the world starts with studying the Bible and progresses by listening to the Holy Spirit.

3. Do Not Love the World

John writes that we are to not love the world nor the things in the world (1 John 2:15). Yet it is easy to get sucked into this.

We live in a materialistic society that conditions us to crave more, to never be satisfied with what we have. This is the point of advertising: to make us want what we don’t have.

Instead, we should crave spiritual things to mature in our salvation, just as a baby craves milk so it can grow (1 Peter 2:2). May we excel in our faith and not worldly pursuits.

We must focus on what is of God and not what is of this world (Colossians 3:2).

4. Do Not Worry About Being Hated

Jesus says that the only way for the world to love us is if we belong to it. But we don’t belong to it. He has chosen us out of the world. When we follow Jesus, the world will hate us (John 15:18-19).

If the world hates us—criticizes, attacks, and diminishes us—it proves we’re rightly following Jesus. The counterpoint is that if the world doesn’t treat us this way, our faith and our witness for Jesus means nothing.

Though we all want to be loved, we should expect that when we truly follow Jesus, not everyone will love us. Some will oppose us.

John writes that we shouldn’t be surprised when the world hates us (1 John 3:13). Furthermore, the apostle instructs us to not love the world or anything in it. If we do, it shows that we don’t love Father God (1 John 2:15).

Conclusion: Do Not Be in the World

Though we are in the world, we are not of the world. If we lose sight of this distinction, our faith fails to hold meaning and our influence on the world diminishes.

In doing so, we’ll lose any positive impact we may have on the world; we’ll fail to point others to Jesus and advance his kingdom.

To not be in the world requires an ongoing, daily effort. We must guard what comes into our mind from the anti-God influences of society, lest it push out his truth.

Instead, we should think about whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8). And we find these ideals in Scripture. This biblical truth provides the unshakeable foundation for our faith.

To do so we must be careful about the shows and movies we watch, the songs we listen to, and the books we read. We must select our news sources with care, less they, too, lead us astray.

In similar fashion, we must choose our closest friends with care, in case they, too, pull us away from Jesus and biblical truth.

This doesn’t mean we should avoid contact with non-believers—that would be an overreach—but we must make sure that we influence them and not the other way around.

Jesus says we are a light unto the world (Matthew 5:14). When we fix our gaze on him—and not what the world offers—we can do just that.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
​
​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Embracing the Five-Fold Ministry

Learn about the five-fold ministry as covered in the book of Ephesians

Discover the Essentials for Effective Ministry

When we follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit fills us and gives us spiritual gifts. These are special abilities to help grow God’s Kingdom. The Bible talks about many of them, and here is a list of the key spiritual gifts.

Paul names five of these gifts in his letter to the Ephesians, which some people call the five-fold ministry. The roles of the five-fold ministry—as empowered by spiritual gifts—are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

The purpose of these positions are to equip people to build up the body of Christ (that is, Jesus’s church) to become united in faith, better know Jesus, and reach spiritual maturity (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Here are the roles in the five-fold ministry:

Apostles

Apostles are the spiritual visionaries who lead the way to advance the Kingdom of God. But they are more than leaders. They are supernaturally empowered to see opportunities others miss. They move forward under Holy Spirit power to grow Jesus’s church.

Jesus exemplifies apostleship, as well as all parts of the five-fold ministry. The Bible also identifies his disciples as apostles. And Paul proclaims himself as one also.

Prophets

Though prophets are ministers, not all ministers are prophets. A prophet does more than proclaim the word of God to others. A prophet has a deep connection with God, discerns his heart and spiritual truth, and proclaims it to others.

Prophets are empowered by the Holy Spirit to speak supernatural insight (1 Corinthians 14:29-30 and 2 Peter 1:20-21).

We also must be aware of false prophets and watch out for them (1 John 4:1)

The Old Testament is full of prophets, but their role did not cease or change when Jesus came to earth. Prophets still exist today, and Paul makes it clear we need prophets for effective ministry. Jesus exemplifies a prophet.

Evangelists

An evangelist tells others about Jesus. Though we all can—and should—do this, evangelists are equipped to do so more effectively. They have winsome personalities, and they’re able to connect with people and bring about meaningful—and life-saving—spiritual conversations.

The Bible mentions two evangelists by name: Phillip (Acts 21:8) and Timothy (2 Timothy 4:5). Though not called an evangelist, John the Baptist functioned in this role and Jesus modeled it, just as he does with all the other roles in the five-fold ministry.

Pastors

Next, we have pastors, also called shepherds, as in shepherds of a flock. We should not assume this role of pastor is the same as minister. A pastor—a shepherd—cares for those in their congregation, as in their flock, which are those under their care.

Both Timothy and Titus function in the role of pastor, as appointed by Paul. They serve as shepherds for the flocks assigned to them.

Jesus exemplifies being a shepherd, both now and for eternity (Revelation 7:17). He is the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-16). Even better, Jesus is the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20) and Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4).

Teachers

The final function in our list of roles in the five-fold ministry is teacher. The teacher effectively communicates the truth about Jesus and knowledge of God to others.

They do this clearly and avoid confusion to help people better know God, move forward on their faith journey, and challenge them toward a more God-honoring lifestyle.

The New Testament contains many teachers, with Jesus being the best of them all. Some ministers are teachers but not all are. Just as we should look out for false prophets, we must guard against false teachers (2 Peter 2:1).

As we grow in our faith and increase our knowledge of what it means to follow Jesus, we should all move into the role of teacher (Hebrews 5:12), while knowing that it carries a higher accountability (James 3:1). Yet some receive teaching as a spiritual gift, a supernatural anointing.

Application

While all who follow Jesus have spiritual gifts, not all are gifted for the five-fold ministry. The key is to use whatever spiritual gifts God gives us to grow his Kingdom.

When it comes to ministry, it occurs most effectively when each role in the five-fold ministry is present. This is not to imply ministry can’t occur without all five positions, only that it best happens when all five positions are filled.

Though one person can accomplish all functions in the five-fold ministry, just as Jesus modeled, few people possess all five. Usually, people in ministry excel in one or two areas of the five-fold ministry.

For example, my area of giftedness in the five-fold ministry is teaching. God has called me to teach others through my writing. He has gifted me to do so, and I work on developing this skill. Doing so fills me with joy and gives me life. It energizes me.

I also enjoy the role of shepherd, but I need to exercise caution because it will drain me if I don’t take care of myself.

Though there have been brief times when I have functioned as an apostle and prophet, I don’t do those with as much confidence or realize as much impact. The fifth area in the five-fold ministry is evangelist. This is not a role I excel at and struggle with.

The Next Step

Learn the roles of the five-fold ministry and be strategic to maximize impact.

If you are in ministry, which of the five-fold roles do you fill? In what areas do you struggle with or fall short? Who can you invite to work with you to produce better results?

If you are not in formal ministry, how can you come alongside your ministry leaders and staff to support them in one of these five-fold ministry functions?

And if your giftedness is not in one of these five areas, how can you offer the spiritual gift that you do have to further God’s Kingdom?

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
​
​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.

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Understanding Paul’s Letters in the Bible

Embrace Paul’s Letters in the Bible.

Discover How to Navigate and Rightly Understand What Paul Wrote

The apostle Paul is the most prolific writer in the New Testament. He wrote about half of the books, which comprise roughly one third of the content. These are all letters.

Some of Paul’s letters are to groups of people and others are to individuals.

Paul wrote Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. He addresses them to groups of people, usually churches.

Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon to individuals. In these various letters, he sometimes had cowriters, but even then, he took the lead.

These letters total thirteen of the New Testament’s twenty-seven books. Though we don’t know who wrote Hebrews, it’s possible Paul was one of the unidentified co-authors.

If so, this would bump the total to fourteen books he was involved in writing.

In most cases, however, we don’t know the circumstances behind why Paul wrote these letters, so we need to take care that we don’t take what he intended for one person or one church from long ago and wrongly apply it to us today.

Though we clearly know the circumstances for Paul writing to Philemon (a petition to restore the runaway slave, Onesimus, to his master), in most cases we don’t know the situations behind Paul’s letters.

As we read them, it’s as if we’re listening to half of a conversation and don’t know the context.

He may have been answering a question they asked or addressing a specific problem that’s come to his attention (such as 1 Corinthians 1:11). But we usually don’t know.

Just as listening to one side of a phone call could cause us to form wrong conclusions, we run the same risk if we don’t read Paul’s letters with care.

As a result, we should be wary of Paul’s writings so that we don’t misunderstand them. Yet we would be equally wrong to dismiss his letters as not applicable.

To better navigate this tricky dilemma, we’ll do well to divide the content of Paul’s letters into three categories.

Paul’s Story

In Paul’s letters, he often talks about his personal situation. He writes about the things he did in the past, what he’s doing in the present, and his plans for the future. He also tells us about other people or situations.

We can treat these passages just like any other historical section of the Bible.

When we read Paul’s letters, we may be surprised at how often he talks about himself or situations he’s aware of. We can learn much through Paul’s example and his life, as revealed in his letters.

Paul’s Teaching

Another portion of Paul’s writings teach the recipients about the truths of God and how to best navigate their journey of faith.

Though Paul certainly selects what he teaches based on the specific needs of the recipients, we don’t need to know why he’s doing so.

Regardless of the circumstances, we can trust Paul’s teaching to contain godly truths that universally apply to all people regardless of the situation or the era. Paul’s teachings in his letters are clearly applicable to us today.

Paul’s Commands

The third type of content in Paul’s letters is where things get tricky. It’s when he tells his audience what to do. Though the applicability of some situations are clear, most are not.

Consider when Paul tells Timothy to drink a little wine for medicinal purposes. This instruction is obviously directed to Timothy and him alone.

It would be foolish for us to think Paul is commanding us to drink wine. This would be especially detrimental for a recovering alcoholic.

Another example is when Paul tells Philemon to prepare a guest room for him. Paul’s certainly not telling us to prepare a guest room for him today. That wouldn’t make sense.

An alternate example is Paul’s frequent command to love one another. He gives this instruction in six of his letters. Peter and John also include this command in three of their letters. Most importantly, Jesus teaches we are to love one another (John 13:34).

Therefore, Paul’s command to love one another is something we should all follow. We know this because Paul repeats it to several audiences, Peter and John concur, and most importantly, it comes from Jesus himself.

Yet most of the rest of Paul’s instructions fall in the murky area between these two extreme examples.

We’re left with a dilemma of wondering whether these commands from Paul are generic instructions we should all follow today or specific direction tailored to one audience: the letters recipients.

In this latter case, we may be incorrect to assume these commands of Paul apply to us today.

To guide us in navigating this dilemma we can consider three principles.

  1. First, if Paul wrote the same command to multiple audiences, it more likely applies to us too.
  2. Second, if other New Testament writers give the same instruction, we can give it even more credence.
  3. Last, and most significantly, is if Jesus commanded it. Then we must follow and obey what he said.

And we can turn to the Holy Spirit to guide us in how to rightly navigate Paul’s commands that we find written in his letters.

Conclusion about Paul’s Letters

We must treat the commands we find in Paul’s letters with care.

We should neither outrightly dismiss them as irrelevant nor naively embrace them without considering if they’re meant for us.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

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Categories
Christian Living

As Jesus’s Followers We Are to Live in Perfect Unity

Let’s Live in Perfect Unity with One Another

We Glorify God and Serve as the Most Effective Witness When We Get Along

I write a lot about the importance of Christian unity. This is because Jesus prayed that we would be one, and I embrace his request and vision as imperative. If we profess to following Jesus, we need to all get along. We must live in unity, perfect unity.

I’m not just talking about unity within your congregation, though that’s important. I’m not alluding to unity within your denomination, though that’s important too. And I’m not even referring to unity with those churches that agree with yours.

True unity addresses the entire church of Jesus, that’s all who follow him. He wants us all to get along. Every one of us. This includes other Christians we disagree with—especially those we disagree with.

Jesus Prayed for Our Unity

In Jesus’s lengthy prayer before he died for us, he wrapped up by praying for all his future followers that we would get along and be one, just as he and his Father are one (John 17:23). Their example is one of perfect unity, and we must pursue it with all diligence.

Jesus Died for Our Unity

Jesus died as the ultimate sin sacrifice to redeem us—to make us right with Father God—and bring about unity to all things in heaven and on earth through him. All things include us—it especially includes us (Ephesians 1:7-10).

We Are to Live in Unity

Furthermore, Paul urges the Ephesians—and by extension us—to live a life worthy of our calling, to be humble, gentle, patient, and loving, to make every effort to live in unity. This is because we are one body, through one Spirit, called to one hope, through one Lord, one faith, and one baptism, from one God (Ephesians 4:1-6). We are to be one. This is what it means to live in perfect unity and why we should do so.

True Love Results in Unity

Paul also writes as God’s chosen people—as followers of Jesus—we are to live with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. We are to bear with one another and forgive one another, just as Jesus forgave us. These all fall under the umbrella of love, working together to produce perfect unity (Colossians 3:12-14).

Live in Perfect Unity

As followers of Jesus, we must get along. We must live in unity with one another. This is an answer to his prayer for us, glorifies Father God, and serves as our most effective witness to a watching world who needs Jesus to save them.

Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.

Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.

Bogged Down Reading the Bible?

10 Essential Bible Reading Tips, from Peter DeHaan

Get the Bible Reading Tip Sheet: “10 Tips to Turn Bible Reading from Drudgery to Delight.”
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​Enter your info and receive the free Bible Reading Tip Sheet and be added to Peter’s email list.