Let Acts Define Our Witness David Anguish As Ceslas Spicq begins his discussion of μάρτυς (martys; witness) in the NT, he writes, “A witness is a person who was present at a material fact or at the accomplishment of a legal action. He is informed because he was there; he saw or heard” (Spicq 1994, 447). That definition should be paramount in our thinking as we ask how the Acts “witness agenda” (Acts 1.8; Graham 1997, 1204) informs our participation in Christ’s mission (see here for the Acts...
8 days ago • 4 min read
Opening the Scriptures Then their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” ~ Luke 24.31-32 NIV Prayers & Encouragement (James 5) # 6 Confession: Good for the Soul David Anguish In 2012, Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton called a press conference to announce a relapse with alcohol. Hamilton, then 30, had battled drug...
15 days ago • 6 min read
Witness in Action David Anguish We previously affirmed that the first disciples prevailed in what Paul saw as a war of ideas (2 Cor 10.3–5) because they complied with Jesus’ charge to be “witnesses” (μάρτυς, martys; Acts 1.8), the word that functions as the theme of Acts. The nouns and verbs that refer to a witness, the act of testifying, and the disciples’ testimony appear thirty-eight times in Acts, distributed almost evenly throughout its three main sections (chapters 1–9, 10–20, 21–28)...
22 days ago • 4 min read
Opening the Scriptures Then their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” ~ Luke 24.31-32 NIV Prayers & Encouragement (James 5) # 5 Elders Anointing While They Pray, 2 David Anguish In part one, we noted specifics of the grammar of James 5.14 and briefly surveyed four proposals for interpreting the verse. Relative to the...
29 days ago • 7 min read
Can I Get a Witness? David Anguish At a time when alternative views vying for their place alongside Christianity include some that actively seek to discredit the faith, we are wise to review how the first Christians responded to the challenges in their world. Think about the audiences Paul tried to persuade. In the Jewish communities, where he typically went first (cf. Acts 13.46; 17.1, 10; 19.8), he encountered fellow monotheists who believed God had spoken in the Scriptures and revealed...
about 1 month ago • 5 min read
Opening the Scriptures Then their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” ~ Luke 24.31-32 NIV Prayers & Encouragement (James 5) # 4 Elders Anointing While They Pray, 1 David Anguish While serving as an education minister in a church, I visited another area congregation where members of my family served. They did not have...
2 months ago • 8 min read
The email link to respond to the ebook free offer in the original version is directing to my website instead of to an email draft page. I've changed the directions in the box below. If you would like to receive the free ebook offer, click "Reply" to this email and write "Free ebook" at the top of your email draft. A Theological Foundation for Optimism David Anguish Genesis 41, the turning point of the Joseph narrative, illustrates the theological principles necessary for optimism in the face...
2 months ago • 7 min read
A Theological Foundation for Optimism David Anguish Genesis 41, the turning point of the Joseph narrative, illustrates the theological principles necessary for optimism in the face of ongoing trials. As the chapter begins, “two whole years” (v. 1) after the cupbearer’s return to Pharaoh’s service, Joseph remains in prison, no better off than he was at the end of chapter 37. By the end of the chapter, he has been transformed from forgotten dreamer (40.23) to the pinnacle of power. The shift...
2 months ago • 7 min read
Opening the Scriptures Then their eyes were opened and they recognized [Jesus], and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?” ~ Luke 24.31-32 NIV Prayers & Encouragement (James 5) # 3 The Trial of Sickness David Anguish Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the...
3 months ago • 5 min read