In the Catholic church, the celebration of mass is the high point of the week’s services, and the worship service is often simply called "the mass". Some Protestant worship services, too, focus on the sacrament, notably in Episcopalian/Anglican churches. In reacting against Rome have we evangelicals drifted away from the Bible and pushed communion into... Continue Reading →
Are you a Wretched Man or Woman? Should you be? [Romans 7]
Since I just published an article on chronic sin (CLICK HERE), I thought I'd follow it up with another about the Wretched Man passage of Romans 7:14-25. It took me about eight years of back-and-forth to write. My conclusion may surprise you. Shogren Romans 7 Originally published in Evangelical Quarterly 72/2 (April, 2000): 119-134.
1 Corinthians and Thessalonians: My New Commentaries now available!
The English version of my Thessalonian commentary is available from Amazon! http://www.amazon.com/Thessalonians-Zondervan-Exegetical-Commentary-Testament/dp/0310243963/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343856671&sr=8-1&keywords=shogren It is also available as a book on Logos. And the English version of my 1 Corinthians is available on Logos software - http://www.logos.com/product/24079/first-corinthians-an-exegetical-pastoral-commentary Spanish versions to come in the future! Blessings! Gary
You are not a slave!
When it comes to the complex issue of labor and management, the Bible has answers. But are we asking it the right questions? In the old joke, a man wanted to know God’s will from the Scripture. I’ll open the Bible at random and point, and that will be God’s direction for me. When he opened... Continue Reading →
The Sheep and the Goats on Sunday Morning [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
When the Son of Man comes in his glory he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, “Come, you who are blessed... Continue Reading →
Missionary, your newsletter is an act of worship
I calculate we've now [in 2012] sent out 100 editions of the Shogren missionary newsletter. Plus, I’ve received a thousand or two from other missionaries. Since we won’t ever be Tweeting, it looks like our communication style has settled into an e-letter we send off every two months. All said, if I’m going to offer... Continue Reading →
Zombies and the Bible [Studies in 1 Corinthians]
Since one night in 1985, I know what the world looks like through a zombie’s eyes. In Scotland, I would go out evangelizing on Thursdays and then take the hour-long hike home in the dark. But then one night I figured that I could cut out to the main highway, grab a bus, and save 20... Continue Reading →
I’m a Dad – what does God want me to do?
What exactly is a father supposed to do? Ask a dozen people and you’ll get two dozen answers. As a Christian, I believe that God wants me to walk a certain path that the rest of the world doesn’t follow, and that includes how I should live as a father (or a husband, or teacher,... Continue Reading →
Is wine forbidden in the Bible?
There is a long train of people who are keen to prove that wine in the New Testament era did not contain alcohol, that it was only grape juice. Therefore, Jesus must not have turned water into wine at Cana, nor serve wine at the Last Supper. Nevertheless: how is it possible that wine (oinos/οἶνος)... Continue Reading →