Gary Shogrens Blog
This material adapted from 1-2 Thessalonians, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, from pages 161-66. The book is available from Amazon and as a discount from Amazon, and also from Logos, in Korean and also in Spanish. 1 Thess 4:4 is the most complex verse in the Thessalonian correspondence because of the difficulty of... Continue Reading →
Never before in human history have so many people had such easy access to the Bible - or people of any faith to their sacred books, for that matter - than we have to the Scriptures. Reading through the entire Bible in a year is a terrific goal for any year. And my very favorite... Continue Reading →
If I remember 8th-grade math correctly, and if I am hearing some of my fellow evangelicals clearly, either they or I have transgressed a basic principle of math. I’m pretty sure they are the ones who goofed about a basic issue, our worldview. What I mean is that, as a people, we are a priori... Continue Reading →
I almost never publish links to other articles, but this one is unique, and I won't be able to express it as clearly. The United States is currently overrun with theologians with good degrees, who are unemployed or underemployed. Here's some food for thought. Click "Are PhDs Necessary for Theological Education on the Mission Field?"... Continue Reading →
Does the book of Acts intend to tell us a historical narrative, or does Luke tell us how we should be living? In other terms, is it principally or simply descriptive, or is it also prescriptive? One approach is that we should follow what Acts says - or follow it more confidently - only when... Continue Reading →
Now that two public Christians have renounced their faith, some thoughts about the other 99% of us: Apostasy is a possibility for every single Christian. Every single Christian is at risk. Every single Christian is in constant risk. Now: How can I, who believe in eternal security, say this? Aren’t we supposed to tell everyone... Continue Reading →
There is a whole genre of exposé literature, interviews, videos that follow this familiar formula: “I am an ex-[whatever] and I am going to reveal the shocking inside secrets.” Ex-Communist. Ex-Janitor at Area 51. Ex-Catholic priest (Charles Chiniquy, Fifty Years in the Church of Rome, 1885). Ex Guy-who-sprayed-chemtrails-from-my-jet (see below). Ex-Jesuit (Jack Chick's man, "Alberto,"... Continue Reading →
This is the homily I gave at the wedding of our daughter Vikky to Chris, on June 29, 2019 John 2 says that “There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding.” In John’s gospel, Jesus’ first miracle... Continue Reading →
This commentary was prepared for Kairos Publications in Buenos Aires. It was composed specifically for the Latin American church. In some cases I have retained the words "Latin America," at other times I have substituted "the Americas." The bibliography reflects what is available to the Spanish-speaking church. We will publish it a section at a... Continue Reading →
