Gary Shogren's Blog
When we celebrate Communion, we usually read from 1 Corinthians 11. That’s a right practice, but another layer of studying the Bible is to ask, Why did Paul bring this up, here, in this letter? It wasn’t to teach them the ritual, because they had been celebrating communion for years. So, why now? Paul tells... Continue Reading →
Note: this is the abridged verion of a talk I gave at Seminario ESEPA, on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. To download the entire article with footnotes, go HERE or download the pdf here: Shogren_The Priesthood of All Believers in the Reformation En español: Shogren_El sacerdocio de todos los creyentes We are celebrating the 500th anniversary of... Continue Reading →
To download the entire article with footnotes, click here: Shogren_The Priesthood of All Believers in the Reformation En español: Shogren_El sacerdocio de todos los creyentes Introduction 1. The Catholic Doctrine 2. The Reformation and Beyond: Luther, Calvin, the Anabaptists, the Wesleyans 3. Modern Abuses of the Doctrine: Anti-Intellectualism, the "Super-Anointed" Leader, Hyper-Individualism Conclusion Introduction Some years back three... Continue Reading →
These are notes of a sermon outline, not a full message. This is an exciting epistle, full of joy and energy. Despite all the persecution they have experienced, the Thessalonian church is thriving and growing and reaching out with the gospel. Sure, Paul has to remind them about the resurrection of the dead when Jesus... Continue Reading →
Last Sunday I was on a road trip, and wanted to hear some Bible teaching. I guess we had already driven past the FM station that I picked up, so we got a garbled message: words words static words static words static static When the buzzes and pops finally prevailed in their assault against the... Continue Reading →
Have you met the guy who says: Yes, I’m a follower of Jesus, but I’m not a “churcher.” I have fellowship with my Christian friends, we pray together, we talk over coffee, we discuss the Bible, we have a commitment to hold each other accountable. These guys are my “church.” And they are more serious... Continue Reading →
These posts are adaptations of my commentary on 1 Corinthians, based on my own study of the critical Greek text, the early church fathers and the best of contemporary scholarship. It is available from Logos, and soon to be available in Spanis and in English from Amazon. Why you’ve never heard of the Second Corinthian... Continue Reading →
The epistle was sent to a church stationed deep within pagan territory. In Corinth as in no other place to that date, the God of Jesus Christ was pitted against the god of this world. The church sprang up in a soil that was saturated with idolatry, philosophical posturing and social stratification, all driven by... Continue Reading →
