Gary Shogren's Blog
I guess I came in late for this controversy: from 2008 there’s a YouTube clip of a famous preacher and his wife, responding to the question: “What are your thoughts on stay-at-home dads if the woman really wants to work?”[1] “Too many guys take too little responsibility” was part of the answer, one with which... Continue Reading →
In the first part of this blog, we saw how the shepherds heard the angels’ message, saw the Christ child and went out to proclaim what they had seen. We too should pass on the entire gospel message, not just parts of it. But there is a second application for the Christian, one that pushes... Continue Reading →
Burned into our memory is the fact that the shepherds saw the angels, went to Bethlehem and worshiped the baby Jesus. All the Nativity displays end that way, with the shepherds fixed in place. But in fact, Christmas day was the very beginning of the shepherds’ story, since they rushed right out and began to... Continue Reading →
Paul had a precise idea of how to serve God. He worked day and night with his own hands; he risked his life and his health; he “served” the churches and did not exploit them. As a teacher he acted with patience and consideration: when people wanted answers he gave them careful, detailed explanations. He... Continue Reading →
A friend writes in to ask whether a church should have a pastor or multiple leaders. I respond: As I read it, the NT teaches that the apostolic churches were led by a group of elder/overseers. From the very first we always here of churches have elders (presbuteros) or overseers (episkopos), but not one single... Continue Reading →
Should a preacher refer to Hebrew or Greek from the pulpit? In all but a few instances, emphatically not, see “But the Greek REALLY says…” Why Hebrew and Greek are not needed in the pulpit, Part 1 The study of original languages, like all study of technical background, is to inform the preacher, not to impress the... Continue Reading →
Since the Rapture has made headlines lately, here are some observations. The New Testament was written in Greek. Some argue that it was originally done in Hebrew, but they cannot provide ancient Hebrew (or Aramaic or Syriac) manuscripts to back that up. All of Paul’s churches used Greek as their principal language. Paul himself had... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, Paul told the new believers in Thessalonica: “So, for this reason we give thanks to God without fail: because when you received the proclaimed word from us, that is, the word of God, you received it, not as a human message, but as what it really is, the word of God”... Continue Reading →
The following is a scholarly address, which I seem to remember giving many years ago before the International Association of Scholars, Theologians, Philosophers and other Professional Thinking Persons (AFL-CIO). Thank you for your invitation to address this scholarly assembly. Webster’s defines “scholarly” as “Of, relating to, or characteristic of scholars or scholarship”; but later on... Continue Reading →
The first great commandment for the Christian is to love God, the second great commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matt 22:34-40). The first great commandment for the Christian pastor is to love God, the second to love one's neighbor, and especially one's flock. A pastor must represent Christ to other people, principally in... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 