What the Bible teaches about the Church—its origin, nature, mission, leadership, ordinances, and practices.
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09102 1 Corinthians 14 addresses both the gift of prophecy and the regulation of teaching within the gathered assembly, but it does not always make the boundary between the two as neat as systematic theology would prefer. Understanding the distinction is important, because confusing them in either direction leads to practical problems in church…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 09107 The complementarian-egalitarian debate is one of the most significant secondary disagreements within evangelical Christianity. It shapes how churches are led, how Scripture is interpreted, and how men and women relate to one another in the life of the congregation. Both positions claim biblical support, both are held by sincere believers, and both have…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09098 Many churches, particularly in the Baptist tradition, ask members to sign a church covenant: a written statement of mutual commitment describing how the members intend to live together, care for one another, and uphold the life of the congregation. The practice is widespread enough that some assume it is biblically mandated. Others view…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09013 The question of whether prophets exist in the church today sits at the intersection of several important issues: the nature of spiritual gifts, the sufficiency of Scripture, the closure of the canon, and the practical experience of many believers who have received what they understand to be prophetic words. The answer requires careful…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09105 Few verses in the New Testament generate as much heat as 1 Timothy 2:12. Paul’s statement that he does not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man has been dismissed by some as culturally irrelevant and weaponised by others as a blanket prohibition on women doing anything at…
Reading Time: 3 minutesQuestion 09007 The question of who may take communion touches directly on how we understand the nature of the Lord’s Supper and the community for which it was given. Different Christian traditions draw the lines in different places, from the very restrictive to the entirely open. What does the New Testament itself say about who…
Reading Time: 5 minutesQuestion 09076 Not every gathering that calls itself a church is one in the biblical sense. The word ekklesia in the New Testament refers to an assembly of called-out ones, those who belong to Christ and are gathered in His name under His authority. But what makes such a gathering genuinely biblical rather than simply…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09042 Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest Christian communion in the world, with an estimated 220 million adherents, and yet it remains largely unfamiliar to Western evangelicals. Understanding what Eastern Orthodoxy teaches, how it differs from both Roman Catholicism and evangelical Protestantism, and where it stands in relation to the gospel of Scripture is…
Reading Time: 4 minutesQuestion 09085 The question of flag-waving in church touches on deeper issues than aesthetics or personal taste. It raises questions about what the gathered church is for, what symbols belong in corporate worship, and where the line falls between legitimate national gratitude and an unhealthy fusion of faith and patriotism. The answer requires careful thought…
Reading Time: 6 minutesQuestion 10013 This question lies at the heart of understanding the Bible’s storyline. How we answer it affects how we read prophecy, how we understand God’s purposes, and how we see ourselves as believers today. The distinction between Israel and the Church is one of the fundamental insights of dispensational theology, and Scripture makes this…