By John H. Niemelä The-just-by-faith shall live (Hab 2:4, Author’s Translation). A Controversy Paul’s use of Hab 2:4 in Rom 1:17 is controversial today. What did Paul mean? What did Habakkuk mean? Did Paul quote Habakkuk out of context? Traditionally, many Evangelicals have followed Martin Luther’s interpretation. Luther argued that Paul was right to quote

By John H. Niemelä1 Believe it or not, there are rumblings against the idea that John’s Gospel is evangelistic. What does John 20:30-31 say? Thus Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But these signs have been written so you may believe that Jesus

Many Christians find our Lord’s Gethsemane prayers perplexing, even downright troubling. Seemingly, Jesus tries to convince the Father into allowing Him to avoid crucifixion. How could that be? The Cross Was Unavoidable Jesus’ repeated predictions of the cross and resurrection—starting with John 2:19—prove that He knew that His death on the cross was unavoidable. Note

Conventional wisdom claims that clear presentations of Jesus’ message of life ceased soon after the last apostle died. The following assertion by David Anderson is typical of that claim: [W]e have no written record of anyone from AD 100 to AD 1500 teaching forgiveness of post-baptismal sins once and for all at the point of

A Date for John’s Gospel before AD 70 Is Suggested by John 5:2 Within conservative Evangelical circles, John’s Gospel is commonly dated around 95-96 AD, with a few dating it three decades earlier. A date before AD 70 is actually required because John 5:2 says, “Now a pool is by the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem

Question: If assurance is of the essence of saving faith, why does 1 John 5:13 imply that these believers might never have known that they had everlasting life? Answer: Does the text really imply this? What we know is that John desired that they possess absolute certainty of their everlasting life. Does he suggest that

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He props up; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you” (John 15:2-3, author’s own translation, emphasis added). Perseverance theology distorts John 15 by suggesting that