Blog – Page 34 – Grace Evangelical Society

Why GES Doesn’t Punch Down

August 29, 2024 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Punching down

Have you heard the term punching down? I was unfamiliar with it until Colin Jackson (on the GES staff) explained it. Cambridge Dictionary defines punch down as follows: “to attack or criticize someone who is in a worse or less powerful position than you.” It adds, “If a comedian punches down, they make fun of

Doing Great Things with a Little

August 28, 2024 by Ken Yates in Blog - Disciple, Last Supper, Mark 14:3-14, Mark 9:41, Mary, Works

In Mark 14:3-14, Mark records two events. The first involves a woman who anoints the Lord’s body with a bottle of perfume. The second involves a homeowner who allows the Lord to celebrate the Last Supper at his home. Even though they seem to be completely separate events, I think they have a couple of

Is Assurance of Everlasting Life a Matter of Experience, Not Belief?

August 27, 2024 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Experiencing eternal security

A friend sent me an electronic copy of a magazine. I was struck by an article dealing with assurance of salvation. In the article, the author said, “Assurance is more than a theological truth to be understood. It is something that is experienced—not just theologically proven.”i How does one experience assurance, especially when it is

The Power of Grace

August 26, 2024 by Ken Yates in Blog - 2 Tim 2:13, Assurance, Grace, Jack Deere

I’m not sure I ever met him, but a professor at the seminary I attended fascinated me. His name was Jack Deere. He taught in the Old Testament department. I realize that it is a stereotype, but in my mind, OT scholars are the most stoic of all Bible teachers. They always seemed to me

Why Is the Church Essential to Sanctification?

August 23, 2024 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Christian Growth

Why should we go to church? Lots of people never ask that question. They just go because it is part of their family tradition. But we should all be intentional about attending church. If we aren’t, we will likely stop going altogether at some point because we have no specific reason to go. Local churches

The Saved Blasphemer

August 22, 2024 by Kathryn Wright in Blog - 1 Tim 1:12-16, Acts 26:9-11, Blaspheme, Unforgiveable sin

In a recent conversation with a friend, I learned that Satanists practice a ritual in which they publicly blaspheme God as a part of their worship ceremonies. They do this on social media as well, not only to mock the Lord and Christianity, but also because they want to become “unsavable.” They have been told

Let Philadelphia Continue?

August 21, 2024 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - 1 John 4:7-8, Hebrews 13:1

A few weeks ago, I was in church and saw something I’d never noticed before. Mark Bruce was speaking on Heb 13:1-6. As he discussed verse 1, which simply says, “Let brotherly love continue,” I was looking at the Greek text. It reads Hē philadelphia menetō, Let brotherly love remain/continue/dwell. But it could be translated

Our Backgrounds and Interpretation (2 Kings 20:1)

August 20, 2024 by Ken Yates in Blog - 2 Kgs 20:6, Hermeneutics, Hezekiah, Interpretation, Isaiah

We are sometimes unaware of it, but our cultural backgrounds can have a dramatic impact on how we interpret a particular passage in the Bible. It is important, however, that we realize the role our backgrounds can have. People from different cultures can look at a verse and see it in completely different ways. This

Does “The Chosen” Contradict Scripture at Times?

August 19, 2024 by Bob Wilkin in Blog - Scripture and literary license, The Chosen

I’ve not seen many episodes of The Chosen. However, I’ve seen enough to convince me that the review (The Chosen and the Bible: 20 Questions to Ask Yourself) by Spiritual Research Network (SRN) is accurate. In this blog, I will evaluate the contradictions SRN sees between The Chosen and Scripture. John the Baptist. Scripture holds

A Gaze of Grace (Mark 10:21)

August 16, 2024 by Ken Yates in Blog - Grace, John 1:14, Mark 10:13-22, self-righteous

The Scriptures teach us that believers should be gracious people. The Lord, who is full of grace and truth (John 1:14), is the perfect example of what it means to be gracious. Humanly speaking, there are some people to whom it is easier to extend grace. In Mark 10, we see the Lord extend grace