As Christian parents, we pray many things for our children. When they’re younger we tend to pray for their health and safety. As they get older we pray for the education, friendships, and social pressures. And, most of all, we pray that they would know and love Jesus Christ. In short, as Christian parents we want to entrust our child into God’s hands completely. After all, what is safer than God’s hands? But, sometimes that’s easier said than done. Sure, God’s hands are the best pla...| Canon Fodder
In the modern church, there’s little doubt that the Gospel of John is one of the most—if not the most—beloved Gospels. If forced to pick just one Gospel, many would prefer the Gospel of John. On the rare occasion when a singular Gospel is published as a stand-alone book (or booklet), it is almost always […]| Canon Fodder
Well, it just happened for the third time. This past week, I dropped off my last child at college. As might be expected, there were lots of emotions. Excitement, nervousness, fear. And that was just me! My wife Melissa wrote a wonderful post about seeing your last child graduate high school which you can read here. Bring a box of tissues. Right now, as colleges are cranking up for the new year. thousands of other parents are experiencing the same thing all around the country. And as hard as i...| Canon Fodder
This week, Aug 4-8, I am teaching my long-running elective at RTS Charlotte entitled, “The Origin and Authority of the New Testament Canon.” In this class, we will be covering not just the history and development of the canon, but also its theological meaning, and its epistemological foundation. In other words, we will not only […]| Canon Fodder
One of the benefits of studying the history of early Christianity is that we quickly realize that what we are facing in the modern day is far from new. Each challenge to the faith might seem new—sometimes leading to an unnecessary panic among some—but the early church faced similar (and often much worse) things before. […]| Canon Fodder
Exploring the Origins of the New Testament Canon and Other Biblical and Theological Issues Explore Resources κανών, kanōn: rule or standard; collection of biblical books. Learn More FEATURED ARTICLE How to Have Healthy Disagreements in the Church I have to say that I can’t imagine many topics more timely than this one. It was encouraging […]| Canon Fodder
The lovable Disney film Moana, tells the story of a young girl who lives on a Polynesian island and is the daughter of the chief. Like many fathers, the chief is overly protective of his daughter, and also of the people he rules. As a result, the people of Moana’s village are in a bit […]| Canon Fodder
During the TGC National Conference this past April, I was part of a panel discussion with Alistair Begg, Gavin Ortlund, and Jen Wilkin on the topic of “How to Have Healthy Disagreements within Your Church.” The panel was hosted by Carl Laferton of the Good Book Company. I have to say that I can’t imagine […]| Canon Fodder
In the first century, we learn of one of the most remarkable men that has ever lived. Before he was born, his mother was told he would not be like other men, but would be divine. As an adult, he traveled around delivering his message and performing miracles. He healed the sick, cast out demons, […]| Canon Fodder
Well, we are coming up on Easter. And while Christians will be celebrating the resurrection, others will doubt it. Our world’s skepticism over miracles is nothing new. Ever since David Hume, philosophers and scholars have been making the case against the possibility of miracles. But, now things have shifted. Hume has been roundly (and decisively) […]| Canon Fodder
The lovable Disney film Moana, tells the story of a young girl who lives on a Polynesian island and is the daughter of the chief. Like many fathers, the chief is overly protective of his daughter, and also of the people he rules. As a result, the people of Moana’s village are in a bit […]| Canon Fodder
One of the classic, and seemingly never-ending, debates among New Testament scholars is whether Jesus’s earliest followers viewed him as fully divine, and (perhaps more importantly), whether Jesus viewed himself as fully divine. Some scholars say yes to both, some say no to both, and some are mixed. In fact, I will be speaking on […]| Canon Fodder
The other day I was telling my kids about how, many years ago, I used to sit in a pub named the Jolly Judge on cold winter days in Edinburgh, Scotland, tucked up close to a coal-burning fire and talking with my doctoral advisor Larry Hurtado about ancient Christian manuscripts. We used to spend hours […]| Canon Fodder
In the study of the New Testament canon, scholars like to highlight the first time we see a complete list of 27 books. Inevitably, the list contained in Athanasius’ famous Festal Letter (c.367) is mentioned as the first time this happened. As a result, it is often claimed that the New Testament was a late […]| Canon Fodder
Last week I began a new 6-part series helping Christian students think through how to prepare for life at a big university. The series is based on a recent lecture I gave to the Regents School in Austin, Texas, where I laid out 6 principles designed to help rising college students think more clearly about […]| Canon Fodder
