Wes McAdams's Blog, page 4

Biblical Justice: How the Bible Defines Justice

The word “justice” gets bandied about a lot. We talk about justice, injustice, social justice, doing justice, and whether or not justice has been served. It seems many of us are using different definitions of justice. What seems “just” to one person seems “unjust” to another. As Christians, how should we think about justice? What is the biblical definition of justice?

Justice and Righteousness

Both in Hebrew and Greek, the words we translate as justice and righteousness have so much co...

How Does the Bible Define Race?

How does the Bible define race? This is a very important question. Unfortunately, it has the potential to be a controversial subject, but it doesn’t have to be. It can actually help bring us all closer together. Let’s discuss how Christians should think about race, and navigate issues pertaining to race, in ways that are in harmony with the Bible and the Good News of Jesus Christ.

Defining Race

Simply put, the Bible does not define race, as we think of that term, because race is a rela...

When to Shake the Dust Off Your Feet

Many Christians assume, when an unbeliever is unreceptive to the Gospel, there comes a time to “shake the dust off your feet” and move on. This phrase is taken to mean: give up on that person, declare they are a lost cause, or move on to others who might be more receptive. Based on this assumption, I will occasionally be asked, “Here is my situation…At what point should I shake the dust off my feet?” But what if our assumption is wrong? What if we should not be shaking the dust off our feet? Wha...

What is the “Perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10?

What is the “perfect” in 1 Corinthians 13:10? That is the question that Wes and Travis tackle in today’s Bible study.

This question was raised by a listner, who wrote, “1 Corinthians 13:10 says, ‘but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.’ I’ve always heard (and my husband still firmly believes) ‘the perfect’ mentioned here is referring to the written Word of God or the Bible. Recently I’ve heard from 3 different sources that ‘the perfect’ is when Christ returns. This explan...

The Roles of Men and Women in the Bible (Part 2)

What does the Bible say about the roles of men and women in the public worship assembly? Wes McAdams again joins Lee and Kevin, from the Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace Podcast, to continue their discussion on what the Bible says about the roles of men and women.

If you haven’t yet listened to Part 1 of this conversation, you will definitely want to listen to that episode first. In the previous episode, the biblical foundation was laid for the “complementarian” position concerning gender...

The Roles of Men and Women in the Bible (Part 1)

What does the Bible say about the roles of men and women? That is the question Wes McAdams was invited to answer on the “Exploring Faith, Pursuing Grace” podcast. Wes McAdams takes a “complementarian” position. The hosts of the show, Lee and Kevin, tend to lean toward the “egalitarian” position.

The complementarian position says men and women have complementary roles in the church and in the home. While the egalitarian position says there should essentially be no distinction in men’s and...

What Does the Bible Really Say About Marriage?

When we talk about what the Bible says concerning marriage, we have to understand there is much we tend to take for granted. If we are not careful, we will impose our cultural assumptions on the text and fail to really grasp how marriage was perceived and practiced in the ancient Near East. If we want to understand how the Bible defines marriage, there are things we have to unlearn first. 

Photo Credit: Geoff Duncan via LightStock.comModern Cultural Assumptions About Marriage

While ren...

Should We Obey God Out of Love or Fear?

Should we obey God out of love or fear? This is what listener Neal Cook would like to know. Neal asked about the contrast between Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, which says:

“The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.”

Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (ESV)

And John 14:15, which says:

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

John 14:1...

The Theology of Potluck

The word “potluck” means exactly what it seems to mean, a meal of chance. You reach into the “pot” to retrieve some food, not really knowing what you may find, because the dish was prepared by someone else. Personally, I think the best potlucks are church potlucks; table after table filled with casserole dishes, crockpots, and pie plates. Not only are potlucks incredibly enjoyable, they actually reflect good theology. Here are some lessons the church can learn from a potluck.

Photo Credit: Pr...

Love Covers a Multitude of Sins: What Does 1 Peter 4:8 Mean?

Peter says, “Love covers a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8), but what does that phrase mean? Is Peter talking about hiding someone’s sin? Is he talking about overlooking sin? Is he talking about forgiving sin? What exactly does, “love covers a multitude of sins” mean?

Photo Credit: Benny Gibbons

Covering Over Sins in the Old Testament

The biblical culture was one of honor and shame. Sin was not just something that made one guilty but also brought shame. Sin was something from which not ...