Wes McAdams's Blog, page 5

Ephesians 4:15 Re-Examined: Speaking the Truth in Love

What does it mean to speak the truth in love? This phrase comes from Ephesians 4:15, where the apostle Paul writes, “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ…” As with any verse, this phrase is just a small part of a much larger context. If we don’t understand the context, chances are we are not really speaking the truth in love when we use this phrase.

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A Fatal Assumption about Truth and Love

Wh...

Christian Nationalism: What Is It and Why Is It Concerning?

There has been a lot of talk about Christian nationalism lately. While some recognize it as a danger, others are understandably defensive when they hear Christian nationalism criticized and condemned. I would like to invite you to explore what this phrase means and consider why followers of Jesus should resist any pull towards Christian nationalism.

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Nationalism vs. Patriotism

Nationalism (at least how we are going to use that term) is not synonymous with patriotism. Na...

Should Christians Be Tolerant?

In Christian circles, the word “tolerant” can have a lot of negative connotations. For many years, Christians were asked to compromise their convictions and principles in the name of tolerance. However, there is not only a time and place for Christians to be tolerant, it is actually a very important virtue for Christians to cultivate. So, let’s spend a little time thinking about the situations in which Christians should practice tolerance.

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Tolerance is Not Agreement

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Should Christians be Tolerant?

In Christian circles, the word “tolerant” can have a lot of negative connotations. For many years, Christians were asked to compromise their convictions and principles in the name of tolerance. However, there is not only a time and place for Christians to be tolerant, it is actually a very important virtue for Christians to cultivate. So, let’s spend a little time thinking about the situations in which Christians should practice tolerance.

Tolerance is Not Agreement

The Apostle Paul told the ch...

10 Tips for Disagreeing in Love

As Christians, we are called to be loving, even when we disagree with people. But voicing disagreement in love can be incredibly difficult, especially online. When we interact with others on social media, we are unable to see each other’s body language or hear each other’s tone, so a simple disagreement can turn into a heated argument quickly. This is why it is so important to be careful how we disagree with others. A disagreement is an opportunity to irreparably damage a relationship or an oppo...

The Christian Wisdom Test

Social media has opened the floodgates of news, information, ideas, and opinions. As Christians, we want to speak wisely and also listen to those who are wise. We want to fill our minds, hearts, and mouths with wisdom. But what is wisdom, really? What does it look like to be wise? Here is a Christian wisdom test to help you evaluate if something is truly wise according to the New Testament.

Earthly Wisdom

First, we need to recognize, there are two types of wisdom. The apostle Paul calls the fir...

Galatians 3:28 Re-Examined: No Jew, Greek, Slave, Free, Male, or Female

I write these re-examined articles because context matters. It always matters. If we are going to apply Scripture to our lives in a way that if faithful to the text, and faithful to the Lord who inspired the text, then we have to understand it in its context. Galatians 3:28 is often quoted in Christian conversations about race or gender. It says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus,” But when we quote ...

James 1:19 Re-Examined: Quick to Hear, Slow to Speak, Slow to Anger

Some passages of Scripture lend themselves to being easily taken out of context. Their meaning seems to be self-evident and their context seems to be inconsequential. One such passage is James 1:19, “…be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger.” Seems pretty simple and straightforward, doesn’t it? But of all the ways we apply this verse, we tend to overlook its primary application.

The Apparent Meaning

When read apart from its context, this verse seems to be most applicable to interpersonal...

How Does Romans 13 Apply to American Christians?

The apostle Paul wrote the epistle we call Romans to house churches in Rome around the year AD 56. Nero had recently become emperor after his predecessor, Claudius, was killed. Paul told Christians in Rome to be “subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). Christians today, however, do not live under Roman rule and those of us in the United States live in a democratic republic. So, how does Romans 13 apply to Christians today? Does God expect American Christians to be “subject” to our g...

What is a Soul? Is “Soul” Different than “Spirit”? – Bible Words

Christians use the word “soul” a lot. We talk about the eternal destiny of the soul. We talk about Jesus coming to save our soul. But what does the word “soul” actually mean? Is “soul” synonymous with “spirit”? When we think of a “soul,” should we picture a disembodied spirit? Let’s explore the word “soul” and see how the biblical authors used the words we translate “soul.”

The First Mention of “Soul”

The Hebrew word we translate “soul” is “nephesh” and it is found several times in the opening ...