Paul Ellis – Page 43

Are you Complementarian, Egalitarian, or Something Else?

December 8, 2021 by Paul Ellis

Hi friends,

This week marks the first anniversary of the release of my book The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to Find their Voice. I just checked and I am surprised to find it is my highest-rated book on Amazon. Thank you!

To mark the anniversary, below is an extract from the book. Here I identify three views on women that you encounter in the church. Which one is yours? Tell me in the comments below.

One last thing: At the bottom of this article, you will find a world exclusive – the cover of my latest Jesus Script – plus a special Christmas offer.

Happy Christmas!

Paul

Are you complementarian, egalitarian, or something else?

Every one of us holds a view about the role of women. What can they do; what can’t they do? Your answers to these questions defines your bias.

“Wait, I’m not biased!”

Relax. We are all biased, and the sooner we acknowledge our biases, the sooner we can have a meaningful discussion.

“My views come straight out of scripture!”

That’s what everyone says.

We may think that our biases are informed by scripture, but often it is the other way around. We come to the Bible wearing certain lenses, and what we look through determines what we see.

What is your bias? Here are three lenses or perspectives the church has towards women:

The traditional hierarchical view
The complementarian view
The egalitarian view

The traditional or hierarchical view says women are inferior to men. This was the line taken by theologians who said women were created in the image of men rather than God. Since she is inferior by design, they said, a woman’s role is to serve her husband, and she can never lead. “A woman, however learned and holy, may not take upon herself to teach in an assembly of men,” said the men of the Fourth Synod of Carthage.

Then there is the complementarian view that says women are equal in value but unequal in role. In the same way a child is equal but subordinate to a parent, a wife is subordinate to her husband or church leaders.

The complementarian view differs from the traditional perspective in that it affirms the equality of women, while reinforcing stereotypes about men being natural-born leaders. “Some governing and teaching roles within the church are restricted to men,” says one complementarian website. In the home as in the church, men lead and women follow.

Finally, there is the egalitarian view that says God made men and women equal in every way—they are equal in value and equal in role.

Since men and women were given joint responsibility to rule over creation, both can lead. This is not to deny the differences between the genders or to suggest those differences are unimportant. But to quote the Christians for Biblical Equality, the egalitarian view recognizes that “God calls women and men of all cultures, races, and classes to share authority equally in service and leadership in the home, church, and world.”

Name your bias

Are you a traditionalist, a complementarian, or an egalitarian?

What we label, we diminish, but if I had to choose between these perspectives, I would be unashamedly egalitarian. I’m a Kiwi married to a Dane; how could I not be?

But I am not a rabid egalitarian. On the one hand, I am convinced that equality protects us from the abuses of hierarchy and the misuse of authority. But on the other, I fear the dogged pursuit of equality can hinder authentic relationships.

Like a referee, equality is essential, but it’s not the game. It is not the ultimate goal. For the Christian, the higher goal is love.

Jesus never said his disciples would be known for their equality and sense of fair play. We are to be known for the way we serve, respect, and prefer one another. If we settle for equality, there’s a danger we will fall short of all that God has in store for us, particularly in our marriages.

Equality is not the end game in the war on gender discrimination; it’s the starting point for the new creation.

Equality is a good thing, but what we do with it is far more important. I look forward to the day when my daughters have the same opportunities as my son, but I’m much more interested in what they will do with those opportunities.

Imagine a church where women get the same respect and take on the same roles as men. Actually, you don’t need to imagine such a church at all. Just read the Book of Acts, and you will see that a church where all are valued can change the world.

It happened before, and it can happen again.

—

For more info, visit JesusScripts.com

Making Church Skits Cool Again

November 29, 2021 by Paul Ellis

As a teenager, I was in the church drama team. It was cool.

On Fridays we’d rehearse, and on Sunday’s we’d perform. We were so good that we were invited to perform in other churches.

But were we that good?

In hindsight, I wonder if we were. I wonder if the invites came because the bar was low and because pastors were keen to have a drama team perform.

“Here’s 10 minutes of good Christian entertainment to keep the folks amused.”

I don’t mean to sound like a cynical ol’ coot, but let’s be honest. A lot of what passes for church drama is downright cringey.

If you’ve ever had to listen to shouty thespians hammering you over the head with some moralizing melodrama, you will know what I’m talking about.

I remember one play we did. It was about a man who had died and found himself waiting outside the Pearly Gates. The man was quizzed by St. Peter to see if he was good enough for heaven. Was he a regular church attender? Did he read his Bible daily? That sort of thing. Sadly, the man didn’t pass the test and St. Peter sent him off to eternal damnation.

What fun!

Can’t wait for the sequel.

I’ve seen a lot of church skits and many of them either make no point at all, or they use fear to promote dead works.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

I am convinced church skits could be great if we packed them full of good news instead of bad news. With that in mind, here are three ideas to make church skits cool:

Ditch the moralizing, and put Jesus front and center.
Instead of telling people how bad they are, tell them how good God is.
Instead of telling people what they need to do, tell them what Jesus has done and what they can do because of what he has done.

These are some of the things I have tried to do with the Jesus Scripts.

The Jesus Scripts are 100 percent grace-based, and you don’t have to go to church to see them. Like the name says, the Jesus Scripts are all about Jesus.

Who are they for? The Jesus Scripts are NOT just for church drama teams. They are for;

parents wanting to connect with their teens and tweens
youth leaders looking to engage with a device-obsessed generation
pastors searching for innovative ways to convey the gospel
drama folk who are tired of hammy scripts that leave the heart untouched

This week is Giving Tuesday, and in honor of the occasion, I want to give you a FREE SCRIPT. It is called “The Good Father,” and it’s the perfect script for discovering the Father’s heart. (See a preview here.)

Grab your free script now and have some fun with your family or small group. Not into dramatic storytelling? Grab a copy for your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or youth leader. Tell your friends.

This giveaway ends late Tuesday (PST), so don’t miss out.

Does Sin Hinder our Prayers?

November 17, 2021 by Paul Ellis

Ever heard this one: “God is holy. If you have unconfessed sin in your life, he will not hear your prayers.”

It’s. Not. True.

If sin made God deaf, no sinner could be saved. They would pray the sinner’s prayer, but God wouldn’t hear them.

Pray all you like, but I’m not listening. Lalalala. I’ve got fingers in my ears.

Imagine if you had to confess all your sins before God would listen. Most people would die of old age before they were done! And there would be no guarantee you got them all.

Sorry, kiddo. You forgot a sin from the summer of ’82. You’re toast.

“Confess your sins so that God will hear you.” What a stupid theology. Forgive me for getting agitated, but this sort of nonsense leaves people crippled with guilt and condemnation. It causes them to hide from their Father in fear.

Imagine if Jesus had not listened to sinners.

“Sorry, woman-with-a-hemorrhage, I can’t heal you because there’s unconfessed sin in your life.”

“Sorry, woman-caught-in-the-wrong-bed, I can’t stop these men from stoning you.”

“Peter, James, John, I can’t hear a word you’re saying. What’s that, Judas? I see your lips moving but I can’t hear you.”

Jesus is the exact representation of God the Father. If the Son listened to sinners, it’s because the Father listens to sinners. He hears our prayers. Every single one.

God hears us because he loves us

But didn’t David say, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” (Ps. 66:18)? Keep reading:

Hear my prayer, O Lord, give ear to my supplications! Answer me in your faithfulness, in your righteousness! And do not enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no one living is righteous. (Ps. 143:1-2)

David, knowing that he was not righteous, asked God to hear him on account of his righteousness, and God did. Your heavenly Father hears your prayers not because you are good but because he is good and he loves you.

But what about that verse that says, “God does not hear sinners” (John 9:31)? The Jews believed that, but Jesus didn’t. He said things like “When you pray” as if we are to pray all the time, and he told stories to encourage us to pray (Matt. 6:7, Luke 18:1, 10-14).

The Bible never discourages prayer. Instead it says things like “devote yourselves to prayer” (Col. 4:2), and “pray continually” (1 Th. 5:17). Only one person is looking for excuses to get you not to pray, and it’s not the Lord.

Okay, what about John. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Keep reading:

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for his name’s sake. (1 John 2:12)

In the new covenant you are not forgiven because you confess; you are forgiven on account of Jesus’ name.

This idea that we have to confess or cleanse ourselves before God will hear us, forgive us, or receive us comes straight out of the old covenant. See the cross. Your sins are there, every last one of them, including all the sins you confessed and all the sins you didn’t.

What really hinders prayer

Jesus said, “And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive” (Matt. 21:22).

The number one hindrance to prayer is not sin but unbelief, and notice that unbelief is not a hindrance to God hearing us but us receiving from him.

We need to pray with faith. We need to pray believing that God hears our prayers no matter who we are or what we’ve done because of who Jesus is and what he has done.

When John says confess he means “agree with God.” Agree that Jesus has dealt with all your sins once and for all. Agree that God is good and he longs to be good to you. Agree that your Father loves you and cares for you and he hears your prayers.

You may say, “But I don’t know how to pray. I’m afraid I will pray wrong.” Here’s Brennan Manning writing in The Ragamuffin Gospel:

There is no such thing as bad prayer…. A little child cannot do a bad coloring; nor can a child of God do bad prayer.

Your heavenly Father loves it when you talk to him. Whatever is on your mind, you can tell him all about it.

Talk to him about your hurts and worries, your hopes and dreams.

Tell him about your secret fears and struggles.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from him. (1 John 5:14-15)

The key word in that passage is confidence. You can be confident of your Father’s goodness, and you can be confident when you pray.

Whatever your need today, ask your heavenly Father for help. Ask with the confidence that he hears your prayers and rides across the heavens to help you (Deu. 33:26).

—

Escape to Reality is entirely free thanks to the support of our readers. Patrons gets bonus articles like these:

Beware the muckraker

Who promped David to count the Israelites?

We’re not playing tiddlywinks

You have a sword

What is the hour of testing coming on the whole world?

Sowing in a time of famine

Should we thank God for our suffering?

Who overcomes and gets to eat from the Tree of Life?

Why Aren’t All Healed? (And Other Questions I’ve Been Asked)

November 10, 2021 by Paul Ellis

I love a good question.

I love questions so much, I wrote a book full of them. What’s so great about questions? As I say in that book,

Questions are stepping stones to revelation and doorways to discovery. A good question can take you places. It can free you from unhealthy mindsets and set you on the path to wholeness and abundant living. A good question can change your life.

Sometimes my kids will ask a question that makes me marvel. I think, how did they come up with that?

I get asked more questions than I can answer. Which is fine. The act of asking is itself a healthy exercise, and I feel no pressure to position myself as the Answer Guy. I’m not the Holy Spirit.

Besides, a true teacher doesn’t dish out model answers like a penguin regurgitating food. A true teacher teaches others how to learn for themselves. They point people to Jesus in whom are hidden the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3).

Sometimes when someone asks me a question, I will say in all sincerity, “That’s a great question. I have no idea. Please tell me what the Holy Spirit shares with you.”

That may look like I’m giving the brush off, but I am encouraging the seeker to bring their question to the greatest Teacher of all.

Want to know which question I get asked the most? “Paul, have you written anything on this tough scripture?” My response used to be, “Check the Archives > Scripture Index.” But now I would say, “Check the Grace Commentary.”

The next-most asked question is, “Have you written anything on this subject?” Check out the Subject Index.

People often ask me for tips writing or publishing. Since I get asked that question a lot, I have compiled some practical and easy-to-follow guidelines.

Sometimes I get asked ambush questions. An ambush question is like a box of chocolates with a rat trap inside. Ambush questions make me feel special because Jesus got them too.

Occasionally I get asked questions that are interesting or inspire me to pray for wisdom. Below are four questions I’ve been asked in the past few weeks. If these are questions you’ve been asking, I hope my responses encourage you and strengthen your faith.

How to wait for revelation?

“It takes a revelation from God to open the eyes of our heart to truth. What can one do while ‘waiting’ for this awakening?” ~Randall

I wouldn’t wait in a passive sense. I would find something God has said on the subject, ruminate on it, and declare his word over myself. Do it as an act of faith. Every time doubt creeps in, kick it out and call to mind what God said.

God’s word is creative. It changes us. Soon you will find your reality realigning to his word.

Being drunk in the spirit

“_____ people are known for being drunk in the spirit. Just curious what your thoughts on this state are? Is it a kundalini demon like many evangelical charismatic types say it is?” ~Jason

There are two ways to get this wrong: (1) attribute to the devil that which is of the Holy Spirit, and (2) attribute to the Holy Spirit that which is of the devil. Both errors are serious, but the first one is more serious than the other.

I would be hesitant to go around saying “that’s a demon.” Over the years I have encountered many people who have been drunk in the Spirit and the fruit has usually been joy, peace and sometimes healing. Draw your own conclusions.

Why aren’t all healed?

“Isn’t laying hands on the sick and confessing our healing and continually thanking God and all that still just the same old works – a mixed law and grace message? The ‘you are blessed but here is what you need to do to be blessed’ message that is preached in faith circles. I feel like we are just following a formula all over again when we are saying this is what we must do to receive healing.” ~JM

Sadly, it is possible to turn healing into a works-thing and nullify grace. The intellect craves a magic formula, but if there is one I haven’t found it. And blaming sick people for their lack of faith is unkind and unhelpful.

Why do people remain sick if we pray for them? I don’t know. I don’t know why some of the people I pray for are healed while others aren’t.

I don’t know why Jesus healed 100% of those who came to him, but I hit less than 100%. But I do know that more people are healed when I pray than when I stay silent. Love compels me to pray.

In my own life I have experienced instant healings, but not always. I have spent a lot of time trying to figure this out, but so far I don’t have any good answers. (I have some answers.) In the meantime, I’m going to run with the revelation I’ve got and keep praying for whoever asks for prayer.

How do we know which bits of the Bible to trust?

“If God does not give and take away like it says in Job 1, how can we know which bits of the Bible are true and which aren’t?” ~Matilda

That is a great question. There are many verses in the Bible that should not be read out of context. For instance, Solomon said, “Money is the answer to everything” (Ecc 10:19), but it isn’t.

David prayed that bad things would happen to his enemies, which is inconsistent with what Jesus said about loving our enemies.

And there are many strange sayings in the law. For example: “You may purchase male or female slaves from among the foreigners who live among you” (Lev. 25:44, NLT)

In some of these examples, we are hearing from men (like Job) who were in great pain. If you have been in pain, you may have said things you did not mean or which proved to be untrue (like Job). I am glad these statements are in the Bible because that’s how real people talk.

But how do we know which verses are good for us?

It’s all good provided we read everything through Son-glasses.

The whole Bible is useful for training in righteousness, even the bits that sound unrighteous, as long as we filter everything through Jesus the Righteous One.

—

Bonus materials: More questions I’ve been asked (Patreon)

How Does a Husband Act Like a Head?

November 3, 2021 by Paul Ellis

Here’s a line you may have heard: “God has ordained the husband to be the head of the marriage, which means he’s in charge.”

The first bit is biblical; the second bit is not.

Headship, in a Biblical sense, has nothing to do with superiority or being in charge. The Greek philosophers taught that men were to rule their homes like lords of the manner, and some of the Church Fathers bought into that. But Jesus and the Apostles said no such thing.

Do you want a godly and blessed marriage? Do you want to know what headship really looks like? Then consider the pattern established by God.

At the head of the human race, God placed a man. Being first in the line does not make Adam more or less special than Eve, but it did mean he was privy to instructions that Eve never heard.

God told Adam to avoid the forbidden tree. God didn’t tell Eve because she hadn’t yet been made. It fell to Adam to convey God’s will to Eve, and tragically he failed.

It was Adam’s job to keep the garden serpent-free, and he failed at that too.

Adam was the head who didn’t lead, and as a result the first marriage partnership failed. If Eve had been made first, these concerns would have been her responsibility. But being made second meant she could not succeed unless Adam succeeded.

Adam was the head who failed to act like a head. In contrast, Jesus is the head leads well.

God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Eph 1:22–23)

Jesus is the head of everything, and his headship is exercised through the church and for the church. In the same way, a husband’s headship is not exercised upon his marriage, but through his marriage and for the benefit of his marriage.

A true king does not rule his queen like an Athenian. Rather, he rules with his queen and for the benefit of his queen like Jesus.

According to the English theologian Matthew Poole, “The man is called the head of the woman, because by God’s ordinance he is to rule over her. He has an excellency above the woman, and a power over her.”

Like Aristotle, Poole believed the husband to be superior to the wife for the same reason that “the head in the natural body, being the seat of reason, and the fountain of sense and motion, is more excellent than the rest of the body.”

If that offends you – and I hope it does because it’s unbiblical trash – change the channel. Don’t listen to Poole; listen to Paul. The Apostle Paul never said the husband was superior and more excellent to his wife. Instead, he spoke of mutual submission and preferring one another. He spoke of that divine mystery we know as the one-flesh team:

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. (Eph 5:31)

Children obey their parents, but when a marriage is formed, everything changes. The daughter no longer submits to her father, for she has become joined to her husband. Her husband is now her head.

Similarly, the husband is no longer beholden to his parents, but he submits to his wife. They have become a one-flesh team ready to take on the world.

Just as wives need to be liberated from patriarchal bondage, husbands need to be liberated from the unholy burden that they alone are responsible for all that happens in the home. You and your spouse are a one-flesh team created to lead together.

Partnership is not always easy, especially when you have the weight of tradition pressuring you to conform to ungodly roles and stereotypes. For the sake of your marriage resist that pressure. What God has joined together, let no man separate.

The crown upon his head

Women were never meant to be ruled by men, yet because of the Greeks and the patriarchs and the Fall of Man, here we are. If we are to return to God’s original plan, we need a better definition of headship, and Jesus is our definition.

If we men are to be godly husbands, let us take our cue from the One who gave his life for his church.

A godly head cares for and nurtures his wife. He respects her as a partner in Christ and acknowledges her God-given talents and gifts.

He provides for her and seeks to please her.

He encourages and comforts her and helps her to walk in the way that God has set before her.

He prays for her and with her.

He sets an example for her to follow and points her to Jesus in all things.

The primary way in which a husband serves as a head is by loving his wife as his own body and by giving himself up for her. He leads in the art of love.

And so does she.

His wife is a queen made in the image of God. Filled with the Spirit, she is just as capable of leading as he is.

As the proverb says, “A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown.”

If her husband is the head, then she is the crown that sits upon it.

Source: The Silent Queen

Introducing JesusScripts.com

October 19, 2021 by Paul Ellis

I blame Covid.

On account of lockdowns, my kids could no longer attend youth group. I had to step up, and fill the gap. But I am no youth leader, and my Bible classes were boring.

It didn’t help that there was a big age gap between my youngest and the oldest. What worked for small kids, didn’t work for big kids, and vice versa.

I was stumped. How could I teach my kids about Jesus in a way that was fun and engaging for all?

Answer: Jesus Scripts.

I took the stories of Jesus and turned them into scripts that were fun to read. Like a play, but without the pressure of learning lines. So far we’ve done scripts covering all the major events of Christ’s life.

Would you like to play?

The first Jesus Scripts can be found on my brand new website: JesusScripts.com

The scripts work best in small groups of four to ten people. They are ideal for families, youth groups, and Sunday School classes. Most of the scripts are suitable for ages 11 and up. Some of the scripts are suitable for younger readers.

To clarify: these are not books and they are not available on Amazon. They are scripts that you purchase, download, and print. The small charge covers the cost of production, website hosting, etc.

Each script comes with a link to a free Leader’s Guide that comes with discussion questions, fun facts, and illustrative materials. The scripts are short, but the accompanying discussion can go as long as you want. We usually spend 30-40 minutes on each one.

If you like Escape to Reality, you will love the Jesus Scripts. And if you have been looking for creative ways to convey the good news of grace to young people, these scripts will help.

The Jesus Scripts were not written to moralize or lecture but to help you grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus.

My family loves the Jesus Scripts. Hopefully yours will too.

Grace and peace,

Paul

The Grace Commentary Passes a Milestone

October 12, 2021 by Paul Ellis

It’s amazing how much can change in a year.

For as long as I have been writing Escape to Reality, readers have been asking, “Paul, why don’t you write a commentary?” and my reply has always been, “It’s not gonna happen.”

My reluctance was based on brutal experience.

It took me two years to write a verse-by-verse commentary of Matthew 24 for a book called AD70 and the End of the World. It took nearly as long to write a commentary for Revelations 2 and 3 (Letters from Jesus).

That’s four years to cover a grand total of 102 verses.

At that pace I calculated it would take me more than 300 years to write a commentary for the whole New Testament.

So no, it wasn’t going to happen.

Except it has.

In January this year, I felt strongly impressed to give it a shot and in less than nine months we have this new thing called The Grace Commentary which now has commentary for 1,500 verses!

How did that happen?

I honestly can’t account for it except to say the grace of God has brought this project to life.

Who is the Grace Commentary for?

It’s for people who ask this question:

How do I read this verse through the lens of grace?

I get asked that question every day by readers. Perhaps you have even asked me that question. Now instead of waiting for me to answer (and being disappointed when I don’t), you can get an instant answer straight from the Grace Commentary, any time of the day, any day of the week.

We still have a long way to go, but we’ve made a solid start. 1500 verses. My hope is that you and your family will find the Grace Commentary a useful tool as you grow in grace.

If you believe the Grace Commentary is a worthwhile project, here are three ways you can support it:

Pray for wisdom/strength/inspiration as I write
Add a link to The Grace Commentary on your website (incoming links help the commentary get noticed by Google)
Become a financial partner

Why does a commentary need money? It may surprise you to learn that the Grace Commentary website is more expensive to run than Escape to Reality, thanks to all the techy stuff under the hood. BUt hopefully it is worth it.

Become a partner in this exciting venture, and you’ll be investing in something truly worthwhile. Even in these early stages, the Grace Commentary is helping hundreds of people a week.

Whether you support the commentary or not, I hope you use it, and I hope you find it helpful.

Grace and peace,
Paul

Tyndale, Shakespeare and the King James Bible

October 6, 2021 by Paul Ellis

The early seventeenth century was a time of unbridled creativity for English writers. Will Shakespeare was whacking out his best plays, while King James and Co. were working on a great Bible.

Shakespeare and King James were responsible for some of the English language’s most memorable phrases and proverbs, including, “many are called, but few are chosen,” and “to thine own self be true.”

Recently, I gave my kids a quiz where they had to identify the source of classic English quotes. (If you’re interested, here’s a link to the quiz. It’s a lot of fun.)

While preparing the quiz, I made some interesting discoveries. Consider the phrase, “he gave up the ghost.” Heard that one? Did it come from Shakespeare or the King James Bible?

“He gave up the ghost”

The expression refers to someone dying, as in “Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age” (Gen. 25:8). So if you guessed the phrase came from the 1611 version of the King James Bible, you are correct. The phrase appears several times in that Bible and most famously in the crucifixion scene of Luke 23:46:

And when Iesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: And hauing said thus, he gaue vp the ghost.

But that’s not where the phrase originated.

The gave-up-the-ghost phrase appeared in Shakespeare’s play King Henry VI, Part 3, which was written almost two decades before the KJV. In Act 2 scene 3, Richard Plantagenet says:

That stain’d their fetlocks in his smoking blood,
The noble gentleman gave up the ghost.

So Shakespeare said it first and this has led some to speculate that the KJV translators were inspired by the Bard.

They weren’t. The phrase was most likely coined some 80 years earlier by William Tyndale.

Tyndale is remembered as the first person to translate and print the Bible in English. In his translation of Luke 23:46, Tyndale wrote,

And Iesus cryed with a greate voyce and sayd: Father into thy hondes I comende my sprete. And when he thus had sayd he gave vp the goost.

William Tyndale said a lot of things first

By the time Shakespeare was born (in 1564), Tyndale himself had long given up the ghost having been martyred in 1536. Tyndale was executed for his controversial introduction of words and phrases that we use all the time. In fact, a lot of the kudos we give to the King James translators should really be given to Tyndale, for it was he who coined the following phrases:

• my brother’s keeper
• knock and it shall be opened unto you
• a moment in time
• fashion not yourselves to the world
• seek and ye shall find
• ask and it shall be given you
• judge not that ye be not judged
• the word of God which liveth and lasteth forever
• let there be light
• the powers that be
• the salt of the earth
• a law unto themselves
• it came to pass
• the signs of the times
• live, move and have our being

William Tyndale’s contribution to the English language and the modern church is not widely appreciated. Apart from coining beautiful phrases, he taught justification by faith and he understood the difference between the law and the gospel of grace:

The Law and the Gospel are two keys. The Law is the key that shutteth up all men under condemnation, and the Gospel is the key which opens the door and lets them out.

William Tyndale was executed on this day, 6 October, 485 years ago. He was strangled and burnt and he gave up the ghost.

Tyndale’s death was a great loss, but his life was a huge blessing for the English-speaking people. We are all in his debt.

Dig deeper with these study notes from Dr. Paul Ellis:

Are you Self-Righteous? Take the Test!

September 27, 2021 by Paul Ellis

When you reach a certain age, you have to go for periodic checkups to ensure that nasty diseases haven’t flared up since your last check up. Similarly, it’s a good idea to undergo regular scans for self-righteousness.

Like cancer and heart disease, self-righteousness is one of the biggest killers around. Self-righteousness is believing there are things you can do to make yourself pleasing to God.

What is self-righteousness?

Self-righteousness is sometimes manifested in feelings of superiority towards others. But self-righteousness can also be reflected in a low sense of self-worth.

The defining ingredient of self-righteousness is that you are providing your own standard of righteousness.

When you decide what is good and right, perhaps on the basis of your own moral judgment or law-keeping, you are eating from the wrong tree. You are usurping God’s role as the Righteous Judge. True righteousness comes from trusting in Jesus, the Righteous One (2 Cor. 5:21).

Below is a simple self-administered test to help you detect the odor of self-righteousness. Respond to each statement below by indicating true or false.

How to score: Give yourself a point for every statement you scored as true.

How to interpret your score:

Score: 0 – 1 = you’re probably not self-righteous, unless you brag about your test result.

Score 2 or more: You’re a little bit self-righteous. Don’t panic! “All of us” are self-righteous at some point (Is. 64:6). The good news is self-righteousness is a treatable disease. See Doctor Jesus straightaway.

To learn more about self-righteousness and how to treat it, check out my article, “Six Signs of a Self-Righteous Mindset.”

The Grace Commentary is a great place to find answers to Bible questions, like these:

1. What is the word of God?
2. Why say a man is justified by works and not faith alone?
3. How will God repay us according to our deeds?
4. Why didn’t the religious leaders stone Jesus like they stoned Stephen?
5. Why did Paul call himself a bond-servant if he knew he was a son?
6. What is a measure of faith?
7. How do we work out your salvation “with fear and trembling”?
8. What is the significance of David’s Key?
9. What does it mean to “the God of hope”?
10. What are the works of faith?

Add the Grace Commentary to your home screen today!

How to Talk to Your Kids About Money

September 15, 2021 by Paul Ellis

How were you taught about money when you were a child?

I wasn’t taught much beyond pocket money and tithing. Most of my financial education came later through hard experience.

But there was one lesson I will never forget.

I was at a leadership conference many years ago. The speaker began by asking us if we knew the difference between fruit and trees.

Well, duh. Of course we did.

“You can’t eat trees, but you can eat fruit,” he continued. “And fruit grow on trees.”

Ookay. Thanks for that.

Having laid his horticultural foundation, the speaker began peppering us with questions:

“A nice pair of shoes. Are they fruit or trees?”

Huh?

“A romantic weekend away – fruit or tree?”

Um.

“An online business – fruit or tree?”

Eventually we got the picture. Trees were things that make money (eg: investments); fruit were things that cost money (eg: shoes and holidays).

Once we understood this, we were able to respond to his questions:

He would ask, “A nice restaurant dinner?” and we would shout back, “Fruit!”

Or he might say, “a lawn-mowing business” or “a rental property” or “shares” and we’d reply “Trees!”

Then the punchline: “If you want to eat fruit, you have to plant trees.”

Aha.

Trees before fruit

I have never forgotten the fruit and trees speech, and I have shared it many times over the years. It’s a simple picture of sowing and reaping that comes straight out of the Bible.

Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground – trees that were good for food. (Gen. 2:8-9)

When God placed Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, it was full of trees that were good for food.

Do you see?

If God had provided a few shopping trolleys of fruit, they would’ve eaten well for a week or two and then starved. But God planted all kinds of trees so they would have fruit for years to come, for themselves and their children.

Here’s another verse that says the same thing in a different way:

Prepare your work outside; get everything ready for yourself in the field, and after that build your house. (Pro. 24:27)

This makes perfect sense to anyone raised in a farming community. Fields earn money; houses cost money. So take care of your fields first.

I’m convinced that one of the reasons why many in the church have a poverty mindset is because we’ve been taught bad financial habits. Instead of hearing about planting trees and sowing fields, we’ve been told the offering basket is a magic wishing well. Throw your money in and you’ll receive back 30-, 60-, 100-fold or more.

And that’s just one of several bad habits we hear about in church.

This is not the place where I talk about giving, except to say you can’t give what you don’t have. Before you give you have to receive and one of the ways we do that is by planting trees.

Historically, the church has emphasized giving more than receiving and this may be why so many in the church are poor.

How do we change that mindset? It starts with our kids.

Here’s what we do in our house. Every fortnight, my children sit down in front of me and I pay them for doing their chores. It’s basically pocket money. The amount stays the same each time. But we want them to feel that they have earned it.

Three jars

Each kid has three jars labelled Give, Save, and Spend. After I hand them their money, they divide it up into the jars. They can divide their money anyway they like – it’s their money – but usually a third goes into each jar. It’s a tactile experience that is repeated every fortnight, 26 times a year.

What do they do with the money in their Save jar?

I don’t really expect them to buy shares or a lawn-mowing business, but I do want to instill into their young minds the principle of deferred gratification.

One of my daughters just bought herself an iPad, a purchase which would have been impossible without the diligence of saving. She’s a budding artist and she is using the iPad to develop her talent. I think that’s a great investment.

What do they do with the money in their Give jar?

We’re fairly loose on the rules but the deal is they have to give to those in need without any expectation of return. They can put the money in the offering basket or sponsor someone on the 40 Hour Famine. Sometimes they’ll go shopping with their Mum for food which goes into local food banks for the poor.

And what do they do with their Spend jar?

They’re kids. What do you think they do?

The God of trees

I want my children to think like farmers, because we are all farmers. It might surprise you to hear me say this but it’s true: We are all sowing and reaping all the time. It’s a fact of life.

Sidebar: How does this relate to grace? Grace says you get to reap what someone else sowed, but nobody ever reaps unless someone first sows.

The Give, Save, Spend concept has been around a while. The three jars were not my idea. But they serve as a good way of teaching our children about a giving God who created an earth filled with good things.

Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them.” (Gen 1:11)

Our God is a God of trees, by which I mean he filled the earth with fruit-bearing trees so that we might be fed and learn a few things about how to take care of ourselves. The trees came first.

But our world is a world obsessed with fruit, and the message we often hear is “fruit come first.” Buy now, pay later. No money down. Extend your credit limit.

Which comes first: fruit or trees? You decide.

The world’s way leads to debt and poverty, but God’s way leads to abundance and a rich inheritance for our children.

—

I am thankful to patrons on Patreon for providing feedback on an earlier draft of this article. Patrons are sowers who have invested into this ministry. They keep this website free and enable me to give away thousands of books to leaders everywhere. Patrons rock!

In Marriage, Who Takes the Lead?

September 8, 2021 by Paul Ellis

If you have been raised with a traditional view of marriage, you’ve probably heard the husband is in charge. “In a marriage, the man is God’s delegated authority. He leads.”

It sounds Biblical, but it isn’t. It has more in common with those sexist advertisements of yesteryear than anything said by the Apostle Paul.

Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them (Col. 3:19)

The word for love (agapao) is a verb associated with the unconditional love (agape) of God. In other words, men, if you want to know what real love is like, look to Jesus who laid down his life for you. Do the same for your wife.

Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord (Col. 3:18)

This should not be read as an invitation for the husband to dominate the wife like he’s lord of the manor. Instead, it’s an invitation for the wife to submit out of love, as is fitting in the Lord. In other words, if you want to know what submission is like, look to the One who has a gentle and humble heart.

We need to take a moment to reflect on what Paul is saying, because no one ever said anything like this before.

In ancient Israel you loved your wife for as long as she provided you with children and didn’t displease you. If she failed to perform, you could replace her for a better model.

“That’s not love,” Paul would have said. “Loving your wife has nothing to do with her appearance or ability to prepare tasty meals. Nor does it have anything to do with your feelings. True love is intentional. It is choosing to love an imperfect person with the perfect love God has shown you.”

It takes two to tango and it takes two loving people to make a good marriage. It’s not always easy, but when the husband and wife both respect and prefer one another, the result is a blessed and fruitful partnership.

Love in la-la land

If you have been raised in a culture where the men rule and women do what they’re told, a marriage of equals can seem like something out of la-la land.

How can a marriage work when there are two chiefs?

It works when each chief is totally committed to the success of the other. He plays the supportive husband, and she plays the supportive wife, because both want the best for each other.

Equality in role relationships does not mean both partners take turns doing every household chore. Equality means the husband and wife are equally willing to work hard and make adjustments in their marriage. Decisions are made jointly, and the division of tasks is based on preferences rather than gender stereotypes.

But what if the two chiefs can’t agree? What then? When push comes to shove, who gets the final call?

Speaking about her relartionship with her husband, the late Rachel Held Evans offered this answer:

We never really know how to respond to this question because, frankly we don’t do a lot of “pushing and shoving” in our relationship. We’ve never reached the great hypothetical impasse that folks seem so curious about. Even when we disagree, we find compromises based on multiple factors, not a gender-based trump card.

I couldn’t agree more. Camilla and I have been married for more than 20 years and in that time, I can only think of a few occasions when we didn’t see eye to eye. Major disagreements just don’t come up that often, and when they do, they are usually no match for our mutual love and respect.

I’m not saying we’re the Von Trapp family singing away our problems…

That would be cuckoo. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)

But love conquers all.

Except when it doesn’t.

It’s a sad fact of life that some marriages break, and people get hurt. Those who promote traditional or patriarchal marriages believe marriages fail when partners are unwilling to accept the roles for which they are designed. “Problems arise when the men don’t lead and the women don’t submit.”

If that were true, hierarchical marriages would be the happiest and longest lasting. They are not. Research shows that the divorce rates of Christians are little different from atheists and agnostics.

Unhappy hierarchical marriages

Marriages fail because the people in them are unhappy, and the unhappiest marriages are the traditional ones.

A large study of 50,000 couples found that role relationships have a tremendous impact on marital satisfaction. Most couples in egalitarian marriages (81 percent) are happy, while most couples (82 percent) in traditional marriages are unhappy.

It’s no surprise to learn that marriages characterized by mutual respect and equality are happier. What is surprising is that many Christian marriages are intentionally unequal. They are more Athenian than Ephesian, and perhaps this is why our divorce rates are so high.

But who’s in charge?

We have been discussing love and submission, but we have skirted around the issue of who takes the lead in a marriage.

Jesus does.

He leads and guides us and shows us how to love our partners through thick and thin, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. And Jesus teaches us how to forgive, which is key to success in any relationship.

In a traditional marriage, forgiveness, like submission, is coerced from the woman. “Forgive his failings because he’s your husband.”

But true forgiveness, like submission, is something we give in response to love. We don’t forgive because we’re supposed to or because we fear divine wrath. We forgive one other as Christ forgave us.

Your partner will make mistakes, disappoint you, and let you down. When that happens, be quick to forgive. Dispense the patience and compassion that you have received from Jesus.

Let his grace heal both your wounds.

Extracted and adapted from The Silent Queen.

—

Who’s Your Daddy?

September 1, 2021 by Paul Ellis

When our first child was born, there were some complications and she had to spend a few days in a special care ward.

She was kept in an incubator and the only way I could touch her was by putting my hands through holes in the side of the incubator wall. She was only a few hours old when I came to her, stroked her, and asked her a question.

“Who’s your daddy?”

I didn’t expect her to answer, so I answered for her.

“I’m your daddy, and I love you.”

It thrilled me to tell her this again and again.

“Who’s your daddy? I am. It’s me. I’m that guy. I’m your father, you’re my baby, and I love you.”

The communication was all one-way but that was fine with me. I couldn’t shut up. I had just become a father and my heart was fit to burst.

This little girl belonged to me and I belonged to her.

There were many things I wanted to tell her, but the first and most important thing she needed to hear was that I was her daddy and I loved her.

The most important question

The most important question you will ever ask is, “Who is my father?” Your answer to this question will influence every other question of life.

Who am I? Where did I come from? Why am I here?

Get the father question wrong and you will miss it on every other issue. Your identity will be muddled, and you will have no lasting security.

In your legitimate desire to define yourself, you may settle for inferior choices such as career or ministry. “I am a doctor.” “I am a pastor.”

But the truth is you are much more than what you do. You are your father’s child.

But who is your father?

Jesus answers the most important question: “Who’s your Father? God is your Father!”

Our Father in heaven … (Matt. 6:9)

What is God’s name?

The saints of the Old Testament had many names for God, but Jesus gave us the best name of all:

Abba, Father. (Mark 14:36)

Abba is not the name of a distant and mysterious God. Abba is a word of familial intimacy, not unlike Papa (which is how the Message Bible translates it). Abba is your heavenly Father who cares for you and longs for you to know him.

Why did Jesus come?

Jesus came to reveal God the Father to you. He came so that you might know who you truly are. He came that you might experience the abundant life of living as the apple of your Father’s eye.

Your heavenly Father is for you. He has tilted the universe in your favor.

With a Father like this, how can you fail?

Jesus said, “Father, glorify your name!” (John 12:28). What is the name of God that Jesus wants to glorify? He just told us. It’s Father. He has other names, but this is the name he wants us to use when we talk to him.

Near the end of his life, Jesus prayed,

Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known … (John 17:25–26)

Jesus is in the business of making the Father known. Yet many don’t know God as their Father. Like the saints of old, they see him as Lord but not Abba.

It’s as if Jesus never came.

What is God like?

A.W. Tozer once said:

What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.

Your picture of God is the single greatest influence on your life. Define God and you define yourself.

For instance, if you imagine God as a terrifying punisher, you’ll be fearful and guilt-ridden. If you see him as a semi-deaf sky-Santa, you’ll be a superstitious worrier. And if you believe God to be distant or dead, chances are you’ll act as a little god of your own little world.

Your view of God matters, but what is God the Father like?

He is exactly like the Son. Or the Son is exactly like the Father (Heb. 1:3). God is like Jesus. Not roughly so, but exactly so.

Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). If you ran into God the Father at a party you might mistake him for Jesus or vice versa. That’s how similar they are.

This similarity makes it easy for us to dismiss the silly caricatures of manmade religion. Since Jesus is not a semi-deaf sky-Santa, then neither is God. And since Jesus is not a terrifying punisher, neither is God. Your heavenly Father is exactly like Jesus.

A Father like the Son

God the Father and God the Son don’t have separate agendas. God is not in heaven recording your sins while Jesus is forgiving them. Nor is he giving you sicknesses so Jesus can heal you.

The Father and the Son are exactly alike, they’re on the same page, and they have the same heart.

Jesus said, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30).

The bad news of the orphaned life says, “You are on your own and nobody cares.” But the good news Jesus proclaimed says, “You are not alone and your heavenly Father cares about even the smallest details of your life” (see Matt. 6:31–32).

Perhaps you are asking questions like these: Who am I? Why am I here? Is God angry with me? Good fathers love it when their children ask questions, but you will never get good answers unless you see God as your good Father.

Who am I? You are your Father’s dearly-loved child.

Why am I here? Because your Father loved you into existence. You are his dream come true.

Is God mad at me? Nope. He rejoices over you with singing.

Can he forgive me for the things I’ve done? He already did.

Does he love me for who I am? He thinks you’re great! You’re a one-of-a-kind special and he delights in you.

Will he disown me if I sin? Never. Would you disown your own children?

What does he expect from me? He expects you to settle in his love and flourish in his grace.

Whether you are in the pigpen of dead works or the special care ward for broken people, you need to know that your heavenly Father loves you like crazy. He reaches down with love in his eyes and healing in his hands to ask you one question:

Who’s your Daddy? I’m your Daddy, you’re my child, and I love you.

This is the good news an orphaned world most needs to hear.

—

Extracted from Paul’s book Who’s Your Daddy which you can get for free by signing up as a subscriber.

Escape to Reality is funded by the generous support of our readers: