I read a lot of books. I sometimes review some of them at this blog. Some of the best books I read don’t get a review, either because I meander my way through them, or because I just don’t feel like reviewing a book at that particular time. Owing to the fact that I had my own book to get to the press I did not read as much as I usually do.

Many of the books I read I have disagreements with. Some of them are quite large disagreements—say, in eschatology or soteriology—but I firmly believe one should not read books by guys you agree with all the time. You grow more when you “joust”…

In Romans 11:13, the Apostle Paul inserts a short but pointed phrase which has the power both to convict and to inspire. He wrote simply: “I magnify my ministry.”

It seems that such a personal and dynamic statement may be better understood when it is exemplified than when it is exposited. But it has captured my imagination, and I thought that I would share a few thoughts on the subject—for my own sake, as well as those who read them.

In the context, Paul is talking about amplifying and projecting his ministry “to the Gentiles” (v. 13) in order to “provoke to jealousy…

By Anthony Wood

When I was a boy, a visiting pastor taught us about humility He opened his Bible and began, “Any preacher not wise enough to tremble when asked to preach on humility should not be preaching at all.” The congregation chuckled.

The pastor’s preaching then echoed through the church, enveloping the congregation in a sense of reverence and awe. The hush that followed was broken only by the soft rustle of pages turning as those gathered opened their Bibles to the passage about Christ’s humility.

Paul records the humiliation of Christ as: