February 28, 2018
For many the Holy Spirit is an impersonal, imperceptible, and indiscernible force. Cloaked in mystery, many find it difficult to “get a handle” on the Spirit. The Spirit has no “face” like Jesus nor any personal metaphors, such as parent, mother, or husband, like Israel’s God. Our desire, of course, is not so much to […]
4 Comments |
Spirituality, Theology | Tagged: Communion, Fellowship, Gifts, Holy Spirit, Pneumatology, Sanctification, Spiritual Gifts, Transformation |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
August 3, 2017
This is the link to my recent lesson on Romans 5:1-5 at Lipscomb University’s “Summer Celebration.” What does it mean to boast in our sufferings, and what does suffering produce in our lives? Suffering has meaning; suffering has purpose…because we know suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. Without peace, afflictions […]
1 Comment |
Uncategorized | Tagged: Comfort, Endurance, Holy Spirit, Hope, Justification, Peace, Romans 5:1-5, Suffering |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
June 19, 2015
Mount Sinai must have been an impressive, even startling, sight. Enveloped in darkness with flashes of lightning, Israel heard the thunder and even, on one occasion, the voice of God. They felt the rumblings of God’s presence in tremors that rippled through the earth’s crust. This was Yahweh’s holy mountain. Yahweh descended upon it, and […]
2 Comments |
Biblical Texts | Tagged: Advent, Exodus 40, Holy Spirit, Indwelling, Messiah, Pentecost, Tabernacle, Temple, Wilderness |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
May 7, 2014
Joel’s lament liturgy in the first half of the book envisioned the devastation of Israel by a locust plague (or perhaps an invading army). That impending disaster also represented a future apocalyptic disaster. Joel is working at two levels–the immediate moment but also a future cataclysm. Israel’s response to such news, as with all other […]
7 Comments |
Biblical Texts, Theology | Tagged: Acts 2:17-21, Ecclesiology, Galatians 3:28, Gender, Holy Spirit, Israel, Joel 2:28-32, New Creation, Pentecost, Restoration, Resurrection, Spirit, Women |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
February 8, 2012
“God is Spirit, and those who worship God must worship in Spirit and Truth” (John 4:24). You might not immediately notice but one of the differences between my translation and the traditional one is that I capitalize “Spirit” and “Truth.” I think this is important. The traditional use of this text is to locate the prepositional […]
17 Comments |
Theology | Tagged: Bible-Gospel of John, Christology, Eschatology, Holy Spirit, John 4:24, Liturgy, Temple, Truth, Worship |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks
December 5, 2011
On November 7, 2011, I met with the Stone-Campbell Dialogue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Interested persons from the Disciples of Christ, Christian Church/Churches of Christ and Churches of Christ met for some dialogue, fellowship and service in the community. This was the sixteenth time the Dialogue has met. It was the second time I had […]
9 Comments |
Stone-Campbell, Theology | Tagged: Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, Holy Spirit, Stone-Campbell, Stone-Campbell Dialogue, Unity |
Permalink
Posted by John Mark Hicks