John Mark Hicks

Revelation 17 describes the unholy prostitute, the city that rules the kings of the earth. The final chapters of Revelation describe the bride of the Lamb, the new Jerusalem. This contrast pictures two destinies–one for the kings of the earth who worship the beast and serve its interests, and those who follow the Lamb, even […]

John Mark Hicks walks through the contrast between old and new, between chaos and order, between disruption and renewal, between evil and intimacy with God. The hope of the Christian faith is to enjoy God who dwells with new humanity in a new heaven and new earth. This is the inheritance of the Abrahamic promise […]

How do we maintain the unity the Spirit created? We walk in love. This means, in part, that we speak the truth to each other (rather than promoting lies), we manage our holy anger well (rather than sinning in our anger), we share our resources with each other (rather than stealing), we speak graciously for […]

How should we walk? And how can we walk? (Ephesians 4:17-24) Disciples of Jesus, those who learned about the Messiah, are to walk worthy of their calling (Ephesians 4:1). These first generation Gentile believers are called to no longer walk as they used to walk as people alienated from God, but to walk in the […]

Bobby Valentine and John Mark Hicks reflect on the majesty praise hymn of Psalm 8 in this video. The transcendent God has set a bulwark within the creation to silence his enemies, and humanity is a partner with God to subdue the chaos within the creation. Crowned with glory and honor, we are God’s representatives […]

Texts: 1 Corinthians 15:21-28; 50-57; 2 Peter 2:11-13 Days 75-77 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. The voice from the throne announced, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Ultimately and finally, God makes all things new through resurrection. Though Jesus was seemingly defeated by the powers in his death, God vindicated […]

Texts: Acts 6:7; 4:23-31; 12:24; Revelation 5:9-13 Days 65-67 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. When God created the cosmos, God invested in humanity a particular vocation:  fill the earth, subdue the chaos, and shepherd (rule) the creation (Genesis 1:28). As participants in the new creation, the people of God extend this human vocation […]

Texts: Luke 24:30-35; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:20-23; Galatians 6:14-16 Days 52-55 in Around the Bible in Eighty Days. We can only imagine the despair of the disciples in the crushing darkness of the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. The Christian calendar calls it “Holy Saturday.” We can only imagine the joy of the disciples on […]

A Keynote Address for Harbor, Pepperdine University in Malibu, CA, on May 6, 2022 Influenced by both their Greco-Roman culture and egged on by the intruders Paul called the “super-apostles,” the Corinthians apparently thought the ministry of a celebrity pastor like Paul should be characterized by thrilling and brilliant rhetoric about his visionary experiences, triumphant […]