Category: Bible books

  • Journal Article: Israel and the Apostolic Mission in Ephesians and Colossians

    Journal Article: Israel and the Apostolic Mission in Ephesians and Colossians

    Ephesians and Colossians, like Acts, envisage the apostolic mission of Christ as a Jew-gentile dynamic. An open access academic journal article summarizing and updating the argument in my book on Ephesians and Colossians.

  • The only qualification you need to speak about Jesus

    The only qualification you need to speak about Jesus

    Two stories: one person seemed qualified to speak about God’s grace but wasn’t; second person didn’t seem qualified but definitely was.

  • My papers on Galatians and Ephesians at IBR/SBL 2022

    My papers on Galatians and Ephesians at IBR/SBL 2022

    My papers at IBR/SBL 2022: How does the first half of Galatians 6:16 help us understand what Paul means by the “Israel of God”? In the united body of Christ in Ephesians, is there room for plurality?

  • What does “obedience” and “submission” mean in 1 Peter? | Part 8: Summary

    What does “obedience” and “submission” mean in 1 Peter? | Part 8: Summary

    Part 8 (final summary) of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for this final summary: * Obedience means “heeding”, which involves a holistic reorientation of life * Submission means voluntarily placing yourself in various ordered relationships * Obedience and submission do not imply grudgingly following orders or suppressing your will * Abuse is not OK. There is nothing commendable about tolerating abuse. * Questioning postcolonial interpretations * Applying 1 Peter today * 1 Peter doesn’t say everything

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 7: What does it mean to “submit” to church leaders? (1 Peter 5:1–5)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 7: What does it mean to “submit” to church leaders? (1 Peter 5:1–5)

    Part 7 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 7: * What we’ve seen so far in 1 Peter * They key question: What kind of order and authority is Peter talking about here? * The sufferings of Christ * Christ the Shepherd and Overseer * What authority is not like * What kind of order and authority is Peter talking about here? * Therefore: what kind of submission is Peter talking about

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 6: What does it mean for wives to “submit” and “obey”? (1 Peter 3:1–7)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 6: What does it mean for wives to “submit” and “obey”? (1 Peter 3:1–7)

    Part 6 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 6: * What we’ve seen so far in 1 Peter * What does “likewise” mean? * The situation in focus: Husbands who haven’t been persuaded by the gospel * What does submission look like in this situation? * Isn’t this just first-century conventional wisdom? No * The example of Sarah: What’s going on? * Fearing God and not being intimidated by husbands (abuse is never OK) * What it means for husbands

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 5: What does it mean for first-century slaves to “submit”? (1 Peter 2:18–25)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 5: What does it mean for first-century slaves to “submit”? (1 Peter 2:18–25)

    Part 5 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 5: * First-century slavery * A distinctively Christian perspective * Unjust circumstances * Is Peter telling slaves to endure physical violence? * Grounded in Christ’s atoning work

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 4: Why does 1 Peter instruct Christians to “submit”? (1 Peter 2:13–17)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 4: Why does 1 Peter instruct Christians to “submit”? (1 Peter 2:13–17)

    Part 4 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 4: * Why does Peter say to submit? Does postcolonial interpretation have the answer? * Submit to “every human creature”… what? * An alternative: “human institution”? No. * Submit and do good, because God is creator of all * Submit and do good, because God is judge of all * Submit and do good, because God has redeemed us * The big ideas that set the scene for what follows (2:17)

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 3: What does it mean to “submit” in human relationships? (1 Peter 2:13)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 3: What does it mean to “submit” in human relationships? (1 Peter 2:13)

    Part 3 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 3: * “Submit” in the ancient Greek language * “Submit” in 1 Peter 2:13

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 2: What does it mean to “obey” Jesus Christ? (1 Peter 1:1–2:10)

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 2: What does it mean to “obey” Jesus Christ? (1 Peter 1:1–2:10)

    Part 2 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. The original article is available at churchsociety.org Main headings for Part 2: * “Obedience” in the ancient Greek language * “Obedience” in 1 Peter 1:2 * “Obedience” in 1 Peter 1:14 * “Obedience” in 1 Peter 1:22 * Obedience means “heeding” the gospel message * “Disobeying”: being unpersuaded by the gospel

  • Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 1: What’s the Issue?

    Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter | Part 1: What’s the Issue?

    Part 1 of a series of videos explaining the results of my research as detailed in an academic article: Lionel J. Windsor, “Obedience and Submission in 1 Peter,” The Global Anglican 136/2 (2022): 126–144. Main headings: 1. Christians throughout the world accept the Bible as God’s authoritative word 2. “Obedience” and “submission” have big implications for relationships involving power and authority 3. “Obedience” and “submission” are often misunderstood when they’re rendered in modern English 4. “Postcolonial interpretation,” which tries to deal with the problems, ends up creating bigger problems

  • Seven talks on Christian ministry

    Seven talks on Christian ministry

    Seven sermons from Paul’s first letter to Timothy – aimed especially at people training for Christian ministry. Video and audio.

  • A good minister (1 Timothy 4:6–16)

    A good minister (1 Timothy 4:6–16)

    What makes for a good minister? A sermon preached at Moore College chapel. Faith and good doctrine, our personal lives, teaching others.

  • Plugged-in spirituality (1 Timothy 3:14–4:5)

    Plugged-in spirituality (1 Timothy 3:14–4:5)

    Is your spirituality definitely plugged in? A sermon preached at Moore College chapel on 1 Timothy 3:14–4:5.

  • Ministry ambition (1 Timothy 3:1–13)

    Ministry ambition (1 Timothy 3:1–13)

    Are you ambitious in your ministry? A sermon preached at Moore College chapel on 26 April 2022, with Jane Tooher (hospitality in ministry).

  • Men, women, and God’s word in the gathering (1 Timothy 2:8–15)

    Men, women, and God’s word in the gathering (1 Timothy 2:8–15)

    Moore College Men’s chapel. Quietness for men. Value good works and God’s word among our sisters. We must not abandon our responsibility.

  • A New Year Idea: Lift Your Eyes

    A New Year Idea: Lift Your Eyes

    Looking for encouragement and growth in the new year? Check out my free Lift Your Eyes series based on Ephesians. 228,500 hits+downloads so far.

  • Paul did not say he had abandoned “Judaism”

    Paul did not say he had abandoned “Judaism”

    A new journal article examines in detail the meaning of the words often translated as “Judaism” and “Judaize” in Galatians

  • Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 4: God’s Mediator

    Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 4: God’s Mediator

    When you become a Christian, you don’t give up being a member of the human race. Your fellow human is very much like you: subject to sin, and in need of salvation. And your fellow human is also like Jesus.

  • Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 3: God’s Salvation

    Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 3: God’s Salvation

    When our physical horizons are narrowed down in lockdown, our gospel vision can also become narrowed to ourselves and our group.

  • Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 2: God’s Rule

    Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 2: God’s Rule

    God is not an alternative or enemy to human governments. Rather, he is the Lord over them. That’s why we are to pray to him.

  • Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 1: Prayer

    Jesus, Freedom and Authority in Lockdown Part 1: Prayer

    How should Christians in lockdown respond to authorities? 1 Timothy 2:1–7 tells us to pray. But it’s not a bare command—it also tells us why.

  • Faith and Love in the Mess (1 Thessalonians 3:1–13)

    Faith and Love in the Mess (1 Thessalonians 3:1–13)

    This sermon, preached in the middle of lockdown, emphasises the why and how of faith and love in the mess of the world – COVID or not.

  • God’s heart for all humanity (1 Timothy 2:1–7)

    God’s heart for all humanity (1 Timothy 2:1–7)

    Tensions are very high in our community at the moment. Take the illegal anti-lockdown protest on 23 July 2021 in Sydney. The protesters were expressing a fear and anger that’s clearly present amongst many. They were wrong to express it in this way. But you can feel it, can’t you? I know right now many of us are feeling the frustration. Some of us are in almost impossible situations: climbing the walls! And it’s hard. The catch-cry of the protest was freedom: freedom of movement, of work, of association. And while the protest itself was way out of line, freedom does matter, doesn’t it? It matters for us and our community. The Bible teaches us to live as humans among humans and human authorities, by helping us to see God’s heart for all humanity, as we pray.

  • Grace in ministry: Avoiding the shipwreck (1 Timothy 1:12–20)

    Grace in ministry: Avoiding the shipwreck (1 Timothy 1:12–20)

    “There was a widespread view expressed by participants that within [the church] culture there was an over-emphasis on sin and an under-emphasis on grace”. The report describes how this grace problem permeated the culture. It affected membership commitment expectations, views of authority, pastoral care, and more. And yet, the thing is: Nobody would deny that this church believed in grace. They preached a conservative evangelical reformed doctrine of grace. But on the ground, in so many instances, grace was not a key feature of this church’s ministry and relationships—with disastrous results. Today I want us to grasp that in Christian ministry, grace can’t only be the content we preach. Grace also must permeate and transform everything about us personally. And I want to give some suggestions for things we can do even now in lockdown, to wage the warfare of grace. (a sermon)