The service that the apostle Paul rendered to Christ was a costly one. We read of it in the book of Acts, and Paul himself tells us of it here and there in his epistles — whippings, beatings, abandonment, hunger, deprivation, insults, offenses of all kinds, and so on. He certainly was not in this […]

“To obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Sam. 15:22) We all know the story. King Saul was commanded to take no spoil from the Amalekites but to destroy everything, including even the animals. When the prophet Samuel discovered the many animals Saul had kept for his own use he roundly condemned him for his disobedience. […]

God and Sin We have all noticed how trials of whatever kind somehow have built into them a strong potential for sin. Physical suffering, emotional stress, bereavement, persecution — trials of whatever kind — bring with them the temptation to faithlessness, giving up, callousness, bitterness, despair, and a host of other sins. We are also […]

Proverbs 14:17 counsels us, “A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated” (ESV). This proverb warns of human anger and its results in relation to others, and it does it in a most interesting way. Notice that two men are identified in the verse, along with their distinguishing […]

In Matthew 12:12 Jesus exclaims, “How much more valuable is a man than a sheep.” Now, on one level that is not profound at all. We all instinctively recognize that a human being is more valuable than an animal. Looking at this passage B.B. Warfield poses the simple question, “Why?” What is it that makes […]

Editors Note: The article argues from James 1:13–18 that while God is sovereign over trials, He never tempts anyone to sin; rather, sin arises from our own desires, making human beings fully responsible for their wrongdoing. Trials are intended by God for spiritual growth, but when we respond without faith, those same trials expose the […]