Word First

An Exciting Announcement to Share!

Michael Kruger — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 07:48:16 GMT

Big news! My wife Melissa and I have just launched a website to be the new online home for our ministry content. It’s called Word First, and we are thrilled.

For years, we’ve been laboring in our respective ministry areas and have produced content on our blogs Canon Fodder and Wit’s End. And that will not stop—we will still produce content on these sites.

But as our online content has continued to grow beyond these blogs, and as we have had increasing opportunities to collaborate together on books and ministry projects, we decided it was time to create a central online hub for our ministries.

So, Word First will be the new place to go if you want to access our latest content, listen to our podcasts, or learn what we are up to.

New Name

We chose the name Word First because it highlights the central value we share, and that is to put God’s Word first in all of life, and to help others to do the same.

This is captured well by Martin Luther’s well-known declaration as he looked back upon the protestant reformation: “I did nothing; the Word did everything.”

So everything about Word First is centered on the Scriptures. The mission statement makes this plain: “Word First is dedicated to defending the truth of God’s word, declaring the good news it contains, and discipling others to follow it.”

New Logo

The centrality of the word of God is also captured in our new logo (see inset picture).

The logo has an overall shape of a “W”—reminding one of the Word—but the curved shape of that letter also invokes an image of an open book.

Beyond this, the image of the sun rising in the background not only tells us that God’s Word is the first thing we turn to as the day begins, but that the Word is also a “light to my path” (Ps 119:105).

New Features

As the central hub for our ministry content, Word First has a number of exciting new features. There is space here only to highlight a few of them:

New search engine. As our ministry content is spread all over the internet, this new site makes it easy to find it all in one place. The user can search our content by topic, by author, by medium, and more. And all of this content will be available without leaving Word First.
New video series. As this new site launches, I will also be launching a new video series called Surviving Religion 101, named after my Crossway book of the same title. The series will be tackling some of the toughest intellectual questions faced by Christians today. Also, viewers will have access to 50% book discounts, so don’t miss it! Subscribe so that you are notified when each video is released.
New newsletter. We will be launching a newsletter that will provide unique subscriber content, behind the scenes news, and encouraging devotions to encourage your walk with God. It’s also a chance for a more personal glimpse into the things we enjoy, from movies to food and beyond! You can subscribe here. (For those already subscribed to Canon Fodder this will automatically sent to you).
New social media channels. In addition to the website, there will be two new social media channels: Instagram and YouTube. The YouTube channel will also house all our video content, including the video series Surviving Religion 101.

We are so excited to launch this new website. We hope it’s a blessing to many who are looking for solid Christ-centered content that is built on the trustworthiness of God’s Word. We hope you will subscribe, share it with others, and follow us on Instagram and YouTube!

Welcome to Word First

Michael and Melissa Kruger — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 20:15:44 GMT

Welcome to our new website! We have just launched Word First to be the new online home for our ministry content, and we are thrilled.

So, Word First will be the new place to go if you want to access our latest content, listen to our podcasts, or learn what we are up to.

New Name

We chose the name Word First because it highlights the central value we share, and that is to put God’s Word first in all of life, and to help others to do the same.

This is captured well by Martin Luther’s well-known declaration as he looked back upon the protestant reformation: “I did nothing; the Word did everything.”

So everything about the mission of Word First is centered on the Scriptures. The mission statement makes this plain: “Word First is dedicated to defending the truth of God’s word, declaring the good news it contains, and discipling others to follow it.”

New Logo

The centrality of the word of God is also captured in our new logo (see inset picture).

The logo has an overall shape of a “W”—reminding one of the Word—but the curved shape of that letter also invokes an image of an open book.

New Features

As the central hub for our ministry content, Word First has a number of exciting new features. There is space here only to highlight a few of them:

New search engine. As our ministry content is spread all over the internet, this new site makes it easy to find it all in one place. The user can search our content by topic, by author, by medium, and more. And all of this content will be available without leaving Word First.

New video series. As this new site launches, Mike will also be launching a new video series called Surviving Religion 101, named after his Crossway book of the same title. Drawing on his 25 years as a biblical scholar, he will be tackling some of the toughest intellectual questions faced by Christians today. Subscribers will have early access to the videos when they’re released! (Watch / listen on Spotify, Apple, or YouTube)

New newsletter. We will be launching a newsletter that will provide unique subscriber content, behind the scenes news, and encouraging devotions to encourage your walk with God. It’s also a chance for a more personal glimpse into the things we enjoy, from movies to food and beyond! You can subscribe here (via Substack).

New social media channels. In addition to the website, there will be two new social media channels: Instagram and YouTube. The YouTube channel will also house all our video content, including the video series Surviving Religion 101.

Sneak Peek: Courtney and Bo Doctor’s New Kids’ Book

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 08:00:30 GMT

I always love introducing you to authors I know and love, and today I’m especially excited to interview my dear friend and coworker, Courtney Doctor, about her new children’s book, Andy and His Big Question. Inspired by the kinds of questions children ask about God, Courtney wrote this sweet and humorous story with her grandson, Bo, to help young readers understand Jesus’ words to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. I’m so grateful for the beautiful reminder of God’s great love in this story, and I hope you enjoy learning more about Courtney, Bo, and the story behind Andy and His Big Question in today’s Sneak Peek.

Andy and His Big Question releases on September 22, 2026, and is available for pre-order now!

1. Can you give us an update on what this season of life has been like for you and your family?

For me (Courtney), life has been full of joy, people, and good work. Four of our adult children and two of our grandchildren lived with us for the first seven months of the year (along with their two extra dogs and a cat). It has been so fun to have the house filled with an abundance of laughter, chit-chat, and energy. It was also great to have my daughter and daughter-in-law (two amazing cooks) in my kitchen during that time—we have eaten well!

After two years of planning for TGCW26, it was such a blessing to gather with women from all over the world to learn and worship together. A highlight of my year, for sure!

In addition to the conference, we are planning new cohorts for the fall and spring, and I’ve started working on several new writing projects, so work has been full. But I love it.

On the home front, we’ve added a really fun new four-legged friend named Sam. He has four hooves, a mane, and a tail and we have all been enjoying him so much.

Bo had an amazing summer full of firsts! He was able to go to camp for the first time, got up on water skis for the first time, and became a published author for the first time. He also played his fair share of baseball, had time with friends, and read a ton of books.

How did the idea of writing this book with Bo come about?

When B&H Kids asked me to consider what message I would most like my grandchildren to know, I quickly realized that, more than anything, I want them to know how much God loves them—and to let that love stir their affections for him. I want them to know that we are to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul, and strength, but that kind of love is only possible when we have received God’s love for us. In other words, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

As I was thinking about it, I knew Bo would make a fantastic co-author. He is such a creative kid and was already writing stories and creating comic books. So I asked him, and he quickly agreed.

Our first meeting was in a coffee shop where we outlined the story, named the main character, and came up with examples and scenarios for Andy. During one of our many Zoom calls, I read the story out loud to him, and he stopped me and said, “CC, I think we should say ‘the climbing tree’ and not just ‘the tree.’ It’s more specific.” He was absolutely right, and that ended up being the origin of one of the grandmother’s explanations in the book.

People have asked if Bo really contributed to the writing, and he absolutely did. It was so fun to see his gifts and creativity at every turn.

Bo, what was it like to write a book with your grandmother?

“It was a really fun experience because I got to spend extra time with CC.”

What was your favorite part of writing together?

“Just spending time with her and laughing with her.”

Andy’s questions are both funny and surprisingly profound. Why do you think kids are so good at asking the kinds of questions that adults sometimes overlook?

I think kids are simply willing to ask the questions we all have. They don’t pretend to know more than they do, and the questions usually come from a place of deep sincerity and true curiosity.

Kids are always trying to connect the dots in what they’re learning, and I think that is where Andy’s question comes from. He hears what is true from God’s Word, thinks about his own life, and then wonders about what happens when his life doesn’t measure up to what God’s Word says.

We would all benefit from being more like Andy! Instead of glossing over a foundational verse like Luke 10:27, we should stop and ask how well we’re doing with obeying it. And how God responds when we don’t.

Grandparents play a sweet role in this story. What aspects of grandparenting did you try to highlight?

I love being a grandmother! I love that I can have fun with my grandchildren and, at the same time, play a role in their discipleship. We tried to highlight both of these things in the book. The grandmother, “MeMe,” gets to do fun things with Andy like bake cookies and ride horses, but she also has the opportunity to teach Andy about God and his amazing love.

What has writing this book with your grandson taught you?

Like I said above, I have learned how to be a better writer! I love that Bo was able to sharpen my writing skills. I have also been reminded time and time again that children are having profound thoughts and are asking deep questions. I have loved slowing down enough to listen and learn from Bo.

But there were also plenty of silly moments. The majority of our calls were conducted with at least one of us (I’ll let you guess who) presenting as a shark, a cow, a dinosaur, or an alien. So my skill in using the animogi and memoji characters available on FaceTime definitely grew.

Many children’s books emphasize what kids should do. This story reminds children of what God has already done for them. Why is that distinction so important?

This is really the most important aspect of the book! The message of Andy and His Big Question is what John wrote in 1 John 4:19, “We love because he first loved us.” Our love for God isn’t what makes him love us. Just the opposite. His love for us is what enables and compels us to love him back. Our love is a response to his.

The order is essential. It’s so easy to think that we have to earn God’s love. Not only is this impossible, but it leads to a life of striving and stress. Yes, God wants us to love him with all of our heart, soul, strength, and mind, but that love is a result of the love that has already been given abundantly to us.

For a sneak peek, what are some of your favorite parts of the book?

Bo’s favorite illustration is on page nine. It’s the one where the goofy dog is trying to help Andy open the jar of peanut butter! He loves it because Bo’s real dog, Pippin, is a food hound and would absolutely be right next to him if he were opening a jar of peanut butter.

He also loves the illustration on page 22 where the dog has his “arm” around Andy. It makes Bo giggle every time he sees it!

A favorite quote is, “No matter how strong, smart, or kind you happen to be, God is always the one holding you and holding me.”

In addition to being “CC” to five incredible grandchildren, Courtney Doctor (MDiv, Covenant Theological Seminary) is also the Director of Women’s Initiatives for The Gospel Coalition, co-host of The Deep Dish podcast, a Bible teacher, and author of several books and Bible studies, including From Garden to Glory and In View of God’s Mercies.

Bo Doctor is in elementary school and loves building Legos, drawing, Star Wars, and playing with his friends. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his younger twin brothers, his parents, and their goofy dog, Pippin. Bo hopes Andy and His Big Question will help others understand the never-ending love of God.

Rooted Ministry’s New Devotional for Teens

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 04 Aug 2026 09:32:31 GMT

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is confidence in God’s Word. That’s why I’m so excited to share this interview with my friend Anna Meade Harris, one of the editors of God with You, a new devotional that helps teens trace the story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation.

With contributions from youth ministers, teachers, and parents, all of whom are skilled in communicating the gospel to young people, this year-long devotional shows how the Bible is one unified story centered on Christ and helps teens discover Jesus as the source of true rest, hope, and reassurance. I’m so grateful for this thoughtful resource and hope you enjoy learning more about it. God with You is available to order now.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about Rooted ministry and the contributors to this project?

In Rooted’s sixteen years of ministry, parents and youth pastors have consistently asked us to recommend a biblically rich devotional for teenagers. It’s been our prayer that God would enable us to create that resource—and it’s finally here!

God With You: A 52 Week Devotional Through the Whole Bible for Teenagers has been a labor of love for 55 writers, 3 editors, and a project manager. The writers are youth pastors, lead pastors, parents, youth volunteers, schoolteachers, counselors, and even a college student. The members of our editorial team—two former youth pastors and two former teachers—are all parents, with 12 kids ranging in age from 3 to 29. Each member of our team has been opening the Bible with teenagers for much of their personal and professional lives, and we’re dedicated to helping kids know and love God through his Word.

2. What prompted you to write God with You? Was there a particular burden for today’s teenagers that inspired this project?

It’s really tough to be a teenager right now. At home and at school, through friends and at church, teenagers have always had a number of voices speaking into their lives. Social media has exponentially amplified Folly’s voice (Prov. 9:16-17), meaning we must be more deliberate than ever to teach our children about who God really is. Only Jesus has “the words of eternal life” (John 6:68), and there’s no better place for teenagers to learn the voice of their Good Shepherd than through his own words in Scripture. That’s where they get to know Jesus, who he is and what he sounds like. Listening to Jesus in the pages of their Bibles, they will be better able to hear his gentle voice speaking love and life, even in the cacophony of nonsense and evil social media offers.

Additionally, teenagers report record levels of isolation, anxiety, and loneliness. God With You not only reminds young readers of God’s permanent presence in the life of the believer, it emphasizes church and Christian community. Our hope and prayer is that adults will read the devotional alongside their teenagers, using it for family devotions or small groups, revealing the joy of studying God’s Word together.

3. Rather than focusing on topical studies, God with You walks readers through the Bible chronologically. Why is this important?

In a recent article, Alistair Chalmers remarked that despite the abundance of devotional materials available for Christians, our biblical literacy is remarkably underdeveloped. A Lifeway study on Gen Z revealed that young adults can be “deeply involved” in church without being “deeply formed.” With these things in mind, it just makes sense to offer young believers the theological depth they need to nourish a robust, lifelong faith. A chronological approach to the Bible helps young people develop that essential biblical literacy.

In God With You, every Old Testament entry in the book refers to the New Testament and vice versa. Every entry demonstrates how that passage reveals the gospel. Showing teenagers the consistency and unity of the Bible—it’s all a story about Jesus—makes it easier for them to see both his goodness and our need for him. We aim to help young people treasure God’s Word, to fuel their curiosity about and desire for Jesus, and to see how God has always been at work for our good and his glory. We pray that God’s Spirit will be at work through the Word and the pages of God With You, forming hearts that love Jesus.

4. Our culture tells teenagers to discover themselves by looking inward. How does Scripture offer a different vision of identity?

In the opening chapter of Scripture, God wastes no time giving us a clear and infinitely valuable identity: we are made in His own image (Gen. 1:26), to rule over his creation (v. 26), to be fruitful and multiply (v. 28). Here we discover who we are and what God means for us to do. Everything we have—life itself, not to mention belonging, dignity, and purpose—it’s all received, a gift from the Lover of our souls. Our identity is bestowed, coming from outside ourselves. We cannot find it in some nebulous, undefined journey of “looking inward.” What we find there changes on a whim anyway, especially if we’re feeling tired, hungry, tempted, lonely, or bored.

But God gives us a rock-solid identity. What he says about us will never change because he is utterly stable and completely reliable. When all else fails, and all else will fail, God never does. We could not be more secure than we are in Christ (Psalm 16:9, John 10:28). We can say to the struggling teenager: let your Creator tell you who you are. Let your Savior show you your worth. If you ever doubt, look to the Cross, where Christ died to atone for your sins and give you an eternally secure identity as his adopted brother or sister.

There simply is no other way to understand the infinite value and meaning of the life you’ve been given.

5. Many parents want to help their teenagers engage Scripture but aren’t sure where to begin. What encouragement would you offer them?

Begin by finding your own delight in God’s Word. If you don’t feel a hunger for God’s Word, ask him for it. That desire to study Scripture is both a gift from God and an acquired taste. Acclimate your palate by study, asking questions of wise mentors, singing hymns, and praying God’s Word back to him. Because it’s the nature of a parent to give good gifts to their children (Matt. 7:11), your excitement will overflow into your conversations and interactions with your children. I’m not talking about cramming Bible verses into every conversation about soccer practice or friend drama; if you “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16), his words will shape your words organically, spilling out of the overflow of a Bible-saturated heart and mind.

The second key is to combat your own anxiety well. You have an important role in helping your child know Scripture, but the Holy Spirit is alone responsible for opening their eyes to the truth of the gospel. You cannot make your child love God or his Word. Do your part—give them a Bible and read it with them, take them to church weekly and discuss what you hear, let Scripture shape your life, and pray, pray, pray—but most of all, trust God with your child. He loves that child more than you do.

6. For a sneak peek, here are some quotes:

If you’ve been bullied or hurt, did something inside you cry out for things to be made right? That cry for justice is something God shares. He is not indifferent to evil, and we see this in the book of Nahum.

God’s Word combats your deepest insecurities with the truth: the most important thing about you is that you are created and loved by God. You need not fear a God who is acquainted with all your ways.

We are saved by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, not by our own efforts to do good and be good.

When we rebel and run away, our Shepherd doesn’t abandon us to our bad choices. He leads us back to safety and the fullness of his blessing.

7. Here are some endorsements:

“God with You is an ambitious project with significant potential. With 260 short readings, five per week, the devotions trace the Christ-centered story of Scripture in ways teens can grasp. I encourage families and youth groups to work through it in sections for deeper impact. It can strengthen biblical literacy and cultivate a durable, gospel-rooted faith.” — Steve S. Chang, president, SOLA Network

“Rooted in Scripture and shaped by the real questions and pressures teens face today, this devotional offers far more than inspiration; it points young people to a hope that is practical and resilient, grounded in God’s story, and strong enough to help them trust and follow Jesus in the midst of real life.” — Kara Powell, PhD, executive director of the Fuller Youth Institute and coauthor of Future-Focused Church

“How I wish I would have had a copy of God with You when I was a teenager! It brims with the wisdom and grace one thirsts for at all stages of life but especially during the singularly spiky period known as adolescence. This is the Good News, digestibly delivered day after day without a whiff of condescension–zero homework vibes, in other words.” — David Zahl, author of Seculosity and The Big Relief

8. If you could sit down over coffee or pizza with your teenage self, what encouragement would you give?

When God says he is able to do far more abundantly than you could ask or think (Eph. 3:20); when he tells you that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Phil. 4:19); when he says he has given you everything you need for life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3); when he says he loves you with an everlasting love (Jer. 13:31)… IT’S ALL TRUE. It’s the truest thing in the world. It will take many years and lots of ups and downs for you to begin to see it, but God is as good as he says he is—in fact, he’s better.

Sometimes he will feel far away. He isn’t. He will never leave you or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). He is always speaking to you in the pages of your Bible. Find him there.

God is with you, always, even to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).

Anna Meade Harris (MA) is contributing editor at Rooted Ministry, co-host of the Rooted Parent podcast, and author of God’s Grace for Every Family (Zondervan, 2024, winner of Christianity Today’s 2024 Book Award in the Marriage, Family, and Singleness category).

Do the Gospels Contain Eyewitness Testimony? An Overlooked Aspect of the Debate

Michael Kruger — Tue, 14 Jul 2026 13:23:58 GMT

Since the Gospels are Greco-Roman biographies, we should not be surprised that their authors would want to include eyewitness testimony. After all, the principle that historical accounts should be based on eyewitness reports (either directly indirectly) was an established value among all the ancient historians ranging from Herodotus to Thucydides to Polybius and even to Josephus.

But the issue isn’t just whether they would have wanted to include such testimony, but whether reliable eyewitness testimony was readily available. Put in the form of a question, were there named individuals in the early Christian movement who were understood to have witnessed the events related to Jesus of Nazareth and were actively engaged in transmitting their testimony about those events?

Across a wide range of our earliest Christian sources, it is evident that the apostles, originally known as “the Twelve,” were not only understood to be eyewitnesses, but also those who actively transmitted Christian tradition. This is not to suggest the Twelve were the only named eyewitnesses, or the only ones transmitting the tradition. But certainly, any assessment of eyewitnesses in early Christianity would need to begin with the Twelve.

Apart from a few exceptions, most scholars today accept the historicity of the Twelve as firmly established. The Synoptic Gospels each list the Twelve by name (Matt 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; cf. Acts 1:13) and portray Jesus as commissioning the Twelve “to be with him and to be sent out to preach and have authority” (Mark 3:14–15).

The theme of the Twelve being present with Jesus, and under his tutelage, is common in the Gospels, especially in Mark (e.g., 4:10; 9:35; 10:32; 11:11; 14:17). In John’s Gospel, Jesus affirms the eyewitness role of the apostles as the basis for their mission, “you also are witnesses because you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

Luke makes it clear that his Gospel is rooted in the testimony of those “who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word” (1:2), a clear reference to the apostles, though it may have also included others. At the end of his Gospel, Luke reiterates this same point when Jesus tells the disciples, “You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:48).

In the book of Acts, Luke affirms the importance of eyewitnesses again when we are told that Judas’s apostolic replacement must have “accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us…[and] a witness to his resurrection” (Acts 1:21-22). The eyewitness theme is mentioned yet again when Peter testifies that the apostles were “chosen by God as witnesses who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead” (Acts 10:41).

In a similar manner, Paul acknowledges “the apostles before me” (Gal 1:17), mentions several apostles by name (e.g., James, Peter and John) as “pillars” of the church (Gal 2:8-9), and describes them as key eyewitnesses to the resurrection (1 Cor 15:5-6). Also, the book of 1 Peter presents Peter as a “witness of the sufferings of Christ” (5:1), and 2 Peter presents Peter and the other apostles as “eyewitnesses” to the transfiguration (1:16), and affirms that the teachings of Jesus are transmitted “through your apostles” (3:2).

The above evidence (and more could be added), makes it quite clear that during the first century the Twelve were known by name as individuals who were actively transmitting Jesus tradition, and given their proximity to Jesus and their commission by Jesus, this tradition would have been regarded as especially desirable.

Ok, so here we come to the key issue, and a issue that (I would argue) is often overlooked. What is the likelihood that four Gospels written in the first century would include none of that eyewitness tradition?

Here we should observe that there is a fairly wide consensus among modern scholars not only that our four Gospels are from the first century, but that they are our only Gospels from the first century. Why does this matter?

Because, as scholars like Craig Keener argue, biographies written at a time when the main subject can still be remembered by eyewitnesses “warrant more respect as historical sources than do others” because it’s more likely they have drawn upon “substantial collective memory” (Christobiography, 17).

Now, one may argue that this doesn’t prove that the Gospels contain eyewitness testimony. Isn’t it possible for four first-century Gospels to be written that contain zero instances of eyewitness testimony?

Yep, that’s correct. Our argument here does not prove the Gospels contain eyewitness testimony. But I would argue that historians aren’t looking for absolute proof. Nor are they are merely looking for what’s possible (lots of things are possible).

Rather they are looking for what’s plausible or likely. And I think anyone that’s fair with the evidence would have a difficult time saying it’s likely that four first-century Gospels happened to find a way to avoid all eyewitness testimony when they were written in a context, and during at time period, when such testimony was known, highly valued, and readily available.

Two Resources for Your High School Graduate

Michael Kruger — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:47:54 GMT

High school graduation is almost here. I know what that’s like, because I’ve been through it three times. As parents, we have one simple question on our mind: Have I done a good job preparing my child for college?

Every Christian parent wonders this. We pray that we’ve adequately prepared our high school graduate to enter into the fray of college life: intellectually, spiritually, and morally. But, in the end, we must leave their future in the hands of the only person that controls it, God himself.

Even so, that doesn’t mean we can’t give them some resources to help them along the way—resources that can express our deepest hopes for them, and also prepare them for the barrage of challenges coming their way. As my wife Melissa and I have watched our three kids graduate, we have produced some resources designed to accomplish exactly these two things.

Our Deepest Hopes for Our Graduate

As parents, we all have great hopes for our children. We dream of what they might learn and what they might become. And typically, for most parents, those dreams take the form of vocational aspirations. My child could be an airline pilot, a professional singer, a rocket scientist, a fashion designer, etc. And all those dreams are wonderful.

But, there is a greater dream for our children. An ultimate dream. More than anything, our hopes for our children is that they would love Jesus with all of their hearts. No matter what particular calling our children might enjoy, this one is number one.

In 2020, my wife Melissa release an amazing children’s book that expressed exactly that desire: Wherever You Go, I Want You to Know. Melissa takes the child on a fun roller coaster ride of possible callings—with outstanding illustrations that draw you in and make you smile—but the ultimate thing she wants them to know is that Jesus is the thing most worthy of their affections and aspirations. The final line says it best:

I love you so much, I want you to know. . .
I’m cheering you on, wherever you go.
And, whatever you do, wherever you start,
I pray you love Jesus, with ALL of your heart.

While the book was obviously written for children, we have enjoyed watching how it has become such a popular gift for high school graduates! We hear stories every year about parents giving it to their son or daughter and graduation because it expresses their greatest wish for their life.

The Challenges Coming for Our Graduate

Even though our greatest hope as parents is for our kids to love Jesus, we also know that university life will present significant challenges to that hope. Indeed, I can still vividly remember my own college experience as a believer on campus. In the fall of 1989, I began my freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Like many freshmen, I was excited for the next chapter in my life, eager to explore the new opportunities and experiences that college had to offer.

Of course, I knew there would be challenges. College life would not be easy, especially for a Christian. But I had grown up in a solid Christian home, was taught the Bible from a young age, and was a faithful member of my church youth group. So I figured I was ready.

I wasn’t.

The problem stemmed not from what I was taught but from what I wasn’t taught. I wasn’t prepared in the one area that would matter most in a university environment. I wasn’t prepared intellectually. And I would soon learn (the hard way) that intellectual preparation was what I needed more than anything.

My experience was not unique. Every year, Christian college students are confronted by an intellectual world for which they are not prepared. And studies show that Christian college students are leaving behind their faith in worrying numbers.

And it is precisely for this reason that I have written my book: Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College (Crossway, 2021).

I have structured the book in the form of “letters” to my daughter Emma, who (in yet another ironic turn) was herself a student at UNC Chapel Hill. Each of these “letters” addresses a particular intellectual issue or challenge that I know she (and all college students) will eventually face.

I’ve been so encouraged to see how this book has become a common gift to high school graduates on their way to university life. Paired with Melissa’s book above, they make a great combination for sending off a son or daughter with good reminders of the things they believe.

So, if you are looking for some gift ideas for your graduates this spring, you can check out these books here and here!

Sneak Peek: Annie VanderHeiden’s Book for New Moms

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 12 May 2026 06:00:55 GMT

The postpartum season can be both beautiful and disorienting, leaving new mothers feeling exhausted and unseen in the midst of constant care. During those long days and nights, it’s easy to wonder if anyone truly understands. In Cradled, Annie VanderHeiden offers tender, gospel-centered encouragement for moms in this season, helping them see how Christ meets them in their daily tasks.

I’m so grateful for Annie’s thoughtful reflections and hope you enjoy getting to know her in today’s Sneak Peek interview. Cradled releases on May 6, and it is available to order now.

1. Can you give us an update on what life is like for you in this season?

I had the incredible privilege of serving as editor for Risen Motherhood, a ministry to moms that sunsetted last year. So much of what I do and who I am, personally and professionally, has been influenced by that beautiful season, and it’s been such a joy to offer this book up now as a small continuation of that gospel-centered work.

Currently, I’m freelancing as a writer and editor for Well-Watered Women and various other publishers, on top of mothering and serving in our local church and community. My husband Adam and I have two adorably feisty littles (5 and 2), and we make our home in NW Washington state, where we’re a half hour away from both mountains and beaches—the perfect combo. In my spare time, I love going on walks with my family, putting together parties and gift baskets (give me a theme and I’ll make it happen!), thrifting, trying new recipes, decorating, and sipping on matchas. My days feel pretty small and simple most of the time, but also full of God’s sweetness!

2. How did God inspire you to write Cradled?

When I first became a mom, during the pandemic, it felt like I cracked open into a million tiny pieces. I was completely out of my depth and riddled with fear and uncertainty. I’d been dreaming about motherhood ever since I was little, and yet nothing could prepare me for the weight of actually walking in the door with my own newborn and seeing all the responsibilities stretching before me. What was I supposed to do next? Would I feel this way forever? What was wrong with me? Questions like these consumed my thoughts and filled my heart with shame, 24/7. I was supposed to be the “good Christian mom” and figure this all out—right? It felt like my worth and identity as a woman were riding on that.

On top of all the normal pains and adjustments of postpartum and first-time motherhood, undiagnosed postpartum depression and anxiety left me feeling even more isolated and incapable. I didn’t know where to go for help, and my relationship with God felt strained and distant amidst everything I was feeling and facing in the here and now. God used those trials to really humble my heart and open my eyes to the needs of other moms, as well as to his deep ministry of care to us in and through our weakness.

A few years later, my publisher reached out about potentially writing more on this topic, and it felt like God was bringing my experiences full circle. It was an opportunity to reach back in time to my own weepy, weary new-mom self and pour out the hope and help she needed in the moment but didn’t know how to find. To use the words of 2 Corinthians 1:4, I was being called to pass along the comfort with which I had been comforted by God in that long and lonely season.

No matter whether a mom’s postpartum period feels smooth or full of suffering, I pray that God uses this book to encourage her heart and ultimately point her back to himself as the perfect Parent.

3. You structure the book around eight ordinary tasks—feeding, sleeping, changing, soothing, washing, nurturing, praying, and anticipating. Why did you choose to organize the book around these rhythms?

During postpartum, it feels like your whole world shrinks down to the immediate needs and schedule of the baby in your arms. Suddenly, your life revolves around nursing alarms and spit-up and Target runs for diapers. And rightly so—you have a body that’s healing from major trauma and a newborn who’s fragile and dependent on you for everything. It’s all-consuming. So I wanted to give readers a framework that would nestle easily within their everyday experiences—that as they found themselves attending to the next diaper change or bath or feeding session, they would be able to tangibly tie that into Christ’s care for them too.

The more I dug into Scripture while writing, the more I was amazed to find how much Christ, in his human experience, could relate to our embodied struggles. He felt worn out and hungry. His rest was often interrupted as he poured himself out in ministry. He cried out in prayer for his little ones. And he understood and provided for those very real, human needs among the people he served, too. He fed, offered rest, soothed, washed, and nurtured others. So, as moms pour themselves out for their children at all hours of the day and night, I wanted to make it easy for them to remember the Savior doing the same on their behalf.

Cradled also very intentionally progresses from the more concentrated tasks of early postpartum (like navigating breastfeeding challenges or intense sleep deprivation) to bigger-picture aspects of motherhood, like praying and anticipating. In that way, it’s made to grow with you as a mom, giving readers a gospel framework and understanding of Christology that they can continue building on in future seasons of parenting.

4. Postpartum often exposes both physical weakness and spiritual need. How can mothers care for their souls when they can barely find time to shower?

One of the biggest encouragements I can give another young mom (and that I continue to preach to my own heart!) is not to despise the small things or the limited investments. We can get so discouraged by everything we feel like we can’t do in this season—whether having an uninterrupted quiet time or being fully present in a worship service—that we forget that little things add up to big fruit. So, pay close attention to those small bits of space or time that you do have. Are you filling them with scrolling on social media, adding more to your Amazon cart, or doing other things that deplete your peace and rest? Or are you taking advantage of those moments, as small as they may be, to read or listen to Scripture, text a Christian sister, play worship music, or take in God’s creation—things that will fill and restore your soul?

Just like we often have to survive on “snacks” in other areas during this season—grabbing those mini meals between feeds or rubbing in the dry shampoo or taking the catnap—we can leverage the little opportunities to take in even one short verse of Scripture or pray a sentence in the middle of the night. These investments all build up over time, strengthening our dependence on God and our understanding of his ever-present love and care for us.

5. How might this book serve not only new moms but also grandmothers, friends, or women walking alongside someone postpartum?

I think God has mercifully wired us as women to forget a lot of the intensity and pain of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum (such that we often do it again and again!). The longer we move away from those seasons ourselves, the easier it can be to minimize or downplay the very real struggles of the little years. Older moms, grandmas, mentors, and friends have a well-won, long-range perspective on the worth and beauty of that season (that younger moms desperately need!), but they also need to keep hearing from women currently in the trenches what they’re thinking, feeling, and wrestling through in order to more effectively counsel and care for them. I pray that Cradled will be a resource that promotes these deeper, more integrative relationships between older and younger moms.

I also hope that others in postpartum moms’ circles—sisters, peers, and even husbands and pastors—will pick up this book as a way to better understand, love, and serve them. There aren’t many resources at all on this topic, especially in Christian spaces, and I feel the weight and responsibility of bringing a voice to women’s experiences in a very raw and vulnerable season of their lives. Even among moms in their childbearing years, the individual journeys can look drastically different, for a myriad of reasons. It may be that you yourself had relatively smooth postpartum seasons, but a sister you know is going through the exact opposite. I’ve labored to be real and transparent with my own struggles throughout the book in an effort to keep facilitating open conversation and authentic ministry in the church at large.

6. For a sneak peek, here are some quotes:

“We can forget that we’re both mothers and children. We’re not God—the master of the universe—even though we might subconsciously expect ourselves to be right now. We won’t be impassive in the face of pain and suffering. We can’t have an omniscient read on our babies (or ourselves). We’re not able to perfectly spin the plates or sufficiently meet all the needs of our households in and of ourselves. Moms are impressively strong and capable and intuitive, certainly, but we’re still weak children at the core. We’re still needy little ones growing up in our Father, desperate for his continual love and care. And this is what motherhood—and especially postpartum—teaches us: how to be children again.”

“We can embrace all the beautiful unknowns of postpartum—and the motherhood beyond—because Jesus himself is our security, identity, and joy. Whatever lies ahead, he has already gone before you in both fullness of pain and fullness of pleasure.”

“In the dryness and desperation you may feel right now, keep expecting Christ’s presence and power to show up. He is going to grow and transform you through this season—and through all of motherhood. He will strengthen and provide for you every step of the way. He will enlarge your heart and expand your skills and capacities, even when you feel like you can’t lift a tired eye or put one foot in front of the other. In your weakness, neediness, and even unloveliness, he is fashioning you to be stronger, holier, and more beautiful. Though the ‘cord clamping’ may feel painful, it’s setting you free to become everything he wants you to be—a glorified saint.”

7. Here are some endorsements:

“What a life-giving resource! I commend Cradled to new moms as it will fortify their hearts and minds with the gospel in the hazy days of motherhood. The postpartum season is hard, but Annie’s words will encourage moms to set their sights on Jesus and the deep well of gifts found in him.”

—Laura Wifler, Poet; Author; Coauthor, Risen Motherhood

“Cradled is a gift to every new mother navigating the tender, disorienting, and beautiful postpartum season. With poignant language and deeply relatable reflections, it gently anchors weary hearts in the unchanging truths of Scripture. Page by page, it reminds us that Christ’s care is not distant or abstract but present and personal—even in the sleepless nights and fragile days of early motherhood.”

—Amy Gannett, Writer; Bible Teacher; Founder, The Bible Study Schoolhouse and Tiny Theologians

“Annie’s writing is stunning, relatable, and theologically rich—painting real-life moments with warmth and honesty. Through each snapshot of postpartum life, she invites moms to see how the gospel offers hope and encouragement in the fourth trimester as they look to Jesus.”

—Emily Jensen, Coauthor, Risen Motherhood and Gospel Mom

“I love Annie’s writing. Not only is the prose itself beautiful, but she approaches this topic with vulnerability, tenderness, and deep care for the reader. She shines light on a topic that we all too often leave in the dark. Annie goes even further, examining the ways Jesus identifies with new moms and how he offers them genuine hope for the immediate moment and all eternity. This book is a must-read for every new mom and the people who love them.”

—Jen Oshman, Author; Speaker; Women’s Ministry Director

8. If you had to choose one simple everyday pleasure that feels especially comforting to you, what would it be, and why?

Thanks to my own postpartum struggles with anxiety, I chose to give up my most-beloved coffee, but now I am solidly team matcha! Whisking the powder each morning into hot water and then pouring it over frothed milk is such a calming, rhythmic way to start my day. When I have the inclination, I love experimenting with flavor add-ins (rose, peppermint, or amaretto extracts are my fave!) to level up the delight. Good food and comforting drinks are such a gift from our creative, nurturing God!

Annie VanderHeiden is the former editor of Risen Motherhood and now busies herself with freelance writing and editing, lay church ministry, and mothering two littles. She plants her roots in the uppermost corner of the PNW, enjoying salty sea air, drizzly days, long walks, overflowing mugs of matcha, and any thrifting opportunities she can get. Annie is the author of Cradled: Christ’s Care for Postpartum Moms (P&R, 2026). Connect with her on Instagram (@anniekvanderheiden) or annievanderheiden.com.

Hope and Help for Busy Families

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 05 May 2026 07:00:22 GMT

When I opened up my first copy of The Good News Family Devotional, I was surprised by my initial reaction—my eyes welled up with tears. Some of my tears were tears of joy. I love everything about how Harvest House designed the book—the cover, the bookmark, the interior design, the feel of the pages. It’s a satisfying joy to hold a new book in your hands and see the words you labored over in print.

However, most of my tears were of a different sort. They were tears of longing, a homesickness of sorts. The longing for what was and for a season that has passed. In the long days and years of motherhood, the daily rhythms of home felt like a season that would never end. Yet, slowly and surely, my littles ones have grown and flown the nest (oldest, middle, youngest). Currently, my oldest daughter is in Southeast Asia, my son is preparing to move out of state for graduate school, and my youngest is finishing up her freshman year and spending the summer overseas.

Which means, we won’t all be gathered around the breakfast table reading the Bible together and praying for one another. Mike and I were on a walk this weekend and we both were surprised that the thing we miss the most in this new season is those family conversations around the table. In the moment, I don’t think we realized just how special it was to gather together, discuss God’s Word, and pray. We knew it was important, but now we realize: it was foundational. Those simple conversations built our home and affected every area of our life together.

Parenting Advice

If I could give one piece of advice to a younger family, it would be this: spend time together as a family reading God’s Word and praying for one another. Set it as a pattern of your home. There will never be a time when it is convenient or easy. Start when they are young. Start as soon as they can talk. Start today.

If you don’t know where or how to begin, that’s why Mike and I wrote The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks Through the Gospel of Mark. We want it to be a resource for your own spiritual growth and a help to you as you teach and train your children.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 instructs us:

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Parenting Example

Surprisingly, the first command for us as parents isn’t to teach our children. The first command for us

is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength and to cherish his Word in our hearts.

Then, after we’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good, we’re to teach our children diligently: in our homes, along the way, in the morning and in the evening. When we read and study God’s Word for ourselves, we’ll be more equipped for these everyday conversations with our children about it. Our love for God will naturally overflow into whatever we are doing as a family.

For this reason, we divided the gospel of Mark into 52 weekly segments and provided devotionals for you as the parent to read first. Hopefully, as you read the passage and contemplate the truths and explanations in the devotionals, your own understanding of God’s Word will grow. You’ll feel more equipped to talk about the passage with your family. And, as you know God through his Word, you’ll love him more.

Parenting Help

In addition to the devotional for you as a parent, we’ve provided helpful tools as you teach your children. For each passage of Mark, we’ve written a Parent Introduction to help you start the conversation with your children. Usually, these remind your children about the prior reading and prepare them for what to listen for as they read the passage for the current week.

We’ve also chosen a Big Idea for the Week. Children learn from repetition, so it’s helpful to tell them the Big Idea at the beginning and review it at the end, and all throughout the week as you reread the passage. For each lesson, we’ve provided Questions for Younger Children and Questions for Older Children. The younger children’s questions typically are more observation questions, helping them focus on the who, when, and what of the story. Part of biblical literacy is listening well and paying attention to the details of the story. The older children’s questions focus more on interpretation, asking probing questions that explore the deeper meaning behind the details. We’ve also provided a Family Application Question to discuss together, so you can consider together how God’s word changes the way we live.

Each lesson will close with a Parent Conclusion and a review of the Big Idea of the Week. In addition, there’s a Family Prayer to read, as well as prompts to help your family pray for a variety of people throughout the week.

Parenting Patterns

You may wonder where to fit this into your already full family schedule. Our family gathered every morning at the breakfast table to read the Bible and pray for one another. It didn’t take long (and we missed days!). Aim for patterns of the home, not perfection. Another time in the day may work better for your family, or you may prefer to set a time once a week (perhaps on Sunday) to spend a longer time studying the passage together.

Whatever way you choose, let us encourage you—reading the Bible and praying together as a family will bring your family together in beautiful ways. When we look back at our years of raising young children, some of my favorite memories are laughing around the breakfast table as we studied God’s word and prayed for one another. These conversations are daily spiritual food you get to share together. We hope you’ll enjoy the feast!

A New Academic Volume on the Origins of the New Testament Canon

Michael Kruger — Fri, 01 May 2026 11:18:25 GMT

It goes without saying that not all academic sub-disciplines (especially in the field of biblical studies) generate the same level of scholarly interest. Some fields are more active; others less so. And it can change from generation to generation.

When I was doing my work with Larry Hurtado years ago at the University of Edinburgh, I always wondered if my sub-discipline of New Testament canon (and sub-sub-disciplines of NT text and apocryphal writings) would continue to generate academic discussion and interest in the years ahead.

Looking back, I can say that I am grateful that field of New Testament canon (and text) has continued to produce a lot of academic (and popular) interest, perhaps as much as ever. In fact, I have continued to highlight recent publications on this blog, though I find myself falling woefully behind. For a few recent examples, see here, here, and here.

On that note, I am please to mention a brand new release: The New Testament Canon in Contemporary Research, edited by Stanley E. Porter and Benjamin P. Laird (Brill, 2026). This is the latest installment in Brill’s Text and Editions for New Testament Studies Series (#21).

This is an impressive volume clocking in at 656 pages, and 23 individual chapters, covering a wide range of important issues related to the development of the New Testament. There are nine distinction sections:

1. What Were the Leading Factors that Prompted the Formation of the New Testament Canon?

2. When Did the Core of the New Testament First Become Recognized, and When Was the Complete New Testament Fixed?

3. What Was the Early Christian Perspective on Pseudepigraphy, and How Did the Practice Influence Canon Formation?

4. When and How Did the Fourfold Gospel Collection Gain Canonical Recognition?

5. When and How Did the Catholic Epistles Gain Canonical Recognition?

6. When and How Did the Pauline Epistles Gain Canonical Recognition?

7. When and How Did the Book of Revelation Gain Canonical Recognition?

8. What Do the Ancient Textual Witnesses Reveal about the Development of the Canon?

9. What Do the Church Fathers Reveal about the Development of the Canon?

In addition to these nine sections—which demonstrate the remarkable breadth of this volume—there is an impressive group of scholars gathered together. In order of appearance, there are contributions from Benjamin Laird, Tobias Nicklas, Tomas Bokedal, Dimitris Kyrtatas, Markus Vinzent, Mark Edwards, L. Scott Kellum, Craig D. Allert, Jeremy Duff, Lee Martin MacDonald, Charles E. Hill, Jason, David BeDuhn, Gregory Goswell, Wolfgang Grünstäudl, Stanley E. Porter, Robert W. Wall, Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, W. Gordon Campbell, Hans Förster, Gregory R. Lanier, Paul Foster, and Paul A. Hartog.

My own chapter, which happens to be first in the volume, is entitled, “Inspiration and the Formation of the New Testament Canon” and tackles the long-standing debate about whether the early church fathers saw their own writings (and words) as equally “inspired” as the New Testament writings themselves. Here is the abstract of my chapter:

There has been a long-standing debate among scholars about the role of inspiration in the emergence of the New Testament canon. Prior generations of scholars have argued that inspiration could not have played a role in the acceptance or rejection of books because patristic writers believed inspiration was a broad category that extended to non-canonical books and even to their own writings. This chapter argues that the internal/aesthetic qualities of books (and the perception that they came from God) did, in fact, play a role in their acceptance. Early patristic writers, therefore, had two different concepts of “inspiration”—a primary inspiration attributed to apostolic writings, and a secondary inspiration attributed to other ecclesiastical writings. And many patristic writers believed that primary inspiration could be identified by observing the internal qualities of the books themselves.

In sum, this volume looks to be an excellent and worthwhile contribution to recent canon discussions, and a fitting successor to the 2002 volume, The Canon Debate, which also was a lengthy collection of essays on various topics related to the origins of the canon (though half was devoted to the OT/Hebrew Canon whereas the new Brill volume is focused only the New).

At this point, my only complaint about the book is the standard one, which is the price: $185! Although I get to enjoy a complimentary copy as one of the contributors, I suppose others will need to start saving now, or find it a major research library. Regardless, this volume looks to make a needed contribution to the ever-growing field of canon studies.

Sneak Peek: The Spiritual Habits Bible

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 07:00:43 GMT

Many of us long to grow in our walk with God, but feel unsure where to begin or how to keep going. The NIV Spiritual Habits Bible offers practical help by guiding readers through Scripture with daily readings focused on forming gospel-centered habits like prayer, gratitude, faithfulness, and rest. Today, I am excited to have my friend and colleague Joe Carter give us a glimpse into how this Bible helps readers establish simple, attainable rhythms to pursue a faithful, sustainable walk with Christ.

The NIV Spiritual Habits Bible is available to order now.

1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? What is this season of life like for you and your family?

I’ve spent the last couple of decades writing at the intersection of faith, culture, and everyday Christian life, mostly here at The Gospel Coalition. I’m also blessed to serve as a pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia.

This has been a particularly full season. Alongside the Spiritual Habits Bible, I’ve been finishing a separate book on AI and the Christian faith, which has me thinking constantly about how technology shapes the way we form our souls. Between those two projects, pastoral ministry, writing at TGC, and trying to be a present husband and father (to an adult daughter), it’s been a lot.

But it’s a season of gratitude. I get to spend my days thinking about what it means to follow Jesus and then helping other people do the same. I can’t imagine a better life.

2. What led you to focus on spiritual habits as the framework for this Bible?

The habits framework came about because of a quote by historian Will Durant: “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Durant was summarizing Aristotle’s views on virtue and habits, but it’s a wholly biblical concept since the Bible connects our repeated behaviors to our character. For instance, Paul tells the Romans that habits of obedience make us “slaves to righteousness” (Rom. 6:15). And Proverbs is essentially a guidebook for developing wise patterns of living. If we are what we repeatedly do, then spiritual formation is really about asking: What am I repeatedly doing, and is it making me more like Jesus?

Spiritual formation isn’t as mysterious as we make it out to be. It’s mostly about the direction of our life: We either develop habits that draw us toward Christ or habits that pull us away from him. In other words, every day, we’re becoming either more like Jesus or less like him. The framework of habits gave me a concrete, accessible way to talk about a process that can otherwise feel frustratingly abstract.

3. Sometimes habits can feel mechanical or routine. How do habits actually help us live a vibrant, gospel-centered life?

This is probably the most important misconception to address. People hear “habits,” and they think rote, mindless repetition—like brushing your teeth. But the goal isn’t mechanical obedience but helping give us more freedom.

Think about it like a concert pianist who practices scales so relentlessly her fingers know where to go without thinking. That’s a habit. But no one listens to a concert and says, “Oh, how mechanical.” No, they recognize that habits liberated her to make beautiful music. The same principle applies to our spiritual life. When we develop habits of reading Scripture, prayer, gratitude, and service, those practices become the infrastructure of our souls. They free us to respond to God more naturally, more quickly, and with more of our hearts focused on him.

4. You highlight 30 different spiritual habits, from prayer and gratitude to rest and stewardship. Were there any habits that surprised you as especially important as you worked through the project?

The ones that most people expect—prayer and Bible reading—were obviously central. But two surprised me by how fundamental they turned out to be in my own life.

One category is habits of rest. We live in a culture that treats exhaustion as a badge of honor, and I found that Christians often feel guilty about resting. But Scripture treats sleep as a genuine spiritual discipline. As TGC co-founder D.A. Carson once said, sometimes the godliest thing you can do is get a good night’s sleep. I ended up writing entries on such things as sleep as a spiritual activity and the types of rest we need for spiritual rejuvenation.

Another important group is habits of gratitude. G.K. Chesterton was right when he said gratitude is “happiness doubled by wonder.” Developing the habit of actually paying attention to what God has done—not just vaguely feeling thankful but deliberately counting blessings—has a formative power that’s easy to underestimate.

5. How do you hope this Bible will help readers develop habits that are sustainable over the long term?

The book contains over 1,000 tips and suggestions, and I tell people upfront that no one could or necessarily should attempt to apply them all. My realistic goal is that every reader will find at least eight practices to incorporate into their life—one from each of the eight primary categories of spiritual formation. Eight practices, applied faithfully and guided by the Holy Spirit, is enough to change your life.

I also designed the content around the concept of a “spiritual formation spiral.” Spiritual growth isn’t linear. It’s more like a spiral staircase, where you return to the same categories repeatedly, but each time you come around, you’ve moved a step higher. For instance, you don’t master prayer and then move on to service. You cycle through these disciplines again and again, going deeper each time.

6. In your experience as a pastor and writer, what are some common misunderstandings Christians have about spiritual growth?

There are three that are particularly common.

The first is that the bare minimum is enough. Many believers think that if they just read a chapter a day and say a prayer before bedtime, growth will happen automatically. But we can’t make adequate progress by merely reading a chapter a day and saying a prayer before bed. Becoming like Christ requires intentional effort across multiple dimensions of our lives.

The second is that spiritual formation is something we leave entirely to God. There’s a passivity in some Christian circles that sounds pious but is actually unbiblical. Yes, sanctification is primarily God’s work. But Paul doesn’t tell us to sit back and wait for holiness. He says to “work out your salvation with fear and trembling.” One theologian I quote in the book put it this way: use the means of sanctification as vigorously as if you were to be saved by your own efforts, and yet trust as entirely to the grace of God as if you made use of no means whatsoever. That’s the balance we need to seek.

The third is treating spiritual disciplines as a checklist, as something to complete rather than a way to commune with God. As John Stott said, the essential secret is not mastering certain techniques but being mastered by certain convictions. The habits are a means, not the end. The end is always Christ himself.

7. For a sneak peek, here is an entry from the book:

How to Keep a Spiritual Journal (Entry on Psalm 86)

For thousands of years people have read the Psalms and been moved by David’s words as he pleas, prays, and praises God. But as much as these Psalms have blessed generations of readers, the one that likely gained the most benefit was David. Writing down our reflections so that we can examine and ponder over them, as David often did, can be a powerful tool for spiritual growth.

The Bible does not mention spiritual journaling, but there are certain books of the Bible (Psalms, Nehemiah, Jeremiah, etc.) that record prayers, personal life events, reflections on Scripture, and other themes often associated with the practice.

A spiritual journal is a tool for self-reflection that allows us to cooperate with the Spirit to make sense of the deepening work he is doing in our soul. There is nothing in Scripture that requires believers to keep a journal, but throughout the ages Christians have found it to be a useful exercise. If you’re interested in spiritual journaling, consider these tips:

You don’t have to be a writer – Many people avoid journaling because they’re not writers. But a journal is written for an audience of two: you and God. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or style. No one has to ever read—or even know about—your journal.

Your way is the right way – Don’t worry about “doing it wrong.” If you find the practice helpful, just do it your way. Choose your own schedule, your own style, and your own topics to write about. Feel free to experiment to discover what works best for you.

Write what you want – There is no wrong way to journal, so write about whatever the Spirit lays on your heart. For instance, you could include in your journal such items as reflections on character formation; successes and struggles in being obedient to Christ; poems or songs you’ve found or written; lessons learned from Scripture reading, etc.

Review your writings – You only get half the benefit from writing in your journal; the other half comes from reading what you’ve written in the past to remember forgotten insights and gauge your spiritual growth. Make a habit of regularly reviewing your journal.

Joe Carter is a senior writer for The Gospel Coalition, the editor of the NIV Spiritual Habits Bible, author of The Life and Faith Field Guide for Parents, and coauthor of How to Argue Like Jesus: Learning Persuasion from History’s Greatest Communicator. He also serves as an associate pastor at McLean Bible Church in Arlington, Virginia.

Can You Have Christian Ethics without Christianity? A Response to Bart Ehrman

Michael Kruger — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 11:50:25 GMT

As you might have noticed, Bart Ehrman has been making the rounds again this recent Easter season regarding his new book, Love Thy Stranger: How the Teachings of Jesus Transformed the Moral Conscience of the West. Most notable was his appearance on the podcast of New York Time’s columnist, Ross Douthat.

In this new book, Ehrman argues that Christian teachings about helping others in need—especially those we don’t know—was genuinely distinctive in the ancient Greco-Roman world. Altruism was not a value of the polytheistic religions nor the philosophical systems of the time. It was ultimately the influence of Christianity that led to the building of hospitals and orphanages and systems to care for the poor.

Ehrman, of course, is not the first to make such an argument. It has been made before by Rodney Stark, and more recently by Tom Holland. And he is right. The reason our modern western world cares about those in need is due to the impact of Christianity’s distinctive ethic.

Even though the central argument of the book affirms a positive aspect of Christianity, Ehrman is still not convinced of the truth of Christianity itself. He likes Christianity’s core ethic, but he wants this ethic without actually embracing Christianity as a whole.

But is that possible? Can someone have Christian ethics without Christianity? I recently did a full-length video for The Gospel Coalition answering this exact question. Enjoy!

Parenting Lesson #2: Make Sure YOU Are Following God

Michael Kruger — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 08:55:58 GMT

In a prior blog post, I announced the forthcoming release of my new book, co-authored with my wife Melissa, entitled: The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark.

This book is designed to fill a gap in family devotionals because it is written by both a mom and a dad, and also designed to reach both the parent and the child. It releases on May 5^th so keep an eye out!

In light of this forthcoming book, I am doing a short 3-part blog series in the month of April designed to highlight a number of key lessons on parenting we have learned over the years. All of these lessons are designed to combat one of those common issues for parents: anxiety over how their children will turn out.

I released lesson #1 last week, and so now we turn to lesson #2.

Start With Yourself

The instinct of anxious parents is to be perpetually obsessed with their child’s behavior. When they are small, it’s about manners at the table, playing nicely with others, and going to bed on time. When they are older, it’s about whether they are doing their homework, cleaning their room, or excelling in sports.

To be fair, addressing the behavior of our children is an important part of parenting. Of course, we care about how our children act. We are trying to raise them to be responsible, productive, and godly individuals.

But—and this is the key—parenting doesn’t begin with focusing on our children’s behavior. Rather, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly, parenting begins with our own.

Put simply, the most effective parents are ones who are committed to making sure their own spiritual life is healthy, trusting that their children will follow in their footsteps. Notice the order of the classic parenting passage in Deut 6:6-7:

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.

We often move quickly to the second half of this passage which says “you shall teach them diligently to your children,” and tend to overlook the first half of the passage which says, “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” As a result, we miss the fact that godly parenting begins with the basic commitment to follow God ourselves.

But why? Why does the order matter?

Filling Up the Tank

We begin with an observation that transcends parenting. In order to pour ourselves into anyone else spiritually, not just children, we have to have something to give them. We first have to have something inside of us that can flow out.

For those new to ministry, this is often a hard-learned lesson. They are often very zealous and energetic, quick to give all their time and energy to those they are serving. And that is a wonderful thing.

But they quickly realize they need to make sure they are caring for their own spiritual health in the process. Otherwise, exhaustion, burnout, and ineffectiveness will be the inevitable result.

It’s similar to the way the oxygen mask works on an airplane. During the safety demonstration, flight attendants will always say put the mask on yourself first before helping others. Why? Because if you are not breathing oxygen you’re no good to anyone else.

Same with parenting. If you are not breathing in God’s word yourself, you are not going to be effective in teaching it to your children.

Controlling the Controllable

Here’s another reason why I believe God put the order of Deuteronomy the way he did. If we focus on our behavior first, then move to our children, we are following a commonsense principle: control the things you can control before you try to control the things you can’t.

Now, this is not to suggest that parents should not try to guide their child’s behavior. Nor is to suggest that it’s impossible to guide their child’s behavior. Part of our job is to do precisely that.

My point here is that we are not the final determiner of our child’s behavior, and, even more than this, our efforts can face frustrations and limitations. A good bit of parenting is coming to grips with the rather scary fact that we are not fully in control.

But, again, that’s why God wants us to start with our own spiritual health. We have more control over our behavior than that of our child. And when we start with God, he gives us the patience, endurance, and trust we need to be a faithful parent over the long haul.

The Power of Our Example

The final reason why the order of Deuteronomy matters is that our effectiveness as parents is directly connected to whether our instruction and guidance is genuine and authentic. We have to actually believe it and live it before we can pass it along to our children.

Put bluntly, children are remarkably good at spotting a fraud. If parents are just faking it, or don’t really believe what they are saying, or are not living it out themselves, children will quickly notice.

Nothing saps the life from Christian parenting more quickly than a child’s realization that the parents themselves are not really that into the “Christian” part of things.

This means that children are better at following our examples than they are following our words. And thus parents need to make sure they are regularly going to God for the grace and strength to live the kind of life that forms a healthy example.

In sum, take a fresh minute to read over Deuteronomy 6:6-7 again. And remember that healthy Christian parenting begins by first being a healthy Christian ourselves.

Can You Have Christian Ethics Without Christianity? A Response to Bart Ehrman

Michael Kruger — Fri, 10 Apr 2026 09:47:29 GMT

Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra sat down with New Testament scholar Michael J. Kruger, one of Ehrman’s former students, to talk about Ehrman’s arguments on why he doesn’t believe in God. Kruger has found that, unlike Ehrman, the study of biblical manuscripts has strengthened his faith.

Sneak Peek: A New Devotional to Deepen Your Faith

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 07:00:01 GMT

We all know the ache of unmet expectations. Whether through circumstances, relationships, or our own desires, the things we hope will satisfy us often fall short. In You Are Satisfied, Joanna Kimbrel points readers back to the one place lasting contentment can be found—life with Christ. Through an 8-week journey through Scripture, she explores how God’s promises, provision, plan, and presence reshape our hearts and meet us in the middle of life’s highs and lows.

You Are Satisfied is available to order now! I’m grateful for Joanna’s thoughtful encouragement in these pages and hope you enjoy getting to know her a bit more in today’s Sneak Peek.

1. Can you give us an update on what life is like for you in this season?

Life is wonderfully full! I’m raising three young daughters with my husband, working part time for The Gospel Coalition, serving in my local church, and doing some writing and teaching as I’m able. This season has also been a time of significant growth for me that the Lord has brought about through the kinds of challenges I wouldn’t choose but also wouldn’t trade. I’m so grateful for the work he’s doing in me.

2. What first stirred your heart to write You Are Satisfied? Was there a particular season or struggle that inspired this devotional?

You Are Satisfied came out of a really challenging season that, in a lot of ways, I’m still walking through. The season has included a chronic illness diagnosis, church hurt, navigating broken relationships, difficult transitions for my kids, and many other things. In the middle of the hard, I needed to know that satisfaction and contentment aren’t reserved for easier circumstances. This has been one of the hardest seasons of my life, but also one of the most joyful. As I’ve leaned on Jesus, I’ve experienced a deep satisfaction, not because everything changed, but because he didn’t. So I wrote this book because I needed it, and I believe others do too. This devotional is an invitation to anchor our satisfaction in the unchanging God, even when life feels unstable.

3. How is the book structured?

You Are Satisfied is an 8-week devotional designed to help you satisfy the longings of your hungry heart in Christ. With five readings each week, every chapter explores satisfaction from a different angle—Satisfied in God’s Word, Satisfied in All Circumstances, Satisfied in God’s Plan, and more—uncovering where we tend to look for fulfillment and where it’s truly found.

Each day begins with a passage of Scripture and a question to help you slow down and name what’s really going on beneath the surface before you jump into the day’s devotional content.

You won’t just read, you’ll respond. Every entry ends with reflection questions and space to write directly in the book.

On the fifth day of each week, the focus turns intentionally to Jesus, showing how he is the ultimate source of our satisfaction.

And at the end of each week, you’ll find a practical prompt to help you live it out and share what you’re learning with others.

4. For the busy woman who feels spiritually dry or overwhelmed, how would you encourage her to begin this journey without adding another burden?

Oof, I’ve been there. So let me tell you what I would tell myself. First, shift your mindset. Instead of thinking of time in God’s Word as a burden, remind yourself that it’s a gift. Take a deep breath and exhale, knowing that God isn’t mad at you if you struggle to be consistent. If you feel pressure building, remember that the purpose of a spiritual habit isn’t to be a “good Christian,” but to know God and to receive his transformative and restorative love.

Second, don’t get hung up on perfection. Just because it’s a 40 day devotional doesn’t mean you have to complete it in 40 consecutive days. Take it at your own pace. There’s no rush.

Third, ask for help. If you’re overwhelmed, ask someone to help you fold laundry or babysit while you take 30 minutes to sit with God. If you’re feeling spiritual dry, ask someone to do the devotional along with you and pray for you.

Finally, just start. You know how sometimes you go so long without eating that you stop feeling hungry, and then when you finally eat you realize just how hungry you were? I think God’s Word is like that sometimes. We don’t realize how much our souls are starved until we open our Bibles and take a bite!

5. Was there a particular Scripture passage that anchored you as you wrote?

Mathew 5:6 is the anchor for this devotional, and it says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The promise of this verse is that the peace and beauty we long for is coming in eternity! And not only that, we can experience the satisfaction of eternal life right now. My hope is that this devotional will help us do just that.

6. For a sneak peek, here are some quotes:

“The Christian life is full of desert seasons—times when your hopes seem to shrivel under the scorching heat of trials. Seasons when you’re thirsty for encouragement that feels nonexistent. Seasons of spiritual drought that make you wonder if the rain will ever come again…God’s love is water for our fainting souls.” (Week 3, Day 1)

“Because God loved us perfectly when we were his enemies, we can be confident that his love won’t falter as we fail.” (Week 3, Day 2)

“Are you weak and weary? Go to the Good Shepherd, and he will give you rest. Are you battered and broken? Jesus knows what it is to be hurt, and he will bind up your wounds. Do you feel hungry and helpless to find the satisfaction you long for? Go to the Good Shepherd, the Lamb of God, because he will nourish your soul. You can trust him to care for you.” (Week 4, Day 5)

“Christ is our greatest delight. Christ is our unwavering strength. Christ is our unfailing hope.” (Week 5, Day 3)

7. Here are some endorsements:

“For those seeking deeper satisfaction in Christ, You Are Satisfied is a timely and helpful guide. In this devotional, Joanna Kimbrel directs readers to God’s Word, asking thoughtful questions that reveal where we may be tempted to pursue lesser joys. By carefully considering timeless truths from the text, Kimbrell reorients our hearts toward the only One who offers the lasting fulfillment we were created to desire.”
Hunter Beless, Author; founder of Journeywomen Ministries

“Joanna’s life bears the good fruit of this book’s message: You are satisfied. Each devotion is deeply rooted in God’s Word and will comfort longing hearts with his promises and remind weary souls where true contentment can be found—in Christ alone. Like a warm blanket, Joanna’s words wrap around us, whispering the reminder that Jesus is more than enough, that he is with us, and we are satisfied in him.”
Gretchen Saffles, Author of The Well-Watered Woman: Rooted in Truth, Growing in Grace, Flourishing in Faith

“Joanna masterfully covers the core truths women need to know to grow deep with God. So many of us glaze past these essentials, but You are Satisfied encourages us to slow down and truly savor the goodness of God’s Word.”
Emily A. Jensen, Author of He is Strong and coauthor of Risen Motherhood

8. If you had to choose one simple everyday pleasure that feels like a small taste of contentment, what would it be, and why?

I think I’d have to choose a sunrise walk. Walks are some of my favorite prayer times. I see and hear and smell the beauty of God’s creation. I move the body he gave me. I walk with him in quiet and unhurried moments.

Joanna Kimbrel serves as coordinator of women’s initiatives for The Gospel Coalition. She is the author of You Are Satisfied, The Greatest Hero, and Jesus Is Better and coauthor of Behold and Believe: A Bible Study on the I Am Statements of Jesus. You can also find her writing contributions at Journeywomen, Well-Watered Women, and The Gospel Coalition. Joanna and her husband, Chad, live with their three daughters in Georgia.

Parenting Lesson #1: God Works Through Families

Michael Kruger — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 09:09:14 GMT

In a prior blog post, I announced the forthcoming release of the new book I co-authored with my wife Melissa, entitled: The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark.

The Anxious Parents Club

Anxious parents are not hard to spot. If they have young kids, they can be stressed and tired, concerned about germs and illness, ultra safety-conscious, and overly protective. If they have older kids, they might be worried about success in sports, academic achievement, and when to buy them a mobile phone.

I should know because I was—and still am—one of these anxious parents. My children are now grown, but when they were younger, I fit the above description pretty accurately. Just ask my kids how long I made them wear life vests at the lake!

For those of us who are part of the anxious parents club, the response to our worry is fairly predictable. We try to control as much of our children’s life as possible. We want to control their behavior, their social life, their grades. And it never stops.

If you think about it, any attempt to maintain absolute control of our lives, and the lives of our kids, is just an attempt to take on the role that belongs only to God. God is the only one who is actually in control. That’s his job, not ours. And when we try to take control, we live a life of inevitable frustration and disappointment. We make lousy gods.

So, is there any hope for anxious parents who are tempted to try and take control? Yes! What we need is to move our attention off the particular issue we are worried about, and onto the big picture principles that give us hope.

The Influence of Families

Thus, we come to the first of these principles. We need to remember that God works through families. Not only did God create the family unit, but the Bible is filled with examples that a primary means God uses to spread the gospel through the world is by parents passing it down to their children.

When Paul writes to Timothy—his protégé in the ministry—he reminds Timothy that he learned the gospel from his mother Eunice and that she had learned the gospel from her mother Lois (2 Tim 1:4).

Elsewhere, Paul encourages Timothy to stay strong in the truth by remembering “from where you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation” (2 Tim 3:14-15).

This is a remarkable picture of the power of parental influence. Essentially, Paul calls upon Timothy to stick with truth precisely because of who he learned it from—his family. He wants Timothy to harken back to his childhood and keep to the principles he learned there.

In many ways, this is an echo of Jesus’s own teachings where he reminds us that “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it” (Mark 10:14). We all need childlike faith to enter God’s kingdom and the best place to learn that childlike faith is, well, when you’re a child!

Children Listen More Than We Think

And this reality finds confirmation in sociological studies that have repeatedly shown that the single, most powerful influence on the religious lives of American teenagers is not their peers, or even social media. It’s their parents.

For a lot of parents out there, this will seem shocking. Most of the time it doesn’t seem like our kids are listening to us at all. In fact, it may seem like our kids are ignoring our advice, our even rejecting it outright.

But we have to remember to play the long game. Teaching our children God’s word is like sowing seeds in the ground. It takes a while—sometimes a long while—before you see results. Just like the farmer waits patiently for his crops, so we wait patiently for the Lord to do what he promised. As God declares through the prophet Isaiah, “My word that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose” (Is 55:11).

Does that mean that all children of Christian parents will automatically become believers and turn out exactly as we hoped? Nope. There are many stories of faithful Christian parents who have wayward children.

But acknowledging that fact does not mean that Christian parenting doesn’t matter. While Christian parenting is not the ultimate cause of our child’s future (that’s in God’s hands), it is still the primary means that God uses to influence our child’s future.

This is why the book of Proverbs can say with confidence that “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov 22:6). Or, as the title of this article says, God works through families.

So, take hope. Your children are listening to you (and watching your example) more than you think.

What’s the Best Argument for the Resurrection?

Michael Kruger — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:48:22 GMT

Well, soon it will be Easter. That wonderful time of the year when we remember (and celebrate) the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

But, not all will be celebrating. There are many that find Easter to be a senseless holiday—apart from, perhaps, the joys of Sunday brunch or chocolate eggs. After all, it is argued, we all know that people don’t rise from the dead. And there are no reasons to think it happened in the case of Jesus of Nazareth.

In response to such skepticism, apologists have been making their best arguments for the resurrection. There’s the empty tomb. There’s the fact that women were the first eyewitnesses which was unlikely to be invented. And there’s the larger appearance to the 500 witnesses.

But, of course, each of these claims has been contested. As for the empty tomb, scholars have argued that standard Roman practice was to put crucified criminals in a common grave, not a private tomb. As for the women as the first witnesses, some have pointed out that women were the ones who typically prepared bodies for burial and so would naturally be the first to visit the tomb. As for the 500 witnesses, maybe those were just “bereavement visions.”

Now, to be clear, I don’t believe all of these rebuttals are cogent. And I think there are good rebuttals to the rebuttals. But, what these typical proofs lack is an overall context that makes them persuasive.

And that brings us to another fact that I think is harder to challenge. It is an often overlooked fact that provides the necessary context for the discussion. That fact is simply this: the earliest Christians came to believe, against all odds and against all expectations, that Jesus of Nazareth had been raised from the dead.

Notice the distinctive nature of this claim. The claim is not that Jesus rose from the dead (though, I think he did). The claim is that the earliest followers of Jesus came to believe—and very strongly believe— that he did. And that is a wholly other matter.

Why? Because it is a historical fact that is not disputed. And it is a historical fact that requires a substantive explanation. Even Bart Ehrman agrees: “It is indisputable that some of the followers of Jesus came to think that he had been raised from the dead, and something had to have happened to make them think so” (How Jesus Became God, 182-83).

Now, some might postulate that it wouldn’t take much to convince Jesus’ followers that he had risen from the dead. After all, it might be argued, followers of would-be messiahs might be inclined to think their guy might just do something miraculous. Maybe they were expecting Jesus to rise, and they just saw what they wanted to see.

But here it might be helpful to know that Jesus was not the first would-be messiah to be killed by the Romans. In fact, even in the same era, there were two other potential messiahs: Simon bar-Giora (AD 66-70), and Simeon bar Kochba (AD 132-135). After they both were killed by the Romans, the same thing happened: their messianic movement came to an abrupt and tragic end.

In other words, the historical record shows that the death of would-be Messiahs is so counter-intuitive to the Messianic expectations of the day that movements can never recover from it. In the minds of first-century Jews, the death of the would-be Messiah shows that he was definitely not the Messiah.

In fact, even Jesus’s own disciples seemed to understand this. When Jesus died, they didn’t think, “Well, maybe he’s the messiah after all.” No, they were utterly defeated, hiding in shame.

But then, amazingly, something changed. Even though Jesus was killed by the Romans, like all the other would-be Messiahs, his movement didn’t end. Indeed it grew. It exploded. And these same followers of Jesus began to boldly proclaim that he was Lord and Messiah.

And that requires a serious explanation. Consider the words of N.T. Wright: “We are forced to postulate something which will account for the fact that a group of first-century Jews, who had cherished messianic hopes and centered them on Jesus of Nazareth, claimed after his death that he really was the Messiah despite the crushing evidence to the contrary” (Resurrection, 562).

Wright’s point is key. We cannot just have any ol’ explanation for how the disciples came to believe Jesus was Messiah even though he had died. It can’t be just a possible explanation. It has to be an explanation that has the weight and power to overturn the entrenched expectations of the disciples—indeed, one might say the expectations of all of ancient Judaism.

What is powerful enough to accomplish this? I am convinced that nothing short of the resurrection itself could overturn the disciples’ belief that Jesus had been defeated by the Romans—like all the other would-be Messiahs.

Of course, not all scholars agree. Some think there are other explanations that are sufficient. Ehrman argues that hallucinations—what he calls “bereavement visions”—are sufficient to explain the radical reversal in the earliest followers of Jesus.

I will let the reader decide whether this is a sufficient explanation. But, I for one, find it woefully inadequate.

At the end of the day we are faced with a remarkable confluence of events. We have an early Christian movement that radically reverses it’s view of Jesus—from defeated would-be Messiah to the true and only Messiah—and also believes that the tomb was empty and that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at once.

It is no surprise, then, that they reached the only conclusion that a sane and reasonable person could reach. Jesus of Nazareth had died, and then, three days later, he came back to life.

And if he came back to life, then he is the “firstfruits” of what is to come some day in the future. Eventually, all those who trust in Jesus will follow suit and be given a new body that will live forever and never die.

And that is the hope of Easter.

Our Exciting New Book for Christian Parents

Michael Kruger — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:18:33 GMT

Every parent feels it. They know they should be studying the Bible with their children and just don’t know how to take the next step. So, the years tick away and the guilt piles up.

And it’s not just the problem of being too busy. For many parents, they just don’t know where to begin. Should parents just start in Genesis? Should they read a chapter a day? And how do they communicate the lesson to their children?

Of course, there are plenty of devotionals out there. But most of them are for either the parents or their children. The former is often too heavy for the kids. And the latter is often too light for the parents.

My wife Melissa and I have struggled with these same challenges over the years. Our three children are now grown, but we remember having to come up with a plan and stick to it during the busy seasons of life.

This is why we are so excited about our forthcoming book, The Good News Family Devotional: 52 Weeks in the Gospel of Mark. It is published by Harvest House and releases on May 5, 2026.

In this new book, we try to fill exactly the needs we felt as young parents, and we know that many parents still feel today. Here are a few things that make this book distinctive.

First, it is written by both a mom and a dad. If you scour the ranks of devotionals out there, there are many written by men, and many written by women, but fewer written by both. Moreover, we have different ministry strengths. I am able to bring my background as a biblical scholar to the devotional, and Melissa is able to bring her background in discipleship, women’s ministry, and years leading (and writing) Bible studies.

Second, it is written for both parents and kids. The main body of the devotional is designed to nurture and strengthen the parents, but this is followed by essential tools that allow the parents to pass along the material easily to their children. This includes helpful summaries, the “big idea” of the passage, discussion-generating questions (for both younger and older children), and guidance on prayer and application.

Third, it focuses on just one book of the Bible. Picking just one book makes the family devotional time more achievable. You are not trying to study the whole Bible in a year. And this allows the study to go deeper, giving more time for reflection and application.

Fourth, it focuses on a Gospel. For family devotionals, a Gospel is always a good place to do family devotionals because of the focus on the ministry of Jesus himself. For why we picked Mark, see here!

We are also thankful for the key ministry leaders (and friends) who took the time to endorse the book:

“The Good News Family Devotional is that rare resource that’s both biblically rich and simple enough for the whole family to engage together. Each chapter helps parents go deeper into Scripture while giving kids clear truths they can understand and remember. The result is that everyone–parents and children alike–grows together in the gospel. I’m grateful for this resource and excited to lead my own family through it.”
–Jeremy Treat (PhD, Wheaton College) is pastor for Preaching and Vision at Reality LA in Los Angeles, and professor of theology at Biola University. He is the author of The Crucified King, Seek First, and The Atonement.

“As a pastor, I’ve always been captivated by Martin Luther’s insistence that in his preaching he focused on the younger members of his congregation even more than the older. Two incredible teachers, Mike and Melissa Kruger, have done that in this wonderful devotional for families. They take the deep, beautiful, mysterious truths of the gospel and put them down where our children can grasp them. They’ll be captivated and you’ll be blessed as you share with your children the most accessible of the Gospels, the Gospel of Mark.”
–J.D. Greear (PhD), pastor, The Summit Church, Raleigh-Durham, NC

“I deeply appreciate how The Good News Family Devotional is designed. Parents are not expected to come as experts in order to lead their families in discipleship. Instead, Michael and Melissa Kruger thoughtfully guide parents through Scripture themselves–cultivating a deeper love for God, a richer understanding of His Word, and confidence to share that truth with their children. This resource will undoubtedly bless countless families seeking to grow together in Christ.”
–Amy Gannett, Founder of Tiny Theologians and Bible Study Schoolhouse

“There is so much to love about this family devotional. First, it is doable! Over the course of a year, a family can realistically work through the book of Mark, biting it off in small chunks. Second, it’s meaty without being heavy. Mike and Melissa present parents not only a brief explanation of the weekly passage but also a simple central point about Jesus to drive home to their kids. This is a resource that will get your family talking about what matters most, or really who matters most, Jesus Christ.”
–Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher and author

“This book is such a fresh take on family devotions! The Krugers lead families through the Gospel of Mark in a way that helps every member of the family grasp the gospel story together. It’s clear this comes from real-life experience and deep biblical insight. The Good News Family Devotional is a helpful, doable guide for growing in faith alongside one another.”
–Emily A. Jensen, coauthor of Risen Motherhood and Gospel Mom

“When it comes to training our kids in Bible literacy, knowing how to start is half the battle. The Krugers are here to help. The Good News Family Devotional provides not just a starting point but a sustainable strategy for drawing your family into substantive discussions about the Bible, offering a method for conversational learning that connects to daily living. This is a much-needed resource, and hopefully the first of many of its kind.”
–Jen Wilkin, author and Bible teacher

In light of the forthcoming release of our family devotional, I will be starting a short blog series in the month of April, walking through some key lessons on parenting that we’ve learned over the years. Stay tuned!

Does the World Notice When Christians Fight with One Another?

Michael Kruger — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 09:46:25 GMT

In the earliest centuries of the church, the burgeoning Christian movement had its fair share of critics. And their complaints were wide and varied. Christians worshipped a criminal crucified by the Romans. Christians were a threat to the empire because of their refusal to pay homage to the gods. Christian books were filled with errors and contradictions. Jesus was a magician who learned his dark arts in Egypt. And so on.

Of all the early critics (and there were many), Celsus was undoubtedly the most strident. Writing in the latter half of the second century, Celsus was a Greek Philosopher who penned one of the earliest sustained critiques of Christianity called True Doctrine. So impactful were his criticisms, the later church father Origen felt compelled to write a full-length response.

The reason Celsus was so effective in his criticism is because he actually knew quite a bit about early Christians and their doctrines. He clearly knew the canonical Gospels and drew from them heavily. And he was intimately aware of Christian beliefs and practices. Unlike some other critics of the time, Celsus was relatively well-informed about what Christians were actually like.

While I have interacted with Celsus quite a bit over the years, I was recently reading through his True Doctrine again. And I was surprised by one of his critiques that I had never really noticed before.

Celsus did not reject Christianity merely because he found historical problems in the Gospels or found the idea of incarnation to be incoherent. He found the Christian religion to be problematic also because of the degree to which Christians fought and argued with one another.

For Celsus, these were no minor squabbles. He saw the early Christian movement as characterized by their in-fighting. Here are Celsus’s own words:

At the start of their movement, they [Christians] were very few in number, and unified in purpose. Since that time, they have spread all around and now number in the thousands. It is not surprising, therefore, that there are divisions among them-factions of all sorts, each wanting to have its own territory. Nor is it surprising that as these divisions have become so numerous, the various parties have taken to condemning each other, so that today they have only one thing-if that-in common: the name “Christian.”

From Celsus’s perspective, it seems that Christians began as a more unified and coherent movement, only to devolve into a movement of division and disputes. And, for Celsus, this was a major reason to reject the Christian movement: “Now, it will be wondered how men so disparate in their beliefs can persuade others to join their ranks.”

In other words, the lack of unity among Christians is, at least in Celsus’s mind, a reason why people might not want to join them, himself included.

Now, to be clear, some of Celsus’s perceptions are driven by the existence of heretical groups within the early Christian movement that caused some of these divisions and discord. The orthodox Christians were (rightly) fighting against Gnostics or Marcionites for the soul of Christianity, and Celsus probably witnessed some of these disagreements. He would not have understood that some fights between Christians are necessary.

Moreover, we should remember that Celsus was no fair-minded critic. He was always looking for ways to pile onto Christianity and was well known for his tendency toward exaggeration and rhetorical flourish.

Even so, we know from sources other than Celsus that Christians in these early centuries were divided over a great many things. And these were not always weighty issues of “heresy” vs. “orthodoxy.” One notable example comes from the very century in which Celsus wrote. Debate raged among Christians throughout the second century over the proper date of Easter. At one point it became so heated that Victor, the bishop of Rome, even tried to excommunicate churches who disagreed with his side (thankfully, he was unsuccessful).

Thus, it seems Celsus’s perception of Christian in-fighting may be driven by more than merely the existence of genuine heresies. From his perspective, it seemed that Christians fought over, well, just about everything.

But there’s another statement by Celsus that may provide even greater clarity about why he finds Christian in-fighting so bothersome. Again, he writes:

Christians, it is needless to say, utterly detest each other; they slander each other constantly with the vilest forms of abuse, and cannot come to any sort of agreement in their teaching.

Here is where we come to the nub of the matter, I think. Celsus was concerned not merely about the degree to which Christians disagreed (though he was), but the manner in which they disagreed. For him, Christians really didn’t seem to like each other very much. Indeed, they detested each other. They even mistreated each other.

Regardless of what we make of Celsus, this was his perception of Christians. And if perception is even marginally accurate, then it nearly the opposite of what Jesus taught when he told the disciples, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).

Perhaps, then, there is something to be learned from the story of Celsus. As wrong as he was about a great many things, he was certainly right about one thing: the witness of Christianity is affected by the way Christians treat each other.

Simply put, Celsus reminds us that the world may be watching more than we think.

The point here is not that Christians should just cease all theological debate and pretend differences don’t matter. No, as already noted, some truths are so central to faith that they are worth battling over.

At the same time, it is also true that the way we engage those battles makes an enormous difference to our public witness. It’s hard to convince someone the love of Christ is real, if the love of Christians for one another is not.

Sneak Peek: A New Series on Spiritual Disciplines

Melissa Kruger — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 08:44:44 GMT

Today, I’m excited to interview my friend Winfree Brisley about TGC’s new booklet series for women, Disciplines of Devotion. Each volume highlights one spiritual discipline, exploring its meaning, biblical examples, and benefits, and offers accessible ways to cultivate the practice faithfully. Brief, biblically rich, and highly practical, Disciplines of Devotion booklets are ideal for individual or small-group study (and bulk discounts are available in the TGC store).

The first 3 volumes, Fasting, Prayer, and Sabbath Rest, are scheduled to release on February 17, 2026.

Was there a particular need you were seeing among women that made this project feel timely?

Over the years, I’ve noticed that many women express a similar frustration about their spiritual lives. They want to grow in the Lord. They want to regularly spend time in the Word and prayer. But everything else in life seems to get in the way. If we wake up early, the kids wake up earlier. If we try to find a few quiet minutes over lunch, our boss needs something ASAP. And all the while, we’re getting more and more distracted by our devices so that focusing on anything for very long is a struggle. So I’ve been wrestling with how we can help women grow in devotion to the Lord even as we live in an age of endless distraction.

I think at least part of the answer is having a more comprehensive understanding of how we grow in the Lord. Of course, we absolutely need to spend time in the Word and prayer. But there are other disciplines that can also help us grow in the Lord, and they can even set us up for more focused time in the Word and prayer. For example, fasting is meant to go hand in hand with prayer, reminding us of our dependence on the Lord and prompting us to turn to him in prayer. Or consider Sabbath rest. If we struggle to find longer stretches of time to read God’s Word amid the busyness of our normal days, setting aside the Lord’s Day as a day we don’t work opens up time that we can devote to spiritual pursuits like Bible study. The days aren’t getting any longer, but our schedules are getting busier, so we need to be thoughtful about spiritual growth.

Each volume focuses on a single spiritual discipline. Why was it important to slow down and give focused attention to one practice at a time?

We all have a lot on our plates. There’s a reason “all the things” is a popular catchphrase among women. So I didn’t want this resource to feel like a bunch of things to do. I love David’s description of seeking the Lord in Psalm 27:4:

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD

and to inquire in his temple.

One thing. His one, deep, driving desire is to dwell in the Lord’s presence. I think that’s a helpful way to frame our goal with spiritual disciplines and also a helpful way to think about our practice of spiritual disciplines. For a woman who wants to seek the Lord like David, what’s one thing she could do?

So we organized this resource as a series of short, super practical booklets that enable you to explore just one discipline. You don’t have to do everything all at once. Just start with one thing that can help you grow in devotion to the Lord. Small steps of faithfulness add up over time.

Can you describe the structure of a volume in the series? How does each book help readers move from understanding a discipline to actually practicing it?

Each booklet starts with a brief overview of what the discipline is and how it’s described in Scripture, as well as some unique blessings that can come from practicing that particular discipline. Then, each booklet walks through three super-practical ways to start practicing the discipline. These are ideas and practices from the authors’ real lives that they’ve tried and tested and found helpful. And each booklet ends with a robust list of recommended resources so a reader knows where to go next if she wants to keep learning and exploring that discipline.

Along the way, there are reflection questions at the end of each chapter that can be used for discussion. A great way to move from understanding to implementing the disciplines is to work through the booklets with other women, providing encouragement and accountability for one another.

What would you say to a woman who feels inconsistent or discouraged in her practice of spiritual disciplines? How might this series meet her where she is?

The first line of the Prayer booklet by Courtney Reissig is, “Prayer is hard for me.” We get it. We’re in the trenches with you. None of us who worked on this series feel like we have it all together. In fact, the reason we have practical ideas about how to gain some ground in spiritual disciplines is because we’ve had to fight (and we’re still fighting!) our own distractions and interruptions and inconsistency and sin.

I keep going back to Lamentations 3:19–23:

[19] Remember my affliction and my wanderings,

the wormwood and the gall!

[20] My soul continually remembers it

and is bowed down within me.

[21] But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

[22] The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

[23] they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

Our focus and energy wear thin. Our hearts wander and our efforts are inconsistent. But the Lord is faithful, and his steadfast love never ceases. Receive his mercies that are new every morning and rest in his faithfulness.

How do you envision women using these books?

Our hope is that women will find lots of creative ways to use these booklets. We’ve created the series to have a lot of flexibility. The booklets can be used by an individual, in a small group, in a discipleship relationship, with a teen daughter, etc. They can be read individually, just choosing one that’s particularly interesting to you. Or, they can be read collectively as a series if you want to gain a more comprehensive understanding of spiritual disciplines and learn about a variety of ways to grow in the Lord. Each booklet can be read in about 30 minutes, so they don’t require a big time commitment. But, I like to say that although these booklets can be read in one sitting, the disciplines they recommend can be a blessing for a lifetime.

For a sneak peek, here are some quotes from each book in the series:

“Where can we sign up for regular rest from the hand of our gracious God? Where do we receive this gift? We receive it in the Sabbath.” – Megan Hill

“Prayer doesn’t have to feel like duty or drudgery—it can be a means of delighting in the Lord.” – Courtney Reissig

“Fasting isn’t reserved for those with great self-control; it’s also for those who see their need for self-control. It’s not reserved for those who walk closely with God; it’s also for those who lament their distance from him. If you’re tired of relying on yourself, if you’ve experienced the emptiness of worldly comforts, if you desire a deeper relationship with God—fasting is for you.” – Cassie Achermann

“Worship is more than merely listening to worship music or going to church on Sundays. Worship is more than saying a few words of praise to God now and again or giving a portion of our income to the church. It is both something we do and something that we are.” – Emily Jensen

“Many people never get to the delight part of Bible study because their fear of doing it wrong, or not knowing how to get started, drowns out their desire to know and love the Lord more. But if you begin forming the habit of study today, it will sustain you years from now.” – Glenna Marshall

“Evangelism seems like a sacrifice—and a risky one, at that. But what if I told you that evangelism can nourish your soul in ways that no other spiritual discipline can?” – Sharonda Cooper

Here are some endorsements:

“The Disciplines of Devotion series is a timely and valuable resource for women who long to grow in spiritual depth and maturity. With biblical insight and godly wisdom, each volume offers practical help for cultivating habits that lead us closer to Christ. I’m thankful for this series and eager to see how God will use it to strengthen and encourage the hearts of women.” Melissa B. Kruger, author; Vice President of Discipleship Programming, The Gospel Coalition

“These gospel-centered primers are saturated with scriptures that nourish the delight of knowing Christ. The accessible content, coupled with practical ideas and heart-oriented application questions, invites the reader to draw near to God through cultivating Spirit-empowered holy habits.” Karen Hodge, Coordinator of Women’s Ministries, Presbyterian Church in America; coauthor, Transformed: Life-Taker to Life-Giver and Life-Giving Leadership

What has working on this series taught you personally about devotion to God?

It’s taught me that seeking the Lord can be much more organic and interwoven in my life than I tend to envision it. I most often think in terms of lists of tasks and blocks of time, so I easily fall into compartmentalizing my devotional life to just the time in the morning when I read my Bible and pray. But as I’ve worked on these booklets and considered all the different ways these authors are seeking the Lord, I’ve come to recognize so many more opportunities throughout my days and weeks to turn my heart and mind to the Lord and to integrate various disciplines into my daily life.

Winfree Brisley serves as an editor for The Gospel Coalition. She is the coauthor of Turn Your Eyes: A Bible Study on the Psalms and the editor of the Disciplines of Devotion series and Strong in Lord: A 30-Day Devotional on the Armor of God. She lives with her husband, Will, and three sons in Charlotte, North Carolina, where they are members of Uptown Church.

Two New Volumes on Christianity in the Second Century

Michael Kruger — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 07:26:35 GMT

For those regular readers of this blog (or my books), you will know that my research has focused largely on the second century of early Christianity.

It is a forgotten century of sorts. Much attention is paid to the first century (for obvious reasons!), and by the time the third and fourth centuries roll around, the church is more established (which means more sources for scholars to study).

In between sits the “Cinderella Century” (as Larry Hurtado called it), all too easily overlooked. But, in this critical time period the church faced an enormous number of challenges and transitions ones that would shape its identity for years to come.

These transitions includes issues of demographics (what kind of people became Christians?), politics (how’d Christians interact with the Roman government and how were they perceived?), ecclesiology (who ran the churches and how’d they relate to each other?), theology (were Christians unified in their beliefs and how did they handle “heresy”?), and Scripture (when did Christians collect their own books as canon?).

I addressed many of these questions in my volume Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (IVP Academic, 2018).

Since that time, I’ve been pleased to see more and more attention being paid to the second century. On that note, I want to highlight two new volumes that were just released this past fall at SBL. Each focus on the second century, but in slightly different ways.

The Apostolic Fathers

Zondervan Academic just released Vol. 4 of the Ancient Literature for New Testament Studies (ALNTS) series: The Apostolic Fathers, edited by Paul Foster. This impressive volume weighs in at over 572 pages that span 20 different chapters exploring both the text and the theology of the Apostolic Fathers.

The collection of scholars is impressive, including Joseph Verheyden, Clare Rothschild, James Kelhoffer, Andrew Gregory, Scott Harrower, Michael Bird, David Lincicum, Carolyn Osiek, Teresa Morgan, Paul Hartog, and more.

My chapter was entitled, “The Writings of the New Testament in the Apostolic Fathers,” where I pick up the age-old question of whether the Apostolic Fathers knew any of the New Testament writings, and (if so) how those texts might have functioned within the early Christian movement.

This subject is widely debated and quite complex, but at the end I try to sum up my conclusions as concisely as possible: “It seems that oral tradition was not the only influence on the Apostolic Fathers. Written documents that would be part of a future New Testament were also being used, some which were even regarded as Scripture” (487).

A Handbook to Second-Century Christianity

At nearly the same time, Baylor University Press released A Handbook to Second-Century Christianity, edited by Michael F. Bird and Scott Harrower. Clocking in at more than 678 pages, this volume includes 22 chapters on a wide-range of issues including the identity of early Christians, emerging theological diversity, second-century writings (including apocryphal texts), and early Christian textual culture.

Similar to the volume above, this is an impressive group of scholars, including Jeff Bingham, Edwina Murphy, Janelle Peters, Christine Jacobi, Markus Bockmuehl, Jacob Rodriguez, Jörg Frey, Tobias Nicklas, Lynn Cohick, Samuel Cho, Eckhard Schnabel, Paul Foster, Stephen Carlson, Tomas Bokedal, and more.

My article in the volume was entitled, “New Testament Manuscripts (Possibly) from the Second Century,” where I take up yet another highly-debated question, namely how many of our NT manuscripts go back to the second century.

Of course, this is a particularly sticky issue given all the recent chatter over dating methodology, and how reliable (or unreliable) it has proven to be. Thus, the term “possibly” figures heavily into my chapter.

In the end, I survey twelve NT manuscripts that might be second century, but I think a number of those are likely third century (or even later).

Let me offer my congratulations to the editors of both volumes, Paul Foster and Michael Bird and Scott Harrower, and also to all the contributors. These volumes are sure to make a significant contribution to our understanding of the fascinating “Cinderella” time period we call the second century.

What Do Miniature Codices Tell Us About Early Christianity? #4

Michael Kruger — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 09:43:35 GMT

Before the holiday season kicked in, I began a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity.

Having already done installment #1 and #2, and #3, we now turn to the fourth thing that miniature codices tell us about the early Christian movement. These tiny books demonstrate that early Christians had a very high view of their scriptural books.

What Was the Early Church’s Doctrine of Scripture?

For generations, scholars have battled over exactly what early Christians believed about their scriptural books. What was the “doctrine of scripture” in the first few centuries of the church? What did Christians mean when they said these books were “inspired”? And what implications does that have for the authority of these books?

Such questions have generally been answered by appealing to places in the church fathers where they make a direct statement about the nature of Scripture. In other words, scholars have typically appealed to what patristic writers have said about their scriptural books.

While the express statements of church fathers is a reasonable place for such discussions to start, it has unfortunately become the place where such discussions have also ended. Such statements are typically the only kind of evidence that has been considered.

The phenomenon of the miniature codex, however, provides a fresh window into how early Christians viewed their scriptural books. Rather than considering just what church fathers say about their books, the miniature codex forces us to consider how the church fathers used their books. The function of these books can tell us as much (and sometimes even more) about their status as any express statement could do.

As mentioned in prior installments in this series, miniature codices had many practical functions in the early Christian movement. They facilitated private reading, were suitable for carrying on long journeys, and even aided private worship.

But books in the ancient world were not just practical items. Their value was not just in being read—they were also to be seen and touched. In many ways, this visual–symbolic dimension was just as powerful, or even more powerful, than the words contained therein.

The small size of the miniature codex made it particularly suitable as an object with this sort of visual-symbolic value. It could be worn on the body, hung around the neck, and put on display. Early Christians even slept with such codices in their beds at night.

Why would they use scriptural books in such a fashion? Let me mention three reasons.

Symbols of Christian Identity

First, the earliest Christians viewed scriptural books as symbols of Christian identity. To be a Christian was to value scriptural books. And to value scriptural books was to be a Christian. The two were inextricably connected. So, what better way to declare your Christian identity than to wear a scriptural book around your neck for all to see?

A good example of this phenomenon is an early deacon named Euplus. We are told that he was martyred in Catania in 304 under the Governor Calvisianus with the “book of the Gospels” hung around his neck. That is, he was wearing a miniature codex. That the book was a symbol of his identity as can be seen by Euplus’s confession: “I am Christian and I read the divine Scriptures.”

Presence of Christ

While Christian books would have been an important way to express one’s Christian identity, for many users they were more than that. Such books would have also represented the spiritual presence of Christ himself. In other words, these books were a way to connect with the divine.

Of course, a biblical codex did not have to be miniature to represent the presence of Christ. A Gospel codex was displayed on a centrally placed chair at the Council of Ephesus (c.431) as a powerful visual representation of the presence of Christ. So much so, in fact, that when Nestorius, according to one account, moved the Gospel codex to the floor so he could sit down, the Egyptian Shenoute reprimanded him, “Do you want the Son of God to sit on the ground, while you sit on the chair?”

Clearly, the book represented the very presence of Jesus—what’s done to one, is done to the other.

While full-size codices would have still represented the spiritual presence of Christ, miniaturized codices would have made that presence even more personal—the wearer could now carry Christ with them on their body, take him on journeys, feeling his presence as the book dangled around their neck or touched their skin.

Power of Christ

The miniature codex highlights a reality that we already knew, to some degree, from other sources, namely that Christians viewed their scriptural books as having some sort of divine power within them. In particular, some Christians viewed this power as sufficient to ward off attacks from the devil and to protect the owner/user from disease and illness.

While a scriptural book of any size might be thought to provide such protection, the miniature codex was deemed to be particularly effective at doing so. The small size of such books allowed this protection to be portable—a person could now be protected on a journey, or as they wandered around town, or even while they slept at night.

The small size also allowed the protection to be personal. The wearer could physically feel the codex around their neck, maybe touching their skin, a constant reminder that God’s word was with them, and would protect them.

While we might understandably have some scruples about such practices, arguing they seem somewhat “magical,” it was not viewed this way by most ancient Christians themselves. For them, it was an allowable (and preferable) method of protection because, in their eyes, it involved writings ordained by God.

Conclusion

So, what did the earliest Christians think about their scriptural books? What was their “doctrine of Scripture”? While we can make some headway by culling patristic statements, the phenomenon of the miniature codex shines a fresh light on these questions. It’s not just what Christians said about their books that mattered; it’s how they used their books.

And, as we have seen, the miniature codex shows us that Christians viewed their scriptural writings as so centrally connected to Christ himself, that to draw near to the Scriptures was to draw near to Christ. And to draw near to the Scriptures was to be protected by Christ.

Whatever else one might say about such a phenomenon, it’s hard to imagine a view of Scripture “higher” than that demonstrated by these early Christians.

What is the Real Meaning of Christmas? A Wonderful New Kids Book Provides the Answer!

Michael Kruger — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:45:15 GMT

What is the real meaning of Christmas? During this festive time of the year, many are busy reminding us that the meaning certainly has nothing to do with presents. Let’s not buy into the materialistic side of Christmas, we are told. Let’s not focus on the gifts.

Now let me say that the sentiment behind such concerns is entirely valid. Few would disagree with the fact that Christmas (especially in America) is overly commercialized and materialistic. And certainly we would want to resist this trend as much as possible.

However, is the denigration of gifts really the way to accomplish this? Are gifts the problem? Not necessarily. Year ago, my wife Melissa wrote an article my wife wrote on this topic for the Gospel Coalition. She provides a healthy balance by reminding us that while giving gifts can be distorted by our sinful natures, it can also reflect the gift-giving God we serve and in whose image we are made. Here is an excerpt:

As I discussed my internal struggle with my husband, he kindly reminded me that gift giving does not so much reflect worldly materialism as our Creator, who delights to give gifts to his people. I bear within my humanity the stamp of his image. There is something of the divine nature in yearning to give to others.

He also reminded me that while we bear the image of our Creator, it is marred and broken by the Fall. A good desire becomes twisted and results in sin. Rather than glorify the Creator, gift giving is often rooted in the desire for self-glory. My internal wrestling exhibits the war between what I was created to be and the effects of sin.

Our car ride conversation prompted me to ponder anew the glory of the gift that God freely gave on that night in Bethlehem. These reflections have filled my heart with a deep joy and thanksgiving. Reveling in the wonder of the true and lovely fills the shadows of earthly gift giving with substance.

Truly special gifts usually involve preparation and waiting. From the exit of Eden, a promise of redemption and a hope was given. The divine whisper continued speaking through all the prophets: Something special is coming. Wait for it. Watch for it. Hope in it.

And then, at just the right moment in time, God sent angels and a star in the heavens to declare, “The gift is here.” Glory wrapped in flesh made his dwelling among us in the form of a baby. It was unexpected. It was surprising. It was exactly what we needed.

It was this very discussion—and the realization of the importance of gifts at Christmas reflecting God’s gift in Christ—that has led Melissa to write her most recent kids books. It’s entitled, The Gift of All Gifts, and it is really wonderful. Filled with catchy rhymes and engaging illustrations, this book reminds kids (and all of us), that Christ is truly the gift of all gifts.

Here’s an excerpt:

I see you peeking,
Searching to find
Something that’s yours
Something that shines.

What are you hoping for
Under the tree?
What are you dreaming
That present might be?

And here are the endorsements:

A cozy Christmas read with Christ at the center, this book has a timeless message with a nostalgic aesthetic. Many families will enjoy this together!”
–Emily A. Jensen, cofounder of Risen Motherhood

“I want to give The Gift of All Gifts to everyone because it points us to Jesus–the greatest gift of all. Using rhythm and rhyme, Kruger winsomely reminds us of the true meaning of Christmas. What a gift!” –Hunter Beless, author and founder of Journeywomen Ministries

“The children’s books by Melissa Kruger always stick with me and my family. She has a special gift for writing eternal truth in memorable ways for all ages. I’m excited to add this book to my family’s Christmas rotation.”
–Collin Hansen, vice president for content and editor in chief for The Gospel Coalition

“Why do we give and receive gifts at Christmas? For families with young kids, this question is a natural entry point to a Christmas-season gospel conversation–and The Gift of All Gifts is a great facilitator for that discussion. Beautifully illustrated and delightfully written, this will be a new staple for me to read with my kids each December!”
–Brett McCracken, senior editor at The Gospel Coalition and author of The Wisdom Pyramid

“Melissa Kruger writes some of my favorite children’s books, and The Gift of All Gifts is no different. The fun, catchy rhymes, repeated phrases, cozy illustrations, and important message will make this a book your family pulls out year after year.”
–Laura Wifler, cofounder of Risen Motherhood and bestselling author of Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer

If you’re looking for a present for your kids (or grandkids) at Christmas, this book would be perfect. You can check it out here!

The Real Story Behind the Protestant Bible

Michael Kruger — Wed, 12 Nov 2025 11:58:11 GMT

When did Christians first recognize the biblical canon and how do we know we have the right books? On the Sean McDowell Show, Dr. Michael Kruger unpacks what “canon” means, why recognition began far earlier than the 4th century, and how both intrinsic factors (covenant, apostles) and extrinsic factors (heretics like Marcion) shaped the process.

What Do Miniature Codices Tell Us About Early Christianity? #3

Michael Kruger — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:06:26 GMT

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am in the middle of a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity.

Having already done installment #1 and #2, we now turn to the third thing that miniature codices tell us about the early Christian movement. These tiny books demonstrate that early Christians were travelers and often traveled with their books.

We Were Voyagers

The lovable Disney film Moana, tells the story of a young girl who lives on a Polynesian island and is the daughter of the chief. Like many fathers, the chief is overly protective of his daughter, and also of the people he rules.

As a result, the people of Moana’s village are in a bit of a rut. They are rather uninspired and somewhat in-grown, not sure of their purpose or destiny. And Moana feels the same unrest. The core of the movie catalogs her struggle to discover her identity and calling.

But here’s the key. While she is curious about what her future should be, her breakthrough comes when she begins to consider the past. One night she explores the hidden caves on the island and discovers a fleet of boats that have been sealed away and forgotten. Then it hits her: “We were voyagers!”

This core realization is the key to her identity. Her people were not (originally) a static people, an in-grown and home-bound people, but rather they were people on the move. They were travelers, always looking to move forward rather than backwards.

When I first saw this film with my daughter a number of years ago, I was struck by how much Moana is a picture of the early Christian movement. (Yes, even when I watch Disney movies I am still doing academic work in my head!).

As I have studied the early Christian movement, I am learning this afresh. It’s something I sort of already knew, but had forgotten to some extent. As I have been studying the early Christian sources I had a bit of an epiphany similar to Moana’s: “We were voyagers!”

In other words, one of the central features of the early Christian movement was that they were a people who traveled and traveled extensively.

Traveling with Books

Of course, the remarkable missionary efforts, and rapid expansion of the Christian movement in the earliest centuries, have been well-documented (see Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity). Indeed, the new Christian movement could be characterized as one with a “transient life-style” as believers sought to evangelize the world around them.

Harnack’s classic study, which need not be rehearsed here, catalogs a substantial number of early Christian leaders/teachers who were known for their extensive travel. Of course, this would include first-century individuals like Paul, Peter, Priscilla and Aquila, and many more, as documented in the book of Acts and beyond. But, Harnack also highlights the extensive travel of later Christian leaders such as Justin, Hegesippus, Julius Africanus, and (especially) Origen.

Origen travelled to Sidon, Tyre, Bostra, Antioch, Casesarea, Nikomedia, Athens, Nicopolis, Rome, and number of other cities (some of which he visited more than once). Such travel was made possible because of the advancements made in the first-century Roman roads, though journeys were still slow and often dangerous.

But Christians didn’t just travel for missionary work. Travel was the way they spread Christian writings in the ancient world. It wasn’t just a generic message that these missionary-teachers were promulgating, but particularly Christian texts. Even in the first century, we see that early Christians had a remarkably well-organized network for distributing their writings. For instance, Paul frequently names the letter-carriers who would often have to travel great distances to deliver his epistles.

Travel-Size Books

While Christians no doubt traveled with books of varying sizes—and the above accounts don’t indicate the size of these books—small and portable books would have been particularly attractive for those who engaged in such activities.

We already see a hint of this purpose for miniature books in the first century when the Roman poet Martial explains that his books are in this tiny format for those “who want my little books to keep you company wherever you may be and desire their companionship on a long journey.” (Ep. 1.2).

Similarly, the rhetorician Libanius (fourth century) mentions a copy of Thucydides in small letters that he could easily take on his journeys, carrying it himself instead of having his servant do so (Oratio 1.148.).

And the sixth-century monastic document, Regula Magistri, tells of monks who bring a “modest-sized little codex” (codicillum modicum) on their long journeys. And more examples could be added.

Our Core Identity

One of the core aspects of our historical Christian identity is that we are a voyaging people. We are not to be an in-grown people, walled up in our homes of self-protection. But we are to be out and about, so to speak, always looking for ways to spread and advance the kingdom. For some this may mean traveling thousands of miles to a foreign country. For others, it may mean just walking down the street, looking for a way to reach your neighbors for the cause of Christ.

And when Christians did so, they often carried books with them. And those books were often small and compact like a miniature codex.

So, if you want to recapture your identity as a believer, don’t just think about the future. Look to the past. Remember what Christians have always been: “We were voyagers!” We are travelers. As such, take up the invitation of Paul: “Travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord” (2 Cor 8:19).

What Do Miniature Codices Tell Us About Early Christianity? #2

Michael Kruger — Wed, 22 Oct 2025 12:07:30 GMT

Having already done installment #1, we now turn to the second thing that miniature codices tell us about the early Christian movement. These tiny books demonstrate that early Christians may have engaged in private reading more often than we thought.

You Can’t Read!

In the 1979 film Rocky II, the newly famous Rocky Balboa, fresh off his split-decision loss to Apollo Creed, is hired to do a TV commercial. During the filming of the commercial, it quickly becomes clear that he can’t read the cue cards. The director, frustrated by how long the filming is taking, ruthlessly mocks Rocky: “You cost us thousands of dollars because you can’t read!”

Rocky is humiliated and embarrassed. Why? Because in our modern, western society most people can read. Reading is the norm. Illiteracy is the exception. It doesn’t matter how famous you are, or how talented you are. If you can’t read, you feel like an outcast.

But it was not so in the ancient world. Indeed, Rocky would have fit right in. If we look at the time period of the first and second centuries, most studies have concluded that literacy rates hovered around 10 to 15 percent (of course, “literacy” is a vague word and has a wide range of meanings that we cannot explore here). That means that nearly 90% of those in the ancient world couldn’t read.

The same was true for the earliest Christian communities. The vast majority of Christians couldn’t read, just like their secular counterparts. There was nothing scandalous about this because everyone was in the same situation.

However, there was one notable difference. As noted in my prior post, Christianity, as a religion, was very textually oriented. From the very beginning they engaged with the Old Testament Scriptures in remarkable depth. And very soon they began writing their own books, including those which would eventually be regarded as Scripture themselves.

So, that raises a fundamental question. How do we reconcile the fact that early Christianity was a textually-oriented religion with the reality that most Christians couldn’t read? Let me offer some considerations that might help us.

Public Reading

In our modern day, if someone wants to know the content of the Bible, they simply walk over to their bookshelf, pull out their personal copy of the Bible, and begin to read. Or, as is done more and more commonly, they pull up the Bible on their smartphone and begin to read. Either way, most people encounter the text of the Bible personally.

But, this was not the case in the early Christian movement. During that time, most people encountered the biblical text publicly. This typically happened in corporate worship services as Scripture was read aloud, often for very long periods of time.

This practice would have been built upon earlier practices, namely the Jewish reading of Scripture in the synagogue, and even Paul’s request to have his own letters read publicly (2 Cor 10:9; Col 4:16; 1 Thess 5:27; cf. Rev 1:3). We already see this happening in the time of Justin Martyr when both the Gospels and the Old Testament were read aloud (1 Apol. 67.3). In addition, the letter of 2 Clement references the public reading of Scripture (2 Clem. 19.1), as does the introduction to Melito’s homily On the Passover (Peri Pascha 1).

While most Christians would have engaged the text publicly, this fact has often led people to draw an incorrect conclusion, namely that Christians never engaged the text of Scripture privately.

But the existence of the miniature codex says otherwise.

Private Reading

While such private reading would have been the privilege of the educated (and wealthy) few, it is curious to note that Christian leaders often exhorted their congregations to read their Scriptures at home.

The frequency of such exhortations raises questions about whether the literacy rates among Christians were as low as we think. What sense does it make to encourage your congregation toward private reading when 90% of them could never do it?

Perhaps more than any patristic writer, John Chrysostom encouraged private/individual reading. He asks his audience “That each of you take in hand that section of the Gospels which is to be read among you on the first day of the week . . . that he sit down at home and read it through” (Hom. Jo. 11.1).

Here we see a plain contrast between the liturgical reading during a Sunday worship service, and private/individual reading at home. Other patristic sources make similar exhortations toward private reading (e.g., Clement of Alexandria, Hippolytus, Origen).

There is widespread unity among scholars that the miniature codex would have been the ideal format for this sort of private reading. These little books would have been light, portable, and easy to read while sitting by oneself.

After all, the tiny size of such books would have made them an unlikely choice for lectors who would stand before a formal worship service and deliver lengthy public readings. For such a task, the larger codices would have obvious pragmatic advantages (easier on the eyes, pages would need to be turned less often, etc.).

Even so, that doesn’t mean that miniature codices were merely symbolic objects. They often contained a host of reader’s aids—accents, breathing marks, sense breaks, and more—that suggest they were actually designed to be read.

Private Singing

One thing that surprised me when I did the research for Miniature Codices in Early Christianity is the degree to which the miniature codex was used in liturgical contexts. Out of 62 miniature codices I cataloged, there were 17 that could be understood as liturgical–ritual books of some sort.

For example, we have four manuscripts that could be regarded as miniature worship books for ministers, perhaps designed to be held in a worship service as the minister performs communion, offers a prayer, or maybe even delivers a homily.

In addition, we have nine manuscripts of miniature hymnbooks—the second-highest genre represented behind Gospel texts. Such hymnbooks also could have been utilized by ministers during a public worship service, but they also could have been used by the laity. A number of the hymnbooks in our catalog do not seem to be professional productions, suggesting they may have been designed for private use.

That raises intriguing questions about how many worshipers in a typical service possessed such little hymnbooks. And did they bring their own, or were such books provided? Again, while most individuals could not read, apparently some could.

Moreover, hymnbooks would have required very capable readers. Such books could not have been read slowly, but would have had to be read at a pace where the reader/singer could keep up with the verse and section breaks.

People of the Book

Here’s the big point. Even though most Christians were largely illiterate that doesn’t mean that Christianity wasn’t a textually-oriented culture. While most people absorbed the text of Scripture through public reading, apparently there were also a notable number that engaged the text in private forms.

Given the manuscript evidence around the miniature codex, there are reasons to think that private reading might have been more abundant than we first thought.

While this may not necessarily change our view of the literacy rates among early Christians, it’s another example of how committed they were to their books. Whether they heard their books in public, or read their books in private, the earliest Christians were clearly “people of the book.”

What Do Miniature Codices Tell Us About Early Christianity? #1

Michael Kruger — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:41:10 GMT

As I mentioned in a prior post, I am starting a new 5-part series exploring what the phenomenon of miniature codices teaches us about the early Christian movement. This series is designed to draw out some practical implications (for a lay audience) from my new book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity.

By way of review (especially if you are just joining the series), miniature codices are basically tiny little books, “pocket Bibles” so to speak. As early as the second century, and especially in the fourth and fifth centuries, Christians began to create these little manuscripts that contained portions of Scripture (and also non-canonical writings) and sometimes even held multiple books.

So, what’s the first thing that miniature codices tell us about the early Christian movement? These tiny books demonstrate that early Christianity had a robust and sophisticated textual culture. Let me explain.

Just an Oral Culture?

Over the last century, New Testament scholarship has been dominated by a particular model designed to explain how early Christians transmitted their stories about Jesus. That model is known as Form Criticism.

While Form Criticism is certainly correct that stories of Jesus, at least the earliest stages, were transmitted orally, the model has been used to say more than that. In its more strident forms, the model has been used to argue that early Christianity was a predominantly, if not exclusively, oral religion that would have been hesitant to place value on written documents.

As a result of this conviction, some scholars have offered a rather negative portrayal of writing within the history of early Christianity. The act of writing is now receiving the blame for many of early Christianity’s social ills. Not only are we told that it is responsible for making Christianity a “centralized” and “hierarchical” religion, but it is also characterized as a weapon of oppression used for the “marginalization” of minority groups. Writing caused the suppression of women, discrimination against the poor, and the exclusion of the uneducated.

In sum, the act of writing, is portrayed as something that corrupted the Christian religion.

The Turning of the Tide

Despite the dominance and influence of Form Criticism, the tide has turned in recent years. There has been a renewed interest in manuscripts as textual objects, and scholars have begun to recognize (afresh) the “bookish” nature of early Christianity.

Yes, Christians typically engaged their texts through public reading—largely due to low literacy rates—but scholars have argued that they could still be regarded as having a textual culture. A lack of literacy does not mean a lack of textuality.

The extent of this textual culture is apparent in the rather developed scribal infrastructure—marked by the early use of both the nomina sacra and the codex. As Loveday Alexander observes, “It is clear that we are dealing with a group [early Christians] that used books intensively and professionally from early on in its existence. The evidence of the papyri from the second century onwards suggests . . . the early development of a technically sophisticated and distinctive book technology” (“Ancient Christian Book Production,” 85).

But our evidence for a sophisticated “bookish” culture goes beyond this. It is particularly evident in the phenomenon of the miniature codex.

It’s All About the Books

Although miniature codices were tiny—I define them as less than 12 cm in breadth—they could be remarkably sophisticated and elegant literary productions. They could hold an impressive number of pages (upwards of 500 in some cases), used a wide range of scribal conventions, often exhibited professional scribal hands, employed the use of color, and sometimes even had two columns!

To compress such features into tiny formats would be challenging to do even with access to modern tools and techniques, but they did so long before such technology was available.

But it is more than this. The mere existence of such tiny books is a reminder that (some) Christians—perhaps more than we thought—expressed their textual culture, and particularly their commitment to the Christian scriptures, in private/personal ways. Rather than simply observing large, public codices from a distance, Christians could now hold their sacred books in one hand, carry them in a small pouch, hang them from their neck, and take them on a journey. They might even sleep with them, or hang them by the bed at night.

Like never before, individual Christians could be united to, and connected to, their books.

Dying with the Scriptures

The way the miniature codex illumines our understanding of early Christian textual culture can be summarized by the story of Euplus. Euplus was an early Christian deacon who was martyred in Catania in 304 CE by Governor Calvisianus.

While this might seem like just another martyrdom, we are told that he went to his death with a Gospel book hung around his neck—clearly a miniature codex.

For Euplus, the miniature codex was proof that he was a Christian. It was a symbol of his identity. He stated before his death, “I am Christian and I read the divine Scriptures.”

The miniature codex was yet another way, maybe even the best way, that early Christians could be, at all times, connected to their scriptural books.

It doesn’t get any more “bookish” than that.

Sneak Peek: Keri Folmar’s New Book

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 14 Oct 2025 05:00:22 GMT

I always enjoy getting to know a little something about an author before I sit down to open up his or her book. Today, I’m excited to interview my friend Keri Folmar about her new book, The Good Portion: Delighting in the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, which is part of a series of systematic theology books written by women, for women. In this edition, Keri invites women to discover the Holy Spirit’s active presence in their daily lives, demonstrating how the Spirit works powerfully through ordinary means—Scripture, prayer, and the local church. As she draws from both Scripture and real-life examples, she shows how the Holy Spirit isn’t a power to be harnessed, but a divine person who breathes life into creation, illuminates God’s Word, and knits believers together in community.

The Good Portion: Delighting in the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit is available now, and you can order a copy here!

1. Can you give us a quick update on your life? What has this season been like for you and your family?

I live in Dubai, but my kids are all over: Ruth (Sharjah, UAE); Chloe and her husband, Christian Lawrence (Washington, DC); and Andrew (Atlanta). So I spend a lot of time these days traveling back and forth. (Adult children need their mamas too!) The time difference is a killer, but it’s worth any hassle to see my children and then be back with my church in Dubai. Thank the Lord for modern transportation!

My husband has been the pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church of Dubai for twenty years. One of the greatest joys of my life is teaching ECCD women—who come from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds—how to study the Bible, and training our leaders to do the same. I love seeing women light up as they dig into the Scriptures!

In my spare time, I edit the books in The Good Portion Series, plug away at writing Bible studies in the Delighting in the Word Series, and cohost the 9Marks Priscilla Talk podcast.

2. What do you hope readers will take away from reading your book?

As I’ve read all The Good Portion manuscripts (Scripture, God, Salvation, Christ, and The Church), I’ve been in awe of God and worshiped him. I hope for the same response from readers of The Good Portion: Delighting in the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. My prayer is that women will experience deeper communion with the Father and the Son through understanding the person and work of the Holy Spirit. I want readers’ eyes to be opened to how good God is—that he is truly the God of steadfast love and kindness—and that his greatest gift to us is himself in the person of the Holy Spirit, the down payment of our inheritance who dwells in us now and forevermore. I’m also praying that readers come away seeing how extraordinary the work of the Holy Spirit is in the ordinary details of life. He is doing countless things to direct our paths, bring us comfort, and make us more like Christ. He does these things through ordinary means, such as Scripture and the local church, and the results, over time, are extraordinary.

3. Your book emphasizes that the Holy Spirit works through Scripture rather than apart from it. What would you say to a woman who wants to get better at discerning the Spirit’s guidance?

Yes, as Nancy Guthrie said at the last TGCW, “The Spirit has sovereignly bound Himself to the Word He authored.” Keeping in step with the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) means keeping our Bibles open. So I would say: don’t look for “signs” or rely on peaceful feelings for guidance. Instead, immerse yourself in the Scriptures every day. The Spirit doesn’t tell us what job to take or whom to marry. Neither does the Bible. But you don’t need to fear that a decision will take your life on an unplanned detour. God holds our lives in his hands, and his written Word tells us how to walk by the Spirit: living holy lives, loving one another, and making more disciples. This is God’s revealed will. We “live by the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25) by obeying God’s revealed will and leaving our futures up to Him.

Still, we have decisions to make every day of our lives, and those decisions matter: “[W]hether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). So how does the Holy Spirit lead us to make God-glorifying decisions—whom to marry, what job to take, or how much to give to our church? The Spirit works in our hearts through the ordinary means of regularly reading our Bibles, sitting under faithful preaching, and spending time with Spirit-filled brothers and sisters. He uses these means to conform us to the image of Jesus so that we have the mind of Christ and desire what He desires. Then discernment for decision-making bubbles up out of the deep well of wisdom stored in our hearts. And when we lack wisdom, James tells us we can ask: God will generously give it (James 1:5).

So don’t throw the dice, rely on a feeling, or wait for a voice from above or within. The Spirit guides you as you reach for your Bible every day, attend to the preaching of God’s Word, surround yourself with wise counselors, and use common sense (see Proverbs).

4. You talk about the Holy Spirit as “gathering the church” from every nation, tribe, and people. Having served in Dubai with believers from many different backgrounds, how have you witnessed the Spirit’s unifying work across cultural boundaries?

One thing you don’t see in the coffee shops of Dubai is an Egyptian sitting with a Chinese family or a Ukrainian talking with a Zambian. People come to Dubai from every country in the world, but they remain segregated in their people groups. Not so at ECCD. Our church family is made up of believers from a variety of religious, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds who love one another from the heart. CEOs from Europe have coffee with laborers from Pakistan. Mexican accountants have long conversations with South African administrators. My women’s Bible study small group included a lawyer from Los Angeles and a young woman from a village in Nepal. Our most recent wedding was between a Brit and a Nigerian. A Filipino pastor officiated, and the musicians were from France, Taiwan, and Colombia. I don’t have space to list the countries of the bridesmaids and groomsmen. It was a foretaste of Revelation 21!

At ECCD we’ve truly seen what Peter proclaimed in Acts 2: “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Syria, Indonesia, Italy, India, France, Spain—we’ve watched people from these countries and more be born of the Spirit and call upon Jesus’ name. ECCD is a little picture of heaven, with saints from every tribe, people, language, and nation. It’s been a joy to live life and worship with these precious people!

5. Can you share a few of your favorite quotes from the book?

As the Spirit of God dwells in our hearts, we will increasingly be more like Jesus. As we feed our roots and prune back the works of the flesh, change is inevitable and unstoppable. Not only is the Spirit infinitely powerful, he is utterly committed to seeing us grow in grace and godliness. And his work is a community project. He takes distorted images and makes them into a collective display of God’s glory.

The Holy Spirit isn’t simply a power or the god of spontaneity. The Holy Spirit is the one who brings the plans of God to fruition. He’s the member of the Godhead who brought order and fullness to the cosmos. He applies the work of Christ to every believer. He’s the author of Scripture—the beautifully ordered library of sixty-six books that fit together into one glorious story. And he builds up the church into the fullness of Christ using the ordinary means of grace.

6. Here are some endorsements:

“…clear, accessible, and deeply biblical…This is not merely a book of theology; it’s an invitation to deeper communion with God. Read it with an open Bible and a prayerful heart, and you’ll come away knowing the Spirit better—and living more faithfully because of it.” – Juan Sanchez, Senior Pastor, High Pointe Baptist Church, Austin, TX

7. What is something surprising that people might not know about you?

I didn’t start washing my face at night until my fifties. Only after my daughter shamed me into it did I begin double cleansing and moisturizing. Now I have a morning and evening skincare routine. I know it’s a healthy thing to do, but now that I’m spending time on it, I’ve become vain—susceptible to the latest fad for “glass” skin. I even have a red-light wand! I’m not going to dye my hair, though—too much trouble and expense. Thankfully, I know that we hold the treasure of the Spirit in jars of clay: “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). (See the section “Sex, Wrinkles, and Windsor Castle” in my book for more on that.)

Keri Folmar has lived for 20 years in the United Arab Emirates, where her husband is the pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church of Dubai. She has recently written The Good Portion: Delighting in the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, as well as The Gospel of God, an inductive Bible study of Romans. She also co-hosts Priscilla Talk, a 9Marks Podcast.

New Series: What Do Miniature Codices Tell Us About Early Christianity?

Michael Kruger — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 09:59:42 GMT

As I mentioned in a prior post, my new book with Oxford University Press is now out in both the UK and US: Miniature Codices in Early Christianity. It’s part of Oxford’s long-standing Early Christian Studies series.

I have been working on the subject of miniature codices for more than twenty years now, ever since doing my thesis a while ago under Larry Hurtado on the apocryphal gospel fragment, P.Oxy. 840. I have also written on the miniature codex P.Ant. 12 (0232) which contains 2 John (see here), and a recent overview article on miniature codices in Paratextual Features in Early New Testament Papyri and Manuscripts, eds. Stanley E. Porter, Chris S. Stevens, and David I. Yoon (TENT 16; Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2023), 310-329.

Miniature codices are basically tiny little books, “pocket Bibles” so to speak. As early as the second century, and especially in the fourth and fifth centuries, Christians began to create these little manuscripts that contained portions of Scripture (and also non-canonical writings) and sometimes even held multiple books.

The early Christians probably used the miniature codex format for a number of reasons including private reading, portability for long journeys, and sometimes even in a “magical” sense (thinking it provided protection for the one who possessed it).

My volume with OUP rehearses prior research on miniature codices, the definition/characteristics of miniature codices, and the way they functioned in the early Christian movement. And, most importantly, the volume includes an updated catalog of all known Greek Christian miniature codices—I work through 62 individual codices—including discussions of their palaeographical features and a brief bibliography for each.

The above description shows that the volume is quite technical and mainly designed for other scholars already in the guild (especially with the $110 price tag!). However, does the phenomenon of the miniature codices have anything to teach the average Christian? What can the miniature codex teach us about the early Christian movement?

In order to answer those questions—and to make the contents of the book a bit more applicable to the average layperson—I am starting a new 5-part series designed to lay out the practical implications of the miniature codex on how we understand early Christianity.

So, stay tuned! First installment in the series will drop next week!

How Many New Testament Manuscripts Do We Have from the Second Century?

Michael Kruger — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:10:12 GMT

“There is no second-century manuscript evidence.” —Helmut Koester

When it comes to the transmission of the New Testament text, the second century has been long recognized as a critical time period. And it is not hard to see why. If the New Testament books were written (more or less) in the first-century, then the extant manuscripts that get us closest to that time period will inevitably take on a level of significance.

The second century is also significant because of modern scholarly claims that it was precisely this period when the most serious textual corruptions were likely to have occurred, suggesting the earliest phases of transmission were marked by “textual chaos.”

So, do we have any manuscripts that possibly go back to this important century? Some scholars say no. As the above quote by Helmut Koester indicates, many see the second century as unreachable. Or, as J.K. Elliott has argued, “The second century is something of a dark age as far as the history of the New Testament text is concerned.”

And much of this skepticism has to do with the dating of manuscripts. In recent years there has been a push to reconsider the dates of our earliest NT papyri, pushing the dates of these manuscripts later and later.

Of course we cannot resolve these debates over dating here. And a number of scholars remain unconvinced that the traditional dates given to these manuscripts are so unreliable. But even with this recent push to re-date manuscripts, there are still a number that could be reasonably dated to the second century.

I might suggest that a reasonable way to proceed is to include manuscripts which have been given a possible second-century date either by (a) the original editors, or (b) the Nestle-Aland 28/Institut für Neuetestamentliche Textforschung (https://ntvmr.uni-muenster.de/liste).

When we consider both sources, we end up with twelve manuscripts possibly from the second century:

P52. The famous Rylands fragment, containing portions of John 18, is still regarding by many as the earliest NT manuscript in our possession (though P104 could challenge that claim).

P4-64-67. These three fragments—containing portions of Matthew and Luke—likely come from the same codex (which may have held all four gospels).

P75. Codex containing portions of Luke and John which the original editors dated 175-225.

P77. Fragments from a single leaf containing portions of Matthew, but some scholars have argued for third-century date.

P90. Fragments of a leaf containing portions of John 18-19, but an early third-century date remains an option.

P98. Our earliest fragment of Revelation (written on a reused roll), either late-second or early-third century.

P103. A single leaf containing portions of Matthew, dated to late second/early third by the original editors.

P104. Another leaf with portions of Matthew, possibly as early, or even earlier, than P52 (see inset picture).

P129. An unpublished fragment of 1 Corinthians, possibly second-century, maybe early third. One of the fragments belonging to the Egypt Exploration Society and illegally sold.

P137. A second or early-third century fragment of Mark. This was the famous “first-century Mark” that turned out not be first-century.

0189. Parchment fragment of Acts, dated by NA28 to “II/III,” but has been given a wide range of other dates.

0171. Parchment manuscript containing portions of Matthew and Luke. While originally dated to the fourth-century, more recent work has suggested second-century is a possibility.

Of course, these are just possible second-century manuscripts—a number of these may prove to be third (or even fourth) century. The dating of manuscripts is not an exact science; there is an inevitable level of imprecision that must be acknowledged.

While twelve New Testament manuscripts may not seem like a lot (especially when compared to the totality of known New Testament manuscripts), they still provide remarkably early access to (some of) the New Testament text. And these snippets of the text in the second-century do not reveal a text that is notably different than what we find in the later manuscript tradition.

Unwrapping the True Gift of Christmas

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:00:27 GMT

It’s barely fall and I’m already talking about Christmas. I’m not typically one to decorate my tree early or set up lights until the colder weather of December welcomes cozy nights by the fire.

However, this year I’ve been dreaming about Christmas long before the pumpkin spice lattes began filling the coffee shops. I’m so excited to share with you about my new children’s book, The Gift of All Gifts: Celebrating God’s Special Present for You. I loved getting to write this book and Melissa Fischer made the words come alive with her beautiful images and whimsical characters—her work is stunning! The Gift of All Gifts is a combination of three things I love: children’s books, gift-giving, and Christmas.

Children’s Books

I love writing books for children, particularly books that rhyme. I remember being a young mom and searching for books that I loved reading to my children and had a simple, but important message I wanted them to learn.

However, I often found the books that had the best messages were not as fun to read and the books that were fun to read, often just had simple and playful messages.

In my first two children’s books Wherever You Go and His Grace is Enough, I wanted to combine one big truth for a little heart to learn within a fun-to-read book for both the parent and the child. I also tried to share a message that was a needed reminder for me as a parent as I taught the same truth to my child.

Whether in poetry or song, rhyming verses have a way of getting in our heads, whether we like it or not. I hope that the playfulness of the rhyme and the engaging illustrations will draw children into this story with a sense of excitement as they wonder, “What is the gift of all gifts?”

Gift Giving

Every year, I look forward to giving gifts to my family. However, as I face the hustle and bustle of shopping and the culture of consumerism, I find myself questioning, “What does any of this have to do with Jesus?” Is the way we celebrate Christmas just an excuse to overspend, overindulge, and focus too much on temporal pleasures? Should I run from the stores, remove the presents from the tree and find other ways to celebrate?

Years ago, as I discussed my internal struggle with my husband, he kindly reminded me that gift giving is not just a reflection of worldly materialism (although it can be), but it’s also a reflection of our Creator, who delights to give gifts to His people. We love giving gifts to those we love because we’re made in the image of a gift-giving God.

That car ride conversation many years ago was the inspiration for this book. I wanted to explain to children how the gifts we give to one another are simply a reflection, a foretaste, a shadow, of the greatest gift that’s ever been given.

Christmas

One thing I love about the Christmas season is that everywhere I go, joyful music fills the air. Often, gospel messages are shared in public spaces as Christmas hymns are played in stores and restaurants. We find ourselves humming along, “Let nothing you dismay, remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day.”

Christmas is a time of rejoicing for the Christian, as well as a season of opportunity. Perhaps your neighbor will join you for the Lessons and Carols service at your church. Maybe they would want to come to the women’s ministry’s Christmas tea. Or perhaps they might be willing to read a new children’s book about Christmas with their children.

One of my greatest hopes for The Gift of All Gifts is that this small book will share the biggest message the world has ever received. I hope it will point young hearts (and their parents) to Jesus—the true Gift of all gifts:

Open this Gift!
Receive him today.
Pray to King Jesus—
His Word shows the way.

I also hope it will teach children to share the message of the gospel with others.

If your kids love doing activities, there’s a free bonus activity pack. It’s full of coloring sheets and word searches, as well as the recipe for my favorite Cinnamon Roll Cookies. There are also premade gift tags for you to share the cookies with neighbors and friends, perhaps as you invite them to join you at church. You can find out all the details here!

Every Christmas, I give my children a new Christmas book. After 25 years, we have quite a Christmas library. It’s a joy to add this one to the mix and I’ve dedicated it to my three children: Emma, John, and Kate. I hope this book might be one your family can enjoy, sitting by the tree, rejoicing together in the Gift of all gifts!

A Brief Defense of a Self-Authenticating Canon

Michael Kruger — Tue, 16 Sep 2025 14:07:32 GMT

Michael Kruger challenges the modern assumption that the Bible was chosen arbitrarily. With clarity and care, he explores the historical, theological, and cultural evidence that the canon wasn't imposed, but emerged within the early Christian community.

What is Meant by the ‘Mark of the Beast’ and ‘666’?

Michael Kruger — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 08:51:11 GMT

For a number of years now, Queens University of Charlotte has hosted the Tarwater Lectures, an annual event focused on the intersection of faith and science or the social sciences. Named after RTS Charlotte alumna, Ann Tarwater, the lecture is normally delivered by a professor at Reformed Theological Seminary.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of doing several of the lectures, and last year I did the lecture on: “The End of Days: The Book of Revelation in Early Christianity.” Since everyone is always fascinated with the book of Revelation, perhaps it is not surprising that it was one of the best attended lectures in the history of the series.

Due to the interest in Revelation we are sticking with the theme, and I will be giving the Tarwater Lectures this year on “The Mark of the Beast, 666, and Early Christian Apocalyptic Thought.” The lecture will be Monday, Sept 29th, 5:30PM in the Belk Chapel on the campus of Queens University. You can register here.

Needless to say, there is a lot of controversy over the meaning of these parts of Revelation. Thoughts about the Mark of the Beast have varied widely, including the idea that it is some sort of bar code on our hand, or a transmitter under our skin, and some even thought the COVID shot was the Mark of the Beast!

Similarly, there have been many opinions about “666,” including the idea that the number is literally stamped on the body of Satan’s minions, or that it refers to the emperor Nero, or that it is 999 upside down, or that the number should even be 616 instead of 666.

As I will argue during the lecture, I think much of this can be resolved if we read the book of Revelation not like 21st-century Westerners, but like the ancient Christians who understood the book to be Apocalyptic literature.

All in all, it should be a fun evening! I will even be taking Q&A after the lecture.

For more on the book of Revelation, you can listen to my online class at RTS entitled, “Hebrews to Revelation,” available through our RTS Global Campus here. Hope to see you on the 29th!

Parenting Kids Who Head to the Mission Field

Michael Kruger — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 09:15:57 GMT

As Christian parents, we pray many things for our children. When they’re younger we tend to pray for their health and safety. As they get older we pray for the education, friendships, and social pressures. And, most of all, we pray that they would know and love Jesus Christ.

In short, as Christian parents we want to entrust our child into God’s hands completely. After all, what is safer than God’s hands?

But, sometimes that’s easier said than done. Sure, God’s hands are the best place for our children—as long as he does what we want with them. As long as they live an ordinary and normal life, in our own city, and preferably just a few doors down in our own neighborhood.

But, it doesn’t quite work that way. If our children are really in God’s hands, then he may use them for his great and grand purposes. Indeed, he might even send them into the world to proclaim his gospel. He might even send them to the mission field.

My wife Melissa and I recently sat down with David Platt, the founder of Radical, to discuss this very topic. What does it look like to be parents who trust our children into God’s hands? Here’s the video below. Enjoy!

Was the Gospel of John Originally Favored by the Heretics?

Michael Kruger — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:07:49 GMT

In the modern church, there’s little doubt that the Gospel of John is one of the most—if not the most—beloved Gospels. If forced to pick just one Gospel, many would prefer the Gospel of John. On the rare occasion when a singular Gospel is published as a stand-alone book (or booklet), it is almost always John.

And the reasons for its popularity are not hard to find. Along with an accessible and flowing style, John contains some of the most memorable descriptions and teachings of Jesus: the poetic prologue (1:1-18), the changing of water to wine (2:1-12), the conversation with Nicodemus (3:1-21), the healing of the man born blind (9:1-41), the raising of Lazarus from the dead (11:17-44), the High Priestly Prayer (17:1-26), and more.

Curiously, the situation was very much the same in the early Christian movement. While most scholars would agree that John was the last published among the canonical four—probably sometime in the 90’s—it quickly became one of the most influential and beloved Gospels. If extant manuscripts are a reliable indication of usage, then John was certainly one of the most commonly read (and copied) with nineteen manuscripts from the second and third centuries, more than any other Gospel.

Even so, there’s an important question that still lingers: Who was the Gospel of John popular with? Put differently, who exactly were these early groups that were so favorable to John?

Some modern scholars have offered an answer to that question. They have argued that yes, John was popular, but he was popular among the heretics! Particularly the Gnostics or Valentinians. So popular, the argument goes, that it took the “orthodox” church a long time to overcome their suspicions about the Gospel.

But is that narrative true? Was John really held at arm’s length by the orthodox church in these earliest centuries?

I answer this question in a chapter entitled, “The Reception of John’s Gospel in the Early Church,” which appears in the recently-released volume, That You May Believe: Essays in Honor of Andreas J. Köstenberger (Kregel, 2025), edited by Quinn R. Mosier, T. Desmond Alexander, and Robert W. Yarbrough.

It was an honor for me to contribute to this volume as Andreas and I are longtime friends and also coauthors of The Heresy of Orthodoxy: How Our Contemporary Culture’s Fascination with Diversity Has Reshaped Our Understanding of Early Christianity (Crossway, 2010).

The quick answer to this scholarly paradigm about John (for the full answer, you can read the entire chapter) is that (a) Heretics used the other Gospels too, not just John; (b) The fact that heretics used canonical Gospels did not raise suspicion about them, per se, because heretics were know for using canonical books for their own purposes; and (c) the claim that the “orthodox” were widely suspicious about John just doesn’t hold up upon closer scrutiny.

It should also be said that the standard full-length work that counters “orthodox Johannophobia” is by my Reformed Theological Seminary colleague Chuck Hill, The Johannine Corpus in the Early Church (Oxford, 2004).

This new volume, That You May Believe, also has many other wonderful essays by scholars like Darrell Bock, Paul Anderson, Stan Porter, Tom Schreiner, Eckhard Schnabel, and more. You can purchase it here!

Helping Christian Students Keep Their Faith in College

Michael Kruger — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 09:36:03 GMT

Well, it just happened for the third time. This past week, I dropped off my last child at college. As might be expected, there were lots of emotions. Excitement, nervousness, fear. And that was just me! My wife Melissa wrote a wonderful post about seeing your last child graduate high school which you can read here. Bring a box of tissues.

Right now, as colleges are cranking up for the new year. thousands of other parents are experiencing the same thing all around the country. And as hard as it is to drop off a child, there can be something harder: worrying about them after they’re gone. For Christian parents, we particularly worry about how they will do spiritually while they begin a new life at secular university. How will they handle the barrage—no, tsunami—of intellectual challenges that will come there way?

It was these exact concerns that led me to write my book, Surviving Religion 101: Letters to a Christians Student on Keeping the Faith in College (Crossway, 2021). It was written when my oldest daughter Emma went off to college and designed to help her (and anyone who reads it!) navigate some of the toughest objections to the Christian faith.

Indeed, I can still vividly remember my own college experience as a believer on campus. In the fall of 1989, I began my freshman year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Like many freshmen, I was excited for the next chapter in my life, eager to explore the new opportunities and experiences that college had to offer.

I wasn’t.

My lack of preparation reached a head in the spring of my freshman year when I took a religion course titled Introduction to the New Testament. Needless to say, such a religion class was a lot for a first-year student to handle. Rattled to the core, I spent that semester wondering whether my Christian beliefs had been a lie. And I was not the only one. I watched as many other Christian students struggled through that class, wondering how to mingle their faith with history (or whether that was even possible).

For myself, I decided to see if there were answers to my questions. Diving deeply into the class material and historical sources, I began to probe into the New Testament’s origins and reliability, and whether earlier Christians had ever addressed the issues raised in the class. I quickly discovered that Christians had addressed these issues—even from the earliest days of the Christian movement—and had done so with depth, precision, and intellectual rigor.

Simply learning that there were answers to my questions was not the end of my intellectual journey. I found myself genuinely fascinated with this new world I had discovered. In a rather ironic turn, my experience in this university religion class set me on a new intellectual trajectory, one that eventually led me to become a New Testament scholar myself, focused on these very same historical issues.

But for many college students, the story ends very differently. Confronted by an intellectual world for which they are not prepared, Christian college students are leaving behind their faith in worrying numbers.

Although the book is for college students (and I’ve written it at an introductory level for that purpose), it is really for anybody with intellectual questions about their faith. My prayer is that it would helpful for students (and parents) as they head into this critical phase of their life.

In addition to the book, here is a 6-part blog series I did years ago about preparing kids for college. Enjoy!

#1 “Take this Transition Seriously”

#2 “You Won’t Have All the Answers”

#3 “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger”

#4 “People Don’t Believe Things Simply Because of the Facts”

#5 “Doubting Doesn’t Make You a Bad Christian”

#6 “Stick Together Like a Band of Brothers (or Sisters)”

Class on the Origin and Authority of the New Testament Canon

Michael Kruger — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:15:20 GMT

This week, Aug 4-8, I am teaching my long-running elective at RTS Charlotte entitled, “The Origin and Authority of the New Testament Canon.”

In this class, we will be covering not just the history and development of the canon, but also its theological meaning, and its epistemological foundation. In other words, we will not only discuss when these books were recognized, but we will explore how we know which books belong and which do not.

So, the class will cover the various canonical models present in theological circles today, as well as responding to modern historical-critical scholars who attack its integrity.

One other interesting part of the course is that we will do in-class reading from high resolution photos of the Greek manuscript P66, an almost complete copy of John’s gospel dated c.200. This is one of the earliest manuscripts of the New Testament that we possess and provides a wonderful introduction to the world of ancient manuscripts. We will discuss not only the Greek text, but scribal habits, inscriptional features, nomina sacra, and more.

The picture attached to this article is an image of John 7:52-8:16 from P66. You will note that it is missing the famous Pericope Adulterae, the story of Jesus and the adulterous woman from 8:1-11!

As one might guess, the base textbook for this class will my Canon Revisited (Crossway, 2012). But, I will also be using other texts and articles along the way. During our discussion of the emergence of the codex, I will also mention some of the texts highlighted in my most recent volume, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity (Oxford University Press, 2025).

Probably too late for many of you to consider taking this course, but if you are interested there is a recorded version available through our Global Campus!

The Brilliant Apologetic Strategy of the Ancient Church

Michael Kruger — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:44:11 GMT

One of the benefits of studying the history of early Christianity is that we quickly realize that what we are facing in the modern day is far from new. Each challenge to the faith might seem new—sometimes leading to an unnecessary panic among some—but the early church faced similar (and often much worse) things before.

The second century was just such a time. Christianity was in its infancy, a bit like a newborn animal on the Serengeti plains, wobbly legs and all. And the world around them was by no means friendly. Attacks came hard and fast from all directions.

But Christians responded. They sharpened their arguments, they clarified their thinking, they engaged their critics. Thus, the second century came to be known as the “golden age” of apologetics.

Tertullian of Carthage

Of all the apologists (and there were many), undoubtedly Tertullian stands out as one of the most brilliant. The North African church father wrote his Apology around 197 AD and its argumentation is so relevant and applicable that it seems like it could have been written last year.

David Wright attributed the success of Tertullians’s Apology to “the brilliance of the argument which is still capable of leaving the reader applauding in admiration.” Everett Ferguson referred to it as “Tertullian’s literary masterpiece.”

So, what exactly was Tertullian’s strategy? Let me mention several features that made it work so well.

Fair Treatment

By Tertullian’s time, Christians were being blamed for everything. Since they didn’t worship the Roman gods, they were regarded as invoking their displeasure. Thus, every famine, plague, or military defeat was pinned on the Christians.

As a result, mob justice was not uncommon. Christians were being accused and condemned without due process.

Tertullian responds by asking for fair treatment from governing officials. Christians should not be condemned, argues Tertullian, merely for having the name Christian. They actually have to have committed a crime. And when you actually examine the charges, they don’t hold up.

Then, in one of his classic rhetorical flourishes, Tertullian states:

The proof of their ignorance, at once condemning and excusing their injustice, is this, that those who once hated Christianity because they knew nothing about it, no sooner come to know it than they all lay down at once their enmity. From being haters they become its disciples (Apol. 1.6).

In other words, Tertullian essentially pleads with the government (and the mob) to get to know us before you condemn us.

Application to modern churches: invite even the most hostile critics to get to know you and your Christian community. We often condemn what we don’t know. Showing our critics what Christianity is really like on the inside, as opposed to just perceptions from the outside, can be a winning strategy.

Religious Freedom

Those in the modern world often think that the idea of religious liberty or religious freedom is a modern ideal, often linked to post-Enlightenment sensibilities. But Tertullian shatters that myth.

Tertullian’s strategy was not to ask for non-Christian religions to be abolished, nor was it to ask for Christianity to be declared the official state religion. Rather his strategy was to ask that every group be allowed to worship their god in peace and without fear of retribution.

Ironically, this freedom was already granted to the other religions in the Roman Empire. It was just that the Romans were not extending that same courtesy to the Christians. Everyone enjoyed religious freedom except those who wanted to worship Jesus.

Tertullian writes:

Let one consecrate his own life to his God, and another that of a goat. For see that you do not give a further ground for the charge of irreligion, by taking away religious liberty, and forbidding free choice of deity, so that I may no longer worship according to my inclination, but am compelled to worship against it (Apol. 24.5-6)

Application to modern churches: the goal of our apologetics is not to enforce Christianity through socio-political means. Rather we should desire first to be free to worship Jesus without fear of retribution, and second that we should be free to persuade others to follow him also.

Sticking to the Basics

In the world of apologetics there are many things to debate. And unfortunately, we can allow the hot topic in the latest news cycle to determine each and every conversation.

While there’s a place for addressing contemporary issues, Tertullian reminds us that we have to stay focused on the core questions. Why? Because if you get the core questions correct, then many other issues can be resolved downstream.

So, what are those core issues? For Tertullian, he preferred to focus on two things: the truth of Scripture and the identity of Christ. As for the Scriptures, Tertullian’s case is masterful, arguing for the ancient nature of the Scriptures and the fact that the Scriptures themselves “offer proof that they are divine” (Apol. 20.1). As for Christ, he focuses on his divinity, appealing to the logos language in prior writers like Justin Martyr (and, of course, John’s prologue).

Application to the modern church: in the midst of apologetic discussions, keep the focus on the truth of Scripture and the person of Christ. Everything hinges on the truth of God’s word and the identity of Jesus. If those issues fall in place, then many other things can follow from there.

Turning the Tables

While most of Tertullian’s apologetic energy was directed towards responding to objections to Christianity, he did more than merely play defense. At other times, he would go on the offense, showing where the non-Christian worldview broke down.

In other words, Tertullian realized that it wasn’t just Christians who had to give an account of their beliefs and behavior. The pagan religions had to do the same.

When Christians were accused of eating babies and engaging in sexual promiscuity in their secret meetings, Tertullian did more than deny the charges. He showed that such examples of gross immorality were actually common among the pagan religious practices to which the Romans offered no objection!

And when Christians were accused of refusing to worship the Roman gods, Tertullian did more than plead for religious liberty (though he did do that). He also argued that the Roman gods were not in fact gods at all. And if they are not gods at all, then Christians cannot be faulted for not worshipping them!

Application to the modern church: Apologetics is more than defense, it is also offense. There is a place to answer objections to the faith, but we also must take opportunity to show how non-Christian systems of thinking have an inconsistent (and sometimes incoherent) worldview.

Conclusion

If we just focus on the latest modern attacks on the Christian faith, we might be convinced that we are experiencing something the church has never experienced. But a quick look into church history, particularly the second century, says otherwise.

This century was the golden age of apologetics, with Tertullian’s work as a fitting capstone. And his Apology is so insightful and applicable, that it seems like it could have been written in recent times. He argues for fair treatment, religious freedom, the truth of Scripture and the deity of Christ, and also turns the tables on his non-Christian interlocutors.

And while Tertullian’s strategy was certainly needed in his own day, it is really needed in ours. Perhaps now more than ever.

For more on how early Christians interacted with their hostile culture, see my book Christianity at the Crossroads: How the Second Century Shaped the Future of the Church (IVP Academic, 2018).

How to Have Healthy Disagreements in the Church

Michael Kruger — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 10:52:14 GMT

During the TGC National Conference this past April, I was part of a panel discussion with Alistair Begg, Gavin Ortlund, and Jen Wilkin on the topic of “How to Have Healthy Disagreements within Your Church.” The panel was hosted by Carl Laferton of the Good Book Company.

I have to say that I can’t imagine many topics more timely than this one. It was encouraging to hear the perspectives of my fellow panelists on how the evangelical community needs more grace, charity and maturity in the way we disagree. Here’s the video:

Sneak Peek: Sandra McCracken’s New Children’s Book

Melissa Kruger — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 05:00:43 GMT

I always like to know a little something about an author before I sit down to open up his or her book. Today, I’m excited to interview my friend Sandra McCracken about her new children’s book, The Maker of the Mountain. Sandra and her husband, Tim, were inspired to write this book after having conversations with their young son about what God is like. The result is a story full of beautiful nature images from scripture that will help young children feel loved by their strong, compassionate God and comforted by knowing him better.

The Maker of the Mountain is available now, and you can order a copy here!

1. Can you give us a quick update on you and your family? What has this season of life been like for you?

We’ve been living in England for several months this spring, as Tim and I are serving as artists-in-residence at Wycliffe Hall at the University of Oxford. We’re staying in a converted barn that backs up to a beautiful field and woods. We’ve been watching the blooms bloom all season and seeing the sunsets every night behind our kitchen window. It’s been a unique time for our family as we’ve brought projects and school with us to a new and unfamiliar place. We were here on the official release day for this book and it was a special thing to enjoy and hear the responses from across the miles and on social media and from readers and their families.

2. What inspired you to write The Maker of the Mountain?

This book began with an everyday, storytelling moment that I had with my youngest child. He was about three and a half, and we were sitting on a playground outside waiting for an appointment. We sat beneath a tree with a pile of rocks and talked about things. We talked about what God is like and he asked me some profound questions like, “Mommy, is God really like a rock?” It was a two-way sermon that was as much for me as it was for him, thinking about nature and theology as we picked up things like rocks and pointed to the sunshine and fruitful vines, helping him to understand some important spiritual themes.

I’m so glad that God has spoken to us in ways we can understand. I’m so glad that Jesus told stories that have been recorded for us in the gospel accounts. Tim and I had dreamed about writing a kids project like this someday, and as we talked, the idea for this story of a little bear began to take shape.

3. What do you hope kids and parents will take away from this book?

I think it’s amazing that God not only made us and cares for us, and also that he wants us to know him and learn about him, to find out what he’s like. This good news is not just a message for children, but like all the great truths, it’s for us as adults, too. When we grow in our understanding of who God is, we grow younger in wisdom and wonder.

4. In the book, you make understanding the complexity of God’s character accessible for children. What advice would you give parents as they continue talking about these big ideas with their kids?

I’m so glad to hear that feedback, and what a great question. I wonder if and how we could do more of this? I think we’d get more creative with our handling of theology and scripture if we practiced this sort of imaginative conversation together in community. I suspect this good work is happening most weeks on Sunday mornings in preschool Sunday school classes around the world. I’d guess that some of the most profound spiritual questions are being raised by young children, especially as they hear the stories of the Bible for the first time. There’s so much mystery and imagery and poetry in the scriptures. And I hope we don’t forget to be amazed by this when we’re grown, or when we have phones and other responsibilities to distract us from these “waiting moments” like my son and I shared when we might notice some of the things that matter most.

5. What’s the most challenging or fun part of writing for children?

I loved working with our team on this project, and I’ve learned so much. Children’s book writing is similar to songwriting, but challenging in how much we had to just keep simplifying and simplifying. It takes a lot of work to get down to the shimmering kernel of an idea that you want to communicate. I usually start with too many thoughts and too many words. This has been a great stretch for me.

Also, I’ve loved developing the story with Tim as each of us spent time referencing the picture books and stories that we loved when we were kids, thinking of why’s and what’s that work so well in classics like Winnie the Pooh, A Squash and a Squeeze, and Where the Wild Things Are. Another favorite part in the writing process was just how often you have to read and say the words out loud until it starts to just roll out effortlessly when you recite the story over and again.

But the best part was working with a gifted illustrator like Fia and seeing the story come to life visually. That part was so closely connected to the creativity and imagination of the words—but even more dynamic because Fia heard the words and created these timeless scenes that were a perfect match.

6. Can you share a favorite quote or image from the book?

I love the night sky page, the page where the fox and the bear sit perched on the hillside on the blanket, but my favorite is the spread with the little bear in the boat, crossing a stormy scene and making his way safely onto the other shore. I have an old song called “God’s Highway” with a verse that reminds me of just this sort of scene. And while I’m pretty sure the illustrator doesn’t know that song, still she painted it just like I would have imagined it.

7. Here are some reviews from readers:

“I was searching for biblically based adventure books for our 4.5-year-old and stumbled upon this book. We love it! Our son loves following the map in the front and I love all the Biblical truths he’s learning from little bear. The illustrations are equally stunning!”

“A new favorite! This is a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated book that tells truths about God in a way that your little one can understand. It’s written in such a way that it edifies both me and my wife as well.”

“This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. Through the adventures of Little Brown Bear, we see the character and promises of God introduced in a way that will resonate with children. I can’t wait to give this as a baby shower gift and I hope to read it to my own grandchildren one day!”

8. What is something surprising that people might not know about you?

Tim was an outdoor guide and we both love camping and having adventures like this one. Weaving together theology, faith and nature has been a real joy. Maybe next time we need to introduce some musical themes to the little bear?

Sandra McCracken is a prolific songwriter, modern-day hymn writer, and record producer. She is a dynamic performer whose captivating, soulful sound invites audiences to sing along and moves listeners at the deepest levels. Many of her songs, like “We Will Feast in the House of Zion” and “Thy Mercy My God,” have settled into regular rotation in Christian worship services internationally. She has also written songs recorded by All Sons & Daughters, ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy, Audrey Assad, A Rocha Compilation, Bifrost Arts, Caedmon’s Call, and others. Sandra is a founding member of Indelible Grace Music and Rain for Roots (children’s music) and has been a guest writer for Art House America, She Reads Truth, The Gospel Coalition, Christianity Today, RELEVANT Magazine, and more.

The Truth About the Bible and Early Christianity

Michael Kruger — Tue, 27 May 2025 10:24:00 GMT

‪Wes Huff, Michael Kruger, and Daniel Wallace join Michael Horton for a roundtable discussion on textual criticism, the reliability of the New Testament manuscripts, Gnosticism, the divinity of Christ, the canon, and early Christian origins.

On Spiritual Abuse

Michael Kruger — Tue, 27 May 2025 08:33:25 GMT

In this episode of Logos Live, Kirk E. Miller speaks with Dr. Michael J. Kruger about the problem of spiritual abuse in the church, a topic he addresses in his book Bully Pulpit. Together, Mike and Kirk explore how to recognize spiritual abuse, prevent it, care for those impacted by it, and foster church cultures marked by humility, safety, and accountability.

How to Have Healthy Disagreements Within Your Church

Michael Kruger — Thu, 15 May 2025 09:52:39 GMT

Dr. Kruger joined others at an auxiliary event hosted by The Good Book Company at The Gospel Coalition Conference in April 2025, speaking on the premise that disagreement doesn’t have to drive division.

What’s the Earliest New Testament Evidence for the Divinity of Jesus?

Michael Kruger — Tue, 06 May 2025 11:48:56 GMT

In the first century, we learn of one of the most remarkable men that has ever lived.

Before he was born, his mother was told he would not be like other men, but would be divine. As an adult, he traveled around delivering his message and performing miracles. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and even raised the dead.

He had a band of disciples around him who regarded him as the son of God. Eventually, his activity caught the attention of the governing authorities who arrested him, put him on trial, and executed him. Later, his followers said that he was alive and seated in the heavenly places.

And that man’s name was Apollonius of Tyana.

Jesus as One of Many “gods”

As might be expected, scholars are quick to point to Apollonius as evidence that in the ancient Greco-Roman world there were many people who were regarded as divine in some sense. This didn’t mean, of course, that they were the God of the universe, pre-existent and supreme. Rather it meant that they were regarded as special enough to be elevated to some sort of semi-divine status—like the many other Greco-Roman gods.

This scholarly framework is then applied to Jesus in some fashion. It is argued that Jesus’s followers, at least at the earliest stages, did not regard him as the supreme God of the universe. But they viewed him as an ordinary man that was elevated to some sort of god-like status, not that different than Apollonius of Tyana.

The Divinity of Jesus and the Gospel of John

Now, the average Christian would rebut this claim by simply pointing to the numerous places where Jesus claims to be not only divine, by the very God of the Old Testament. Top of the list are passages like John 1:1: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.” On top of this could be added passages like John 8:58, or John 10:30.

Case closed right?

But, modern scholars have an answer to this line of reasoning. Sure, John presents Jesus as fully divine, but he was the last Gospel written, probably in the 90’s of the first century. By then, Jesus’s divine status had grown and expanded and evolved. If you go back to the earliest Gospel (Mark), which was written in the 70’s, then you find a very human Jesus.

Now, we should not underestimate how persuasive this line of reasoning is to people. Last year, I gave a lecture on “Lost Gospels” at Princeton University and this was one of the most common arguments I heard.

First-Century Judaism and the God of the Old Testament

So, how can it be answered? Is there earlier evidence in the New Testament that Jesus was regarded not merely as having some sort of semi-divine status, but as the very God of the Old Testament?

Well, it depends on how the earliest Jews viewed the God of the Old Testament. What were the distinguishing features that a first-century monotheistic Jew regarded God has having? Put differently, what characteristics did God have to have to make him the supreme God of the universe?

The answer is not hard to find. Our earliest sources show that first-century monotheistic Jews would describe the God of the Old Testament in two key ways. First, the God of the Old Testament was the only God that was to be worshiped. The God of the Bible is the only true God, and therefore the only God that should receive worship.

Second, the God of the Old Testament was the creator of all things. For a Jew, there were two (and only two) categories of being: the creator, and the creature. And the God of the Bible is the one who made everything and is himself not made.

So, do we have any early Christian texts that predate John and affirm that Jesus had both of these characteristics, that he was to be exclusively worshiped, and that he is the maker of all things?

The answer is yes. And not only are these sources earlier than John, they are also earlier Mark. More than that, these sources have roots that extend back further than any New Testament writings we possess.

Paul and the Divinity of Jesus

To understand what the earliest Christians believed about the divinity of Jesus we turn to Paul of Tarsus. Why Paul? Larry Hurtado explains it best: “Pauline Christianity is the earliest form of the Christian movement to which we have direct access from undisputed firsthand sources” (Lord Jesus Christ, 85).As we shall see, Paul didn’t simply believe Jesus was God in some marginal, semi-divine sort of way. Rather he viewed him as the one God of Israel, the pre-existent Lord of the universe.

Let us consider just two examples from Paul’s writings in the 50’s of the first century. First, consider Paul’s language in 1 Cor 8:5-6:

For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”—yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.

At heart of this statement—given in the context of food offered to idols—is Paul’s concern to uphold monotheism. There is only one God who is worthy to receive cultic worship, as opposed to the many false gods present in pagan worship.

Indeed, it is widely recognized that Paul is clearly drawing upon the core monotheistic confession of ancient Israel, the “shema” of Deut 6:4: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is One.”

What is noteworthy, however, is that Paul has now included the Lord Jesus Christ within the shema, even using the same word (“Lord”) to describe him. Paul is not adding Jesus to the godhead, as if there were now two gods, but rather he is including Jesus in the divine identity of Yahweh.

This is confirmed by the fact that Paul attributes to Jesus the very same act of creation that he attributes to God: “through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” Jesus is not the recipient of a creative act, but the one who performs the creative act.

Thus, Bauckham concludes, “A higher Christology than Paul already expresses in 1 Corinthians 8:6 is scarcely possible, and…[is] the common character of all New Testament Christology” (2008:30).

The other passage, not surprisingly, is Phil 2:6-11, one of the clearest and most profound declarations that Jesus is Lord over all. Not only does Paul affirm the pre-existence and incarnation of Jesus—“though in the form of God…made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men”—but he describes the highest possible exaltation of Jesus: “So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

This latter phrase draws explicitly on Is 45:23, where, in the original context, Yahweh declares, “To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear allegiance.” Paul takes the glory due to Yahweh alone and applies it to Jesus—showing that he considers the latter as fully part of the divine identity.

Thus, Hurtado has observed that when Phil 2:6-11 is viewed as a whole it describes the work of Christ in a “narrative sequence,” starting with his pre-existence, moving to his incarnation, then to his humiliation, and finally to his exaltation (Hurtado, 2003:123).

What is particularly noteworthy about both of these passages is that scholars have argued that each of them reflect even earlier Christian tradition that significantly predates Paul’s own letters. In the case of Phil 2:6-11, it is widely regarded as an earlier Christological “hymn” that Paul adapted for use within this particular letter. Likewise, 1 Cor 8:6 is considered to be one of the earliest creedal statements within the Pauline corpus.

Thus, not only do these passages show that the apostle Paul himself had a high Christology, but that this high Christology pre-dates Paul and appears in the very earliest layers of the Christian faith, maybe even as early as the 40’s of the first century.

Jesus as the God of the Old Testament

Both 1 Cor 8:5-6 and Phil 2:6-11 ascribe to Jesus the two main attributes that any first-century Jew would ascribe to the God of the Old Testament: He is the only being to be worshiped, and he is the creator of all things.

And, these passages come from the 50’s—long before John, and even Mark—and likely go back further than any other Christian source available to us.

What does that mean? That means that the highest Christology offered by John’s Gospel was not a later evolutionary development. Apparently, that high view of Jesus had been present from the very earliest days of the Christian movement.

What I’ll Be Up to at The Gospel Coalition National Conference

Michael Kruger — Mon, 21 Apr 2025 09:26:00 GMT

This week I am headed to Indianapolis for The Gospel Coalition National Conference. Looks to be a fun week with a great lineup of speakers and a wonderful theme: “Alive Together: Faithful Living in a Faithless Age” (a study of the book of Ephesians).

In addition to catching up with friends over coffee and meals, my schedule is filled with a number of breakout sessions and panel discussions. Here are the highlights over a very busy two days on Tuesday, April 22, and Wednesday, April 23:

1. TGC Breakout Sessions. I am part of two different TGC-sponsored breakout sessions, and also one for RTS (see #2 below):

Tuesday, 3:30PM. I am joining my wife, Melissa, for a joint breakout session entitled, “Parenting with Hope in an Anxious Age,” where we will discuss biblical principles that serve as the foundation for the practical decisions we make as parents, while anchoring our hopes and expectations on Christ rather than our child’s behavior. The session will draw upon Melissa’s amazing book, Parenting with Hope: Raising Teens for Christ in a Secular Age (Harvest House, 2024).

Wednesday, 2:30PM. I am joining my friend, Jen Wilkin, for a breakout session entitled, “Recovering the Riches of Revelation.” This should be a blast as we will dive into the various aspects of Revelation, what makes it so wonderful and so difficult (at the same time), and how it proves to be on of the most Christ-centered books in the Bible. Buckle your seat belts!

2. Reformed Theological Seminary. RTS has a big presence at TGC this year, including Ligon Duncan, Scott Swain, Gray Sutanto, Irwyn Ince, and myself.

Wednesday, 6:30PM. Reformed Theological Seminary is hosting a breakout session entitled, “Who is God? Exploring God’s Names and Christ’s Identity in Scripture.” My friend Scott Swain will give the first half of our breakout on the names of God in the OT, and I will give the second half on: “Is Jesus the God of the Bible? High Christology in Early Christianity.” I am really excited about this breakout and hope you will come be a part of it.

3. The Keller Center. A number of the fellows for The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics are present at TGC, so there will be a number of different gatherings.

Tuesday, 4:30PM. I am participating in a “Fire Side Chat” where we are raising awareness of the great ministry that TKC is doing.

Tuesday, 9:00PM. The Keller Center Fellows are gathering together for a special time of fellowship and catch-up.

4. Panel Discussions. It’s always fun to get together with fellow participants to discuss important issues or topics:

Wednesday, 12:30PM. I am on a panel discussion hosted by the Good Book Company, entitled, “How to Have Healthy Disagreements in Your Church.” This should be a very important conversation, given the fracturing we are seeing in the church right now. Fellow panelists are Alistair Begg, Gavin Ortlund, and Jen Wilkin.

Wednesday, 4:45PM. I am participating in a panel discussion with my friend Michael Keller on the topic of “Finding Purpose in the Pain of Church Hurt.” The event is being hosted by Anchored Virtual and moderated by Rebekah Hannah. Given some of the challenges in church leadership we’ve seen over the years (see my book, Bully Pulpit: Confronting the Problem of Spiritual Abuse in the Church), I think this will be a critical conversation.

5. Hanging out at the Exhibit Hall. The exhibit hall is a great place to see the latest books, learn about various ministries, and catch up with old friends. In particular, I will be doing the following:

Tuesday, 2:00PM. I will be at the booth for The Good Book Company to promote the God’s Word for You Commentary series, to which I contributed the volume on Hebrews. Andrew Wilson and Sam Allberry are doing the same, but I think at different time slots. Come say hello if you are around!

Wednesday, 3:30PM. I will be joining my RTS colleagues Gray Sutanto and Scott Swain at the Reformed Theological Seminary booth for a “Meet and Greet.” If you are around, come say hello and we would love to tell you what’s happening these days at RTS!

So, this will be a very busy 48 hours in Indianapolis. Hope to see you there!

Is the Resurrection of Jesus Likely or Unlikely?

Michael Kruger — Tue, 15 Apr 2025 09:00:30 GMT

Well, we are coming up on Easter. And while Christians will be celebrating the resurrection, others will doubt it. Our world’s skepticism over miracles is nothing new. Ever since David Hume, philosophers and scholars have been making the case against the possibility of miracles.

But, now things have shifted. Hume has been roundly (and decisively) rebutted and philosophers now realize that one cannot prove miracles are impossible. But, not to worry, now there’s a new argument. Now the argument is that miracles are simply improbable.

So improbable, in fact, that we should never prefer a miraculous explanation over a naturalistic one. Given how unlikely miracles are, it is always more likely that a miracle did not occur. Thus, it is argued, historians would have no reason to ever affirm that a miracle actually took place.

This approach is particularly common in discussions of the resurrection. Given the improbability of the resurrection, some scholars now insist that we must always choose another explanation. After all, any other scenario is more likely than the one that entails a person rose from the dead.

Now, this sort of argument sounds persuasive at first glance. But, it runs into some serious problems. For one, the probability of any event cannot be determined only by considering the event itself. The probability of that event depends on the broader context that surrounds that event.

For example, imagine I was headed to a track meet and wanted to know the probability of seeing someone break a 4-minute mile. I might think the chances of that are quite remote. But, there’s no way to answer that question without considering the larger context. If the track meet was just for local high school teams, then yes, the odds would be very, very low.

But, what if the track meet was for the Olympic trials? Then the odds would not be low at all. Indeed, given that context, it is quite likely I would see someone break a 4-minute mile.

The same is true when we consider the probability of a miraculous event. If a person believed God did not exist (or at least did not intervene in the world), then they would view the probability of a miracle as very, very low. And they’d be right. In a Godless universe, we would have to assume that Jesus of Nazareth died and rose from the dead naturally. The odds of that would be astronomically small, especially after three days.

But, what if the broader context included the existence of the Christian God—a God that has, and continues to, intervene in the world? Then, a miracle would not be an unlikely occurrence at all. Indeed, Craig Keener even goes as far to say that, on a theistic worldview, “miracles might even be expected” (Miracles, 139).

Here’s the point: the probability of a miraculous event is contingent on a person’s overall worldview and the assumptions they make about reality. And this puts the skeptic in a rather difficult place. In order to claim that a miracle is improbable, he would first have to show that the Christian God does not exist. And if he cannot do that (and he cannot), then he has no basis to claim that miracles are improbable.

But, there’s a second (and even bigger) problem with this probability argument against miracles. Even if an event is highly improbable, sometimes it is still reasonable to believe that an event has occurred if there’s good evidence for doing so.

As an example, imagine a scenario where you are playing poker with friends. After the cards are dealt, your friend proclaims, “I have a royal flush!” Admittedly, you might be skeptical. After all, the odds of being dealt a royal flush (without drawing additional cards) is about 1 in 650,000. Indeed, it is so unlikely, that it would not be unreasonable for you to explore other possible explanations: the dealer stacked the deck in his favor, he misread the cards, he’s lying, he cheated, etc.

But a little investigative work would quickly rule out these other options. You could take a look at the cards yourself (ruling out that your friend misread them or lied). And you could consider whether your friend was a reliable witness—ruling out that he cheated. And this would lead you, in the end, to conclude that the event indeed had occurred, even if it is extremely rare.

Imagine how absurd it would be if you said to your friend, “Well, I still don’t believe you got a royal flush. After all, we must always reject highly improbable explanations in favor of more probable explanations. So I conclude that you must have cheated.” No! The mere improbability of an event is not enough, in and of itself, to reject its occurrence. We have to consider other factors such as the empirical evidence, reliability of eyewitnesses, etc.

In the end, it all comes down to one’s worldview. If one is not closed off to the possibility of the miraculous, they are willing to consider the evidence. Either way, there is no reason why we should feel compelled to always pick a non-miraculous explanation. With credible eyewitnesses and solid evidence, we should be quite willing to think that a miracle might just have occurred.

Why Hospitality in the New Testament Doesn’t Mean What You Think It Does

Michael Kruger — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 09:49:49 GMT

In other words, one of the central features of the early Christian movement was that they were a people who traveled, and traveled extensively.

But, Christians didn’t just travel for missionary work. They traveled for two additional reasons. First, travel was the way they spread Christian writings in the ancient world. It wasn’t just a generic message that these missionary-teachers were promulgating, but particularly Christian texts. Even in the first century, we see that early Christians had a remarkably well-organized network for distributing their writings. For instance, Paul frequently names the letter-carriers who would often have to travel great distances to deliver his epistles.

Second, and equally important, Christians traveled for the purposes of fellowship, networking, and encouraging one another. Despite the lack of modern travel conveniences, Christians traveled great distances just to be with one another. They were so highly networked, that one recent writer referred to early Christians as having a “Holy Internet.”

It is here that we begin to understand the repeated calls for Christian to show hospitality in the ancient world. In the modern day, hospitality is often seen as something akin to having people over for dinner. It’s a way to be socially active. Now, to be clear, there is an important place for such activity in the Christian life. Fellowship with other believers is a key part of our spiritual growth, and opening up one’s home can foster such fellowship.

However, in the ancient world, hospitality was not simply about social engagement. It was more about giving people a place to rest and refresh during their extensive travel. In the ancient world, inns were few and far between, and often sketchy and poorly managed. Christian hospitality, therefore, was the core resource that allowed the gospel to spread.

Hospitality, then, was essential for the missionary work of the church.

So, there are two sides of the missionary enterprise. There are those who travel, and there are those who welcome the travelers and care for their needs. Both play an essential role.

Even so, all of us have to reckon with the fact that the core of our Christian identity is that we are a voyaging people. We are not to be an in-grown people, walled up in our homes of self-protection. But we are to be out and about, so to speak, always looking for ways to spread and advance the kingdom. For some this may mean traveling thousands of miles to a foreign country. For others, it may mean just walking down the street, looking for a way to reach your neighbors for the cause of Christ.

Is All High Christology Necessarily Orthodox?

Michael Kruger — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 10:43:23 GMT

One of the classic, and seemingly never-ending, debates among New Testament scholars is whether Jesus’s earliest followers viewed him as fully divine, and (perhaps more importantly), whether Jesus viewed himself as fully divine. Some scholars say yes to both, some say no to both, and some are mixed.

In fact, I will be speaking on the subject of early Christology at The Gospel Coalition’s National Conference on April 23. My friend Scott Swain and I are tag-teaming the breakout session for Reformed Theological Seminary. He is speaking on the Names of God in the OT, and I am speaking on “Is Jesus the God of the Bible? High Christology in Early Christianity.”

As the title of my talk indicates, I will be arguing for “High Christology” in the earliest layers of the Christian movement. While there are many disputes and complications regarding what counts as “high,” I will essentially be arguing that Jesus was viewed as sharing the same divine identity as the God of the Old Testament.

But there is an important clarification that needs to be made in these discussions, and not all arguments for high Christology make it. That clarification is that not all high Christology is necessarily orthodox Christology.

As strange as it sounds, a person can believe that Jesus is fully divine and still be a heretic. Indeed, a number of early Christians went down exactly this path.

The Gospel of Peter

To illustrate this scenario, we turn our attention to the Gospel of Peter. During the winter season dig of 1886-1887, at Akhmim in Upper Egypt, archaeologists uncovered our first manuscript of this lost Gospel, P.Cairo 10759. This manuscript, dubbed the Akhmim fragment, was a rather small codex (13 x 16 cm) containing portions of what we now call the Gospel of Peter, along with the Apocalypse of Peter, portions of 1 Enoch, and the martyrdom of St. Julian.

While the Gospel of Peter was probably written in the second century (and thus could not have been written by the apostle Peter), this codex has been dated to the seventh or eighth century and still constitutes our only meaningful access to the Greek text of the Gospel of Peter. We do have early fragments that may be connected to this Gospel—P.Oxy. 2949 and P.Oxy. 4009—however, the textual connections are just too limited to be sure.

The Gospel of Peter offers of a rather vivid and detailed account of Jesus’s trial, death, and resurrection. The crucifixion account shares many similarities with the canonical accounts—e.g., Jesus is crucified between two thieves, one of which defends him, the offering of wine and vinegar to drink, and darkness cover all the land.

But the crucifixion account differs in a number of places, most notably in Jesus’s final cry from the cross. Rather than the cry of dereliction, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?,” the Gospel of Peter has Jesus declaring, “My power, O power, you have left me!”

When the story transitions to the resurrection of Jesus, there are even more differences. Unlike the canonical Gospels where eyewitnesses arrive only after Jesus has already risen and departed, the onlookers in the Gospel of Peter get to watch the resurrection happen firsthand. Yet, when Jesus emerges from the tomb he is flanked by two angels whose heads were as high as the heavens and Jesus is described as being even taller than the angels with his head surpassing the heavenly places.

Needless to say, these sorts of descriptions have occasioned much discussion and debate. In particular, the focus has largely been on Peter’s Christology. What kind of Jesus does the author have in view here? What do we make of these strange and enigmatic changes to the canonical narrative?

Historically, scholars have argued that the Gospel of Peter has a form of Christology called Docetism. And it’s to that issue we now turn.

What is Docetism?

Docetism is not easy to define. Generally speaking, it is a reference to the belief that Jesus was never really or fully human (Docetism comes the Greek word dokeo which means “to seem” or “to appear”). Such an approach appears to be driven by concerns over how Jesus could be divine and yet still suffer pain or death.

Nailing down the definition is complicated by a couple of additional factors. First, most of what we learn about Docetism comes from the mouths of the orthodox and it was one of those charges that got thrown around a bit indiscriminately and without much precision.

Second, it seems there were different versions of Docetism. In some versions Jesus was more like a phantasm, only appearing to be human. In other versions, Jesus was really a human but simply had the divine Christ descend upon him at his baptism and leave before his crucifixion. This latter version would be similar to what is known as “adoptionistic” Christology.

Is the Gospel of Peter Docetic?

When the manuscript of the Gospel of Peter was first discovered, most scholars regarded it as having a form of Docetism. But in recent years, the pendulum has swung in the other direction. A number of scholars have argued that the Gospel of Peter can be understood in different (and they would argue better) ways that don’t entail a docetic Christology.

The debate is too big to resolve in this single article. I do think that recent scholarship has shown that the Gospel of Peter does not require a docetic interpretation. However, while Docetism is not required, that is not the same as saying it is not possible. Indeed, I think that it’s still reasonable to interpret some aspects of the Gospel of Peter as advocating some form of Docetism.

First, the Gospel of Peter has Jesus declaring, “My power, O power, you have left me!” This is followed immediately by the phrase, “And he was taken up.” The phrase “taken up” (analambano) is the normal word used for Jesus’s ascension. But since the body of Jesus still hangs on the cross, what has ascended?

Some have argued that the “taken up” language here is no more than a euphemism (perhaps a clumsy one) for death. And that’s certainly possible. But I still think it’s reasonable to see this as a reference to an adoptionistic version of Docetism where the divine Christ leaves the human Jesus.

Second, when Jesus emerges from the tomb in the Gospel of Peter, he is now a “giant” Jesus whose head surpasses the heavens themselves. Clearly this Jesus does not have a human body in any normal sense of the word.

Again, modern scholars have argued that this need not be interpreted in a docetic fashion because Jesus changes physical appearance after his resurrection even in the canonical Gospels. And that’s a fair point. At the same time, however, we should not forget that many other texts with a shape-shifting Jesus were gnostic or docetic. Particularly illuminating is the Acts of John, a notably docetic text, which describes Jesus as having a “head [that] reached to the heavens” (90.13), a strikingly similar description as we find in the Gospel of Peter.

Here’s the point. I think it’s still reasonable to see the Gospel of Peter as advocating some type of docetic approach to the person of Jesus where he was not a human being in every way that we are.

High Christology in the Gospel of Peter

Regardless of what one makes of these seemingly docetic features, here is one thing that seems very clear: the Gospel of Peter views Jesus as fully divine. In fact, Peter changes the canonical stories in a number of ways that show that Jesus is even super divine. In some ways, he is more glorious, more exalted, and more powerful even than the canonical Gospels.

A few examples of such changes:

In the canonical account there are guards at the tomb, but now we have a named centurion (Petronius), an entire attachment of guards, and also the scribes and elders also guarded the tomb!
In the canonical accounts there is a seal on the tomb, now in the Gospel of Peter there are seven seals.
In the canonical Gospels, the only people that acknowledge Jesus’s righteousness, the only people that defend him, are a criminal crucified with him and a Roman guard. But in the Gospel of Peter, the vindication is expanded and heightened so that the scribes, elders, and Pharisees all join in, publicly admitting their culpability in the death of a righteous person.
In the canonical accounts, angels are present at the empty tomb, but in the Gospel of Peter, the angels are the glorious entourage, escorting Jesus to heaven. And the text is clear: Jesus is not just another angel. The head of the angels reaches the heavens, but Jesus’ head surpasses the heavens!

So, the Gospel of Peter not only has a divine Christ but has, as David Wright describes it, “an exaggeratedly divine Christ.” And this explains the possible docetic overtones lurking around. Jesus is so divine, that the Gospel of Peter cannot imagine how he could suffer and die.

God and Man

Here’s where we come to the core issue. The Gospel of Peter demonstrates that one can have a very high Christology and still have a heretical Christology. This gospel is so focused on the divinity of Jesus, that it can hardly make room for the (full) humanity of Jesus.

And we all face this temptation. We can be so concerned to affirm and defend the full divinity of Jesus (which is a good thing), that we can, perhaps inadvertently, overlook his full humanity. After all, the average non-Christian we meet doesn’t need to be persuaded Jesus is a human. They likely already believe that Jesus is just a good human teacher. They need to be persuaded that Jesus is God.

But that wasn’t always the case in the ancient world. Some groups, like the Docetists, were quite convinced Jesus was God. Indeed, they were so convinced he was God, that they couldn’t imagine how he could really be human.

But the author of the book of Hebrews reminds us that Jesus’s humanity matters more than we think: “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death” (2:14).

In sum, the mistakes of the Gospel of Peter remind us that Jesus’s humanity is as essential to our salvation as his divinity. We can’t just have a divine Jesus. And we can’t just have a human Jesus. We need a Jesus that is both.

Is the New Testament Historically Reliable? My Conversation with Rebecca McLaughlin

Michael Kruger — Thu, 06 Mar 2025 11:51:09 GMT

I recently was a guest on Rebecca McLaughlin’s podcast, Confronting Christianity. We had a fun time discussing a wide range of issues related to the historical reliability of the New Testament, even delving a bit into my forthcoming Oxford volume, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity. Enjoy!

https://5mt.michaeljkruger.com/2025/03/6_3_mike_kruger.mp3

Sleeping with the Gospels

Michael Kruger — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 11:10:24 GMT

Not many Christians carry around Bibles anymore these days.

In my younger years, I can remember that it was standard fare to carry your Bible to church. Even in college, we would take our Bibles to the evening gathering of our campus fellowship. To have a worn, tattered Bible—due to regularly carrying it around in one’s backpack—was sort of a sign that one took their faith seriously.

Of course, those days are long gone. With the rise of modern technology, and the Bible’s ready availability on phones or tablets, the physical presence of a Bible book is becoming more and more rare. Yes, Christians still care about the content of the Bible (I hope), but seem less concerned with the physical presence of the Bible.

But it was not so in the early church.

Despite the fact that most Christians couldn’t read, and despite the fact that physical copies of the Bible were mainly the privilege of the wealthy, many Christians still took steps to acquire physical copies of the Scriptures (usually just portions thereof). Typically, these were small pocket-sized “books” or what scholars call miniature codices. These tiny books were often quite sophisticated and could have a surprising number of pages, sometimes containing entire Gospels, or other scriptural writings.

So, what would Christians do with these tiny scriptural books once they had them? Here’s where things get really interesting.

Wearing Scriptural Books

The most common way that Christians used these tiny books is that they wore them. In particular, they often wore them around their neck so the books would be clearly on visual display for anyone they might meet.

Such a practice was not uncommon among monks and ministers. The fourth-century hermit Amoun of Nitria, regulalry carried a codex around his neck from which he read “the words of the Apostle and the Savior.” Maximus, a disciple of the fourth-century Martin of Tours, hung a “book of the Gospels” (Evangeliorum libro) around his neck during his travels. Similarly, an early deacon named Euplus was martyred in Catania in 304 under the Governor Calvisianus with the “book of the Gospels” hung around his neck.

But it was not just men. Women and children were also known for wearing a Gospel around their necks. John Chrysostom tell us that “women and little children suspend Gospels from their necks as a powerful protection and carry them about in all places wherever they go” (Stat. 19.14).

So, why would Christians do this? What purpose would it serve to put Gospels on visual display?

No doubt one of the reasons was a mark of Christian identity. Since Christians had such a high view of their scriptural writings, they quickly became known as “people of the book,” so to speak. But not just any book. Christians were identified with the codex book format as opposed to the scroll which was often associated with Judaism.

So, to wear a tiny codex around one’s neck was basically a way of saying, “I’m a Christian.”

But that’s not all. Christians didn’t believe their scriptural books were merely identity markers. They also believed these books were the very “word of God” and therefore embodied the very power and presence of God. Thus, to wear a Gospel book was a way of bringing God’s presence with you.

Here’s the key point: while full-size codices would have still represented the spiritual presence of Christ, miniaturized codices would have made that presence even more personal—the wearer could now carry Christ with them on their body, take him on journeys, feeling his presence as the book dangled around their neck or touched their skin.

In short, the function of these tiny books indicates that early Christians had a very high view of Scripture.

Sleeping with Scriptural Books

The earliest Christians were so eager to be in the presence of their scriptural books—because the believed it was a way to draw near to God himself—that they did more than wear them. At night, they would sometimes take their Gospel book and hang it beside their bed, or even lay their book in bed with them. In short, they slept with the Gospels.

Why would Christians do this? Well, they figured that if God’s presence is manifested in his divine books, then God’s presence might protect them from dangers and illness. For example, Chrysostom tells us that hanging a Gospel book by one’s bed would help prevent one from suffering from demonic attack through dreams (Hom. 1 Cor. 43.7).

Augustine thought in a similar fashion. He argued that if a person has a headache, that they ought to put their Gospel book in bed with them, even under their head, so that the headache might go away (Tract. Ev. Jo. 7.12.1).

While we might not necessarily agree with all these ways that early Christians used books for healing and protection—which, at times, admittedly swings a bit too closely toward a “magical” use of books— we should not miss the larger theological and practical point. Christians viewed their books as so connected to the divine, that they believed those books could therefore do divine things.

Indeed, we have a number of stories in the early church of scriptural books accomplishing amazing feats. Such books were said to heal the sick, cure blindness, and even put out fires. While much in these stories is no doubt legendary, they do highlight the main point once again: early Christians had a very high view of their scriptural books.

Conclusion

This brief glimpse into early Christian textual culture has revealed a remarkable feature that tends to be overlooked. Christians didn’t merely read their books; they also carried their books, wore their books, and even slept with their books. They were so committed to the Scriptures, that they wanted to have them near at all times.

Of course, the application is not that modern Christians need to wear tiny books around their neck. Nor is the application even that Christians should always carry a physical copy of Scripture (though that would not be a bad thing). Rather the application is that modern Christians should ask whether they value the Scriptures in the same way as their early counterparts.

We are often told that modern Christians have a higher view of the Bible than ancient ones, and that modern Christians are merely reading their high view of Scripture back into the earliest sources. But the evidence here suggests otherwise. Indeed, the evidence suggests that the earliest Christians had as high a view of the Scriptures as one could have. They viewed the Scriptures as the embodiment of the very presence of God.

For more on miniature codices, keep an eye out for my forthcoming book with Oxford University Press: Miniature Codices in Early Christianity.

Returning to My First Love: My Exciting New Role at RTS

Michael Kruger — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 12:03:54 GMT

The other day I was telling my kids about how, many years ago, I used to sit in a pub named the Jolly Judge on cold winter days in Edinburgh, Scotland, tucked up close to a coal-burning fire and talking with my doctoral advisor Larry Hurtado about ancient Christian manuscripts.

We used to spend hours there, just reflecting upon the nature of early Christian texts, the role of the codex and nomina sacra, and how books were read and transmitted in the ancient Roman world.

Even as I told the story, I was reminded of how fortunate I was to study at a place like Edinburgh and with a scholar like Larry. I had all sorts of ideas about what research I wanted to do, and what aspects of early Christianity I wanted to explore. It was an exciting time of anticipation and expectation.

Having now been a faculty member at RTS for 23 years, I’m thankful that I have been able to write extensively about many of these issues I used to discuss with Larry: the NT canon, the transmission of the NT text, the textual-bookish nature of the early Christian movement, and other related topics. In fact, my latest book with Oxford University Press, Miniature Codices in Early Christianity, represents the culmination of many years of this type of research.

But there’s so much more I want to explore, and so little time to do it. Part of the limitation on my time, of course, has been my role as president of the Charlotte campus. When I first became I scholar, I never expected that I would be involved in academic administration and all that it entailed (including fundraising, donor relations, and beyond). But when I was asked to take on the president role in 2013, I was honored to do so, and I have been blessed to serve in this way for the last 12 years.

However, when Larry Hurtado passed away in 2019, it sparked a moment of reflection in me, and I began to realize that my passions really are (and have always been) about doing research and writing in the field of Christian origins. That’s not only what excites me the most, but where I think I can make the most lasting contribution to both the academy and the church.

For the last few years, I have continued to reflect upon this issue, and I finally decided it was time to make a change and return again to my first love. I approached Ligon Duncan and the RTS administration about my desires and they were wonderfully receptive and have worked hard to make this new position happen. I am so grateful.

So, I am excited to announce that as of June 1^st, I will become the Samuel C. Patterson Chancellor’s Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity. This will be a full-time post that will allow me to teach at multiple campuses across the RTS system (though I will continue to teach my two core classes in Charlotte) with a special focus on research and writing.

As I look forward to my new position, I also look back on my role as president with tremendous gratitude. God has done special things here in Charlotte. Over the last twelve years, RTS Charlotte has sent out more graduates into ministry than ever before. We have reached record highs in enrollment, started a new degree program in biblical counseling, launched the Center for Church Planting, raised essential funds for campus improvement, and gathered one of the finest faculties in the country. We now have alumni serving Christ on every inhabitable continent around the globe.

With the Charlotte campus in such a healthy place, it is thrilling for me, as a biblical scholar, to focus again on my academic passions. I have many projects in the hopper that I am excited to share with you in the months and years to come. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, here is the official RTS announcement released today:

_________________________________

Dr. Michael Kruger Appointed Chancellor’s Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS) is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael J. Kruger has been appointed the Samuel C. Patterson Chancellor’s Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity, effective June 1, 2025. After twelve years of dedicated service as President of RTS Charlotte, Dr. Kruger will transition from his administrative role to focus on teaching, research, and writing.

As Chancellor’s Professor, Dr. Kruger will serve as a full-time faculty member, teaching at multiple RTS campuses while continuing his significant contributions to biblical scholarship. A leading authority in the study of the New Testament, particularly the development of the New Testament canon, Dr. Kruger has authored fourteen books and is widely recognized for his work on the trustworthiness and reliability of Scripture. Beyond his work at the Charlotte campus, Dr. Kruger has served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society, the largest society of evangelical scholars in the world, and was recently selected to be one of the inaugural fellows for the Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics.

RTS Chancellor and CEO Dr. J. Ligon Duncan expressed his appreciation for Dr. Kruger’s leadership at RTS Charlotte. “I cannot overstate Dr. Kruger’s impact on RTS Charlotte. Under his leadership, the campus has flourished, growing in depth, reach, and academic strength. His faithfulness in shepherding students and faculty has been remarkable. When he came to me with a desire to return to his scholarly passions, I was thrilled to find a way for him to continue to serve RTS in an expanded academic role. His teaching and scholarship will bless not only RTS Charlotte but all of our campuses.”

Reflecting on his transition, Dr. Kruger shared, “It’s been an honor to serve as president these last twelve years, but I am beyond excited to have more time to devote to research, writing, and teaching. With the Charlotte campus in such a healthy place, I decided it was time to focus again on my academic passions, particularly the trustworthiness and reliability of Scripture. When I shared this desire with Ligon Duncan and the RTS administration, they graciously made way for me to serve RTS in this new role—the dream job I always hoped for.”

Dr. Robert Cara, RTS Provost, also affirmed Dr. Kruger’s new role, stating, “An RTS Chancellor Professor is one who is assigned to teach at multiple RTS campuses. I am excited to have Dr. Kruger continue teaching courses at RTS Charlotte but also to teach regularly at other RTS campuses. His dynamic teaching style informed by his significant scholarship has been and will be a blessing to students.”

RTS leadership is prayerfully considering the next President of RTS Charlotte and remains confident in the Lord’s provision for this vital role.