by Baruch A. Levine

The author relates today’s concept of endurance to how it was demonstrated in the Hebrew Bible. For example, he uses Deut 4:3–4 to show how the Israelites who remained loyal to the Covenant with YHWH were not seduced by Baal-Peor, the Moabite deity. There are many interesting examples of how the Old Testament Israelites demonstrated faithful endurance.

by Kevin Yoho

How do the actions of a local, inner city church square with the concept of endurance? They do if the subject is Mission Endurance. Here are the experiences of a pastor whose church had endured but was facing new unpleasant realities. Successful endurance often requires new thinking. Here is how one church overcame the revered dying past to establish a new future.

by Cleotha Robertson

The two Biblical characters who most represent the idea of endurance are Job and Jesus. Who does not sympathize with Job—set upon by the devil, abandoned by his friends and seemingly by God? Jesus, tested by Satan, and constantly attacked by the religious community showed endurance that could have come only from God.

by Alice Ogden Bellis

While neither Hosea 12:7-9 nor Romans 1:24-25 refers directly to addiction, the problems associated with it can be teased out of Hosea’s historical context. Other parts of Hosea deal with idolatry, as do the focal verses in Romans. The powerful connections among idolatry, addiction, economics, and politics constitute a serious malady today, that could also be observed in biblical times.

by Sang Meyng Lee

The Gospel of Mark concentrates on how Jesus fulfilled the role of the suffering servant on his journey to the cross. It is a crucial irony that Jesus is not only the suffering servant, but he is also the Son of God. The true disciple understands this irony in relation to Jesus’ identity.

by Jae Won Lee

Human beings are born out of relationships, live in relationship to others, and are remembered through those relationships. Christian discipleship urges us to return to the foundational relationship between Jesus and his disciples, to reflect upon it in our social locations, and embody it in our daily life.

by Moses O. Biney

In an era of cultural and religious diversity and transnationalism, how can faithful discipleship accommodate or at least co-exist with cultural and religious differences? This perennial question calls for new answers, and this article is a move in that direction.

by Charlie Self

As we aim to love God and do God’s work in the world, we need a new vision of what it means to “make disciples.” This flourishing life described by Moses and Micah, Jesus and the Apostle Paul, is not merely a set of rules or series of programs. A flourishing life of love will grow, as we understand the outcomes of walking with the Lord.

by Pamela Dilmore

The author notes that we are called to make disciples—to inspire, and to encourage others to follow Jesus, and to live according to his teachings. She wonders if we take the call to “make disciples” for granted and points out that in the Greek New Testament, words translated as “disciple,” have constellations of meaning that revolve around following, learning, and teaching. This is a tall order; this is our calling!

by Al Bunis

Since the term “super” is often misused today, describing God as having superabundance, may not have the impact originally intended. However, connecting superabundance to Reformed depictions of both God and humankind may be a good place to start.

by Chris Shelton

“Jesus said: “Let’s take the boat out into deeper waters.” So out they go and then toss their nets into the depths. Suddenly, their nets are full to the point of breaking…. But the story doesn’t end here, for Discipleship begins not when they haul in the abundance–but when they leave it all behind and follow him.

by Henry W. Morisada Rietz

This article examines a debate within the Biblical wisdom tradition, which derives its truths by observing the natural and social world. While many sayings in Proverbs portray the world as operating by the principles of cause and effect, the Teacher in Ecclesiastes charges the reader to experience the superabundance in our daily lives.