Posts by Kenneth Berding

Kenneth Berding

Kenneth Berding is a professor of New Testament at Talbot School of Theology. He is an author of various books, some academic (such as Polycarp and Paul), some semi-academic (such as What Are Spiritual Gifts? Rethinking the Conventional View), others for-the-classroom (such as Sing and Learn New Testament Greek or The Apostolic Fathers: A Narrative Introduction), and still others for-the-church (such as Walking in the Spirit or Bible Revival: Recommitting Ourselves to One Book). He has published articles in such journals as the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Vigiliae Christianae, New Testament Studies, and Journal of Early Christian Studies. He is the director of . Before coming to Talbot, Berding was a church planter in the Middle East and taught at Nyack College just north of New York City. He has a heart for God and ministry, has written many worship songs, and has served as a worship pastor in local church ministry.

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The Good Book Blog
What is Over-Realized Eschatology? What’s the Problem with it?
Kenneth Berding — May 17, 2023
Over-realized eschatology is the assumption that all or most of what God has prepared for his people in the future can be experienced by God’s...
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Is the Christian Life Primarily Intense or Primarily Relaxed?
Kenneth Berding — May 05, 2023
Should the Christian life primarily be viewed as intense (focused, passionate), or primarily as relaxed (peaceful, trusting)? Trudi and I regularly...
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One Day of Walking in the Spirit
Kenneth Berding — April 24, 2023
What does it practically look like to walk in the Spirit? There is a short passage in my book, Walking in the Spirit , in which I try to imagine...
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“Greet One Another with a Holy Kiss”? (Q&A)
Kenneth Berding — April 14, 2023
Four times the Apostle Paul instructs his readers to greet each other with a holy kiss (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; cf. 1...
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Gossip: The Inside Scoop
Kenneth Berding — April 07, 2023
Can I tell you a secret? You have to promise not to tell anyone. I know some details about Gossip that you might find interesting. I’m sure,...
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Polycarp’s Final Days and Martyrdom
Kenneth Berding — March 27, 2023
One of the most famous Christians in history — and, truly, one of my historical heroes — was an early Christian named Polycarp. Polycarp ministered...
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Dramatic Drop in Bible Reading: Why?
Kenneth Berding — March 15, 2023
In 2011, the percentage of Americans who “used the Bible at least 3-4 times on their own, outside of a church setting” was around 50%. Again in...
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What was Paul’s “Thorn in the Flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7)?
Kenneth Berding — March 06, 2023
Paul’s thorn in the flesh was some sort of unusual, long-term, intermittent, stabbing, face pain that was viewed by others as shameful and the...
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Should We Translate τέλος (telos) as “End Goal” in Romans 10:4?
Kenneth Berding — February 24, 2023
Recently, I was teaching a class session ( Life & Letters of Paul ) when a student asked me to define the word τέλος (telos) in Romans 10:4...
The Good Book Blog
What is Christian Revival? Three Resources to Help You Understand Revival
Kenneth Berding — February 16, 2023
A Christian revival is a moment in history when 1) the hearts of many of God’s people are awakened to greater love and commitment to Christ, 2)...
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Joy
Kenneth Berding — February 03, 2023
“What are the joy-stealers? Why do so many of us struggle with joy?” I often ask my students this question when we open the book of Philippians. “...
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Based
Kenneth Berding — January 30, 2023
Last semester a young college friend challenged me (dared me?) to try to use the contemporary slang word “based” during one of my college class...
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Does an Elder Have to be “Able to Teach?” (1 Timothy 3:2)
Kenneth Berding — January 23, 2023
Yes. An elder has to be “able to teach.” It is one of the qualifications for becoming an elder. However, “able to teach” in 1 Timothy 3:2 may not...
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Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2022
Kenneth Berding — January 04, 2023
I read a lot of helpful Christian books this past year, but here are my seven favorites. Surprisingly, I read the first five before the end of...
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My Three Least Favorite “Christmas” Playlist Songs
Kenneth Berding — December 14, 2022
I dislike playing the part of the Grinch, but can we as Christians admit that there are some really awful “Christmas” songs that have become...
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What is “Contextualization?” What is “Syncretism?”
Kenneth Berding — December 07, 2022
Contextualization is putting the gospel into cultural forms that are easier for recipients to understand and receive without changing the...
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How to Change a Prayer Worrier into a Prayer Warrior
Kenneth Berding — November 11, 2022
Are you a “prayer worrier” or a “prayer warrior”? What’s the difference? prayer worriers only pray about things that they’re worried about. The...
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A Biblical Spectrum of Guidance from God (From Clearest to Least Clear)
Kenneth Berding — November 07, 2022
What if we were to plot biblical examples of the leading of the Spirit on a continuum from clearest communication to least clear? That’s what I...
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Reclaiming the Language of “Temptation” in Christian Discussions of Human Sexuality
Kenneth Berding — November 03, 2022
I recently sat in (yet another) seminar about how to counsel Christians [1] who are tempted toward same-sex sexual activity or tempted to embrace a...
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What Does “As the Deer Pants for the Water” Mean (Psalm 42:1)?
Kenneth Berding — October 20, 2022
I used to love Psalm 42. I still do. But now it’s for a slightly different reason. When I was younger, I often quoted the first words of the Psalm...
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Perseverance and Apostasy
Kenneth Berding — October 12, 2022
Dr. Dongsu Kim recently published a valuable (and very large!) book entitled Perseverance and Apostasy in the New Testament: Unpacking the Dynamic...
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Personas, Platforms, and Profits
Kenneth Berding — September 21, 2022
51�� a year ago I spent a couple hours talking with my long-time friend, Adam Day (a professor at Tyndale Seminary in Amsterdam, the Netherlands),...
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The Chronicler Teaches Us What it Means to “Seek” the Lord
Kenneth Berding — September 14, 2022
I recently stumbled upon a delightful biblical discovery while doing a word search on the word “seek.” I discovered that the most common place in...
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Wordle or God’s Word?
Kenneth Berding — September 07, 2022
What is the average amount of time it takes to solve a Wordle puzzle? I can’t locate any hard data on this question, but a guy who wrote a computer...
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What is a “Stronghold”? (2 Corinthians 10:4-5)
Kenneth Berding — August 31, 2022
“We pray against this stronghold…” Have you ever heard someone utter this line in prayer — or have you uttered it yourself? If you have ever used...