Paul McCauley | Understanding the Gospel

Out of darkness (3)

It doesn’t have to be like this. Things can be different. The darkness can be dispelled.

Paul McCauley

Out of darkness (2)

Our sins can be forgiven, and all the stains washed away, but only if we are prepared to come to the light.

Paul McCauley

Out of darkness (1)

Jesus Christ has shone a light into the unknown and shown us what lies beyond the grave.

Paul McCauley

Defining Identity

We are image-bearers of God. That means that we have intrinsic worth . . . It also means we have transcendent purpose.

Paul McCauley

Accepted as you are . . . ?

God is for us and can be trusted, even if we don’t understand why He forbids what He forbids.

Paul McCauley

Christ is the Answer (3)

The amazing thing about God is that even though He knows us intimately and hates our sins infinitely, He still loves us indescribably.

Paul McCauley

Christ is the Answer (2)

Perhaps you think your sins are no big deal – nothing to worry about. You couldn’t be more wrong.

Paul McCauley

Christ is the Answer

Christ hasn't only made God known, He has made God knowable.

Paul McCauley

The wrath of a loving God

The opposite of wrath isn’t love; it is indifference.

Paul McCauley

World Peace

If [the gospel is] true then the kindest thing we can do is reach as many people as we can with this message.

Paul McCauley

The proof of God’s love?

Don’t put a question mark over God’s love for His Son; put an exclamation mark over His love for you.

Paul McCauley

Text test

The essential Christian beliefs are not affected by textual variants in the manuscript tradition of the New Testament.

Paul McCauley

The Relevance of the Resurrection

The resurrection shows that Jesus Christ is Lord. Therefore, we need to bow to His authority.

Paul McCauley

The Amen

Christ is the whole story, the full message, the entire picture, the complete revelation, and so God says, “Amen”.

Paul McCauley

The danger of niceness

The desire to be nice can morph into a need to be liked, which means we will not do or say anything that could be taken as being offensive.

Paul McCauley

What’s the difference? (Part five)

The God of Israel can be known personally

Paul McCauley

What’s the difference? (Part four)

I want to point out another distinctive feature of Israel’s God: The God of Israel intervened historically.

Paul McCauley

What’s the difference? (Part three)

In this series of articles we are investigating what makes the God of Israel different from the mythical gods of the other ancient cultures.

Paul McCauley

What’s the difference? (Part two)

In the last post I told you of a challenge put to me to show that the God of the Bible is different from the other ancient deities.

Paul McCauley

What’s the difference? (Part one)

I was recently asked why I thought the God of the Bible was any different from the gods of the surrounding nations.

Paul McCauley

Second Place for the Golden Rule?

The Golden Rule isn’t about making friends or getting followers. It’s about living for the blessing of others.

Paul McCauley

Pro-Life Logic

There are complicated circumstances relating to unwanted pregnancies, but the issue of abortion is not complicated.

Paul McCauley

What gives you the right?

I don’t think there has ever been a time when people have been more insistent on their “rights”, and when more has been done to demolish any foundation for those rights.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part seven)

I spoke to a man one day who believed that Mark 10:18 clearly shows that Jesus did not consider Himself to be God.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part six)

This text was brought up in a conversation I had recently with a Muslim.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part five)

Christ is the beginning of the creation of God in that He is the one who started it, not by being created but by being the creator.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part four)

Once again, a passage people run to in order to disprove the deity of Christ actually conclusively proves it.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part three)

Once again, a text that people point to undermine the deity of Christ actually undergirds it and identifies Him as the possessing the name and nature of Yahweh, the one true God.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part two)

Christ cannot and can never act independently of the Father because He shares the very same being and essence.

Paul McCauley

Defending the Deity of Christ (part one)

There are some passages that those who deny the deity of Christ point to in order to support their view. The first one is John 14:28.

Paul McCauley

A Fool’s Bet

The Bible has proven itself to get it right when it talks about the future. Don’t bet against it – the stakes are too high.

Paul McCauley

The Good Book? The Final Word

The attacks on the Bible will keep coming, and one reason for that is that the Bible isn’t going anywhere. It is “the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23).

Paul McCauley

Is the Bible ... weird?

The commands God gave in His law strike many today as … well, weird

Paul McCauley

Before you condemn, understand the context

A lot of people are in a hurry to condemn the God revealed in Scripture as cruel based on a shallow understanding of out of context passages.

Paul McCauley

Is the Bible a book for bigots?

Is the God of the Bible horrendously narrow-minded and bigoted?

Paul McCauley

Is the Bible guilty of misogyny?

The Bible has been charged with misogyny, i.e., “dislike of, contempt for, or ingrained prejudice against women”. This is a serious charge. Is the Bible guilty? Hardly. Let’s look at the facts.

Paul McCauley

Is the Bible's teaching on sex oppressive?

The Bible’s teaching on sex is not oppressive. It’s not cruel. It’s liberating and kind.

Paul McCauley

Does the Bible promote genocide?

Another subject that causes people to think the Bible is an immoral book is the slaughter of the Canaanites in the time of Joshua.

Paul McCauley

The Fear of Death and the Death of Fear

Someone has said that this world is a dangerous place – you won’t get out of it alive.

Paul McCauley

Is the Bible an evil book?

There is an increasing number of people who say that the Bible is an evil book and those who believe it are immoral.

Paul McCauley

Irrelevant Relevance

I was listening to a liberal theologian who was saying that if we want to be relevant to the society we have to stop insisting on scientific impossibilities like a bodily resurrection.

Paul McCauley

Them and Us

We live in a time when many people are obsessed with divisions.

Paul McCauley

A Call to Join the Resistance

Yes, 2020 has been hard, it has brought huge loss and heartbreak, but don’t bow to the tyrant’s demand to be miserable.

Paul McCauley

Christmas Saving

“Christmas” and “saving” aren’t words that we immediately link together. “Christmas” and “spending” or “Christmas” and “debt” seem to fit better, but really Christmas is all about saving.

Paul McCauley

Abraham & Isaac

Genesis 22 is a chapter that puzzles and offends many people. God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, Abraham is about to do it, then God steps in and stops it.

Paul McCauley

Why Didn’t He Say So? (Part 2)

If Jesus was God, then why not just say it?

Paul McCauley

Why Didn't He Say So? (Part 1)

Sometimes silence says a lot, and other times people read too much into it.

Paul McCauley

Joy and Peace

What do you really want? My guess is that the first answer that popped into your mind probably isn’t your real answer.

Paul McCauley

The Trinity – It Matters More Than You Think

The truth of the Trinity is more important and relevant than you could imagine.

Paul McCauley

The Way

Maybe you are feeling lost in life. Let’s think how Jesus is the way.

Paul McCauley

Is God Hiding?

“If God exists, why is He so secretive about it? Why not make it more obvious?”

Paul McCauley

What The Protests Profess

Many cities across the United States and around the world have been filled with people protesting following the tragic death of George Floyd.

Paul McCauley

All Together Now

The gospel takes things that naturally are divided and brings them together.

Paul McCauley

What is Faith?

I had a very frustrating discussion with someone recently about faith.

Paul McCauley

Because He Lives

I can face the past with all its regrets, I can face the present with all its trials, I can face the future with all its uncertainties, all because, only because, He lives.

Paul McCauley

A Matter of Death and Life

The Easter period is a time of reflecting on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul McCauley

Follow the Science. Save Lives.

The message that is being heralded daily from our government is that we need to pay attention to the scientific data regarding the coronavirus, and by following the science we will save lives.

Paul McCauley

Identity Crisis

I read in a newspaper recently that those who find their meaning in life in their work are going to find this period of lockdown to be very hard on their morale and self-esteem.

Paul McCauley

Perfect Peace at Such a Time

We are living in a crisis and many people are gripped with panic and fear. In the gospel, perfect peace is available – even at such a time as this.

Paul McCauley

Hard Times, Hard Truths

Hard times reveal hard truths. The panic-buying exemplifies the selfishness that ultimately drives us.

Paul McCauley

What A Waste?

I was recently in correspondence with an atheist who was commenting on the work of a Christian evangelist. He said it was so sad the man was wasting his life proclaiming a lie.

Paul McCauley

The Evangelism Explosion

I was listening recently to a New Testament scholar and critic of Christianity speaking in London about the historical reliability of the Gospels.

Paul McCauley

What God Has Joined ...

As you go back to Genesis you find that God has not only joined husbands and wives. There are other things He puts together that are not to be separated.

Paul McCauley

I Don't (Want To) Know

I was talking to an atheist friend of mine a while ago, and I asked him how he could account for reason if the only reality is physical reality.

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Move Ever Made

Moving house is ranked the third most stressful life event! You don’t do it unless you have to. But at Christmas we remember Christ moved house, and He didn’t have to.

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Mission Ever Accomplished

The birth of Jesus changed everything. History shows that the Christian message of God condescending to suffer for His creatures completely transformed the ethical atmosphere of the ancient world.

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Love Ever Shown

The idea of God loving us is very common amongst those who believe in the existence of God, but where do they get this belief from?

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Message Ever Declared

People think He is out of touch, cold, distant and uncaring. In the birth of Jesus Christ God speaks for Himself.

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Gift Ever Given

It’s the Christmas tradition that causes the most excitement for children (and anxiety for parents) – presents. So what makes a gift a good one?

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Person Ever Born

This baby in the manger is none less than “Christ, by highest heaven adored, Christ, the everlasting Lord.”

Paul McCauley

The Greatest Story Ever Told

The Creator entering into His creation to sacrifice Himself for His creatures – there is no story like it, but is it just a story, or is it true?

Paul McCauley

Who Do You Think You Are?

The theory of our culture is that you can make your own identity, and it doesn’t matter about your family, tribe or nation. That’s the theory anyway.

Paul McCauley

Respect

Robert told me he had attended a funeral recently, and while he was there he felt disrespected by the Christians.

Paul McCauley

What Sacrifice? Or What a Sacrifice!

I had an interesting conversation recently with an atheist who was unimpressed by the sacrifice of Christ. Maybe you feel the same way? Let’s ask a couple of questions about this subject.

Paul McCauley

Why Doing Good is No Good and Not Good

Step off the treadmill of works-based religion, and step into salvation by grace. It’s the only way salvation is possible, and the only way good works are possible too.

Paul McCauley

Thinking About Thinking

I had a very enjoyable conversation recently with a man who told me he didn’t believe in God. The reason he gave for his view was that he didn’t think there was any reason to believe in God.

Paul McCauley

Court is in Session

A lot of the best dramas are set in a courtroom. The biggest courtroom drama wasn’t written by John Grisham but by God Himself in the Bible.

Paul McCauley

A Matter of Taste or a Matter of Fact?

I had an interesting conversation recently with a very friendly lady who introduced herself to me as a Pagan/Wiccan, with a bit of Mormon thrown in.

Paul McCauley

More Good News About More Bad News

The gospel doesn't cater to our feel-good factor, massage our ego or cater to our pride. It tells us we are guilty, hell-deserving and helpless to do anything about it.

Paul McCauley

Picking and Choosing

Are Christians guilty of picking and choosing what miracles they believe in?

Paul McCauley

Simple, Not Easy

Before we can be in a right relationship with God we need to give up our self-centredness and our self-righteousness.

Paul McCauley

Do You Need Your Head Examined?

I recently heard a very angry man on the radio denounce all believers in God as being mentally ill.

Paul McCauley

Two Simple Facts – One Startling Truth

The cornerstone of Christianity is the resurrection of Christ – if it happened, Christianity is true; if it didn’t, it isn’t.

Paul McCauley

The Good News About The Bad News

There's nothing good about God's judgment, is there?

Paul McCauley

Extraordinary Claims require Extraordinary Evidence? OK then.

We often hear from atheists that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

Paul McCauley

Paul McCauley's Blog

Out of darkness (3)

Out of darkness (2)

Out of darkness (1)

Defining Identity

Accepted as you are . . . ?

Christ is the Answer (3)

Christ is the Answer (2)

Christ is the Answer

The wrath of a loving God

World Peace

The proof of God’s love?

Text test

The Relevance of the Resurrection

The Amen

The danger of niceness

What’s the difference? (Part five)

What’s the difference? (Part four)

What’s the difference? (Part three)

What’s the difference? (Part two)

What’s the difference? (Part one)

Second Place for the Golden Rule?

Pro-Life Logic

What gives you the right?

Defending the Deity of Christ (part seven)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part six)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part five)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part four)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part three)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part two)

Defending the Deity of Christ (part one)

A Fool’s Bet

The Good Book? The Final Word

Is the Bible ... weird?

Before you condemn, understand the context

Is the Bible a book for bigots?

Is the Bible guilty of misogyny?

Is the Bible's teaching on sex oppressive?

Does the Bible promote genocide?

The Fear of Death and the Death of Fear

Is the Bible an evil book?

Irrelevant Relevance

Them and Us

A Call to Join the Resistance

Christmas Saving

Abraham & Isaac

Why Didn’t He Say So? (Part 2)

Why Didn't He Say So? (Part 1)

Joy and Peace

The Trinity – It Matters More Than You Think

The Way

Is God Hiding?

What The Protests Profess

All Together Now

What is Faith?

Because He Lives

A Matter of Death and Life

Follow the Science. Save Lives.

Identity Crisis

Perfect Peace at Such a Time

Hard Times, Hard Truths

What A Waste?

The Evangelism Explosion

What God Has Joined ...

I Don't (Want To) Know

The Greatest Move Ever Made

The Greatest Mission Ever Accomplished

The Greatest Love Ever Shown

The Greatest Message Ever Declared

The Greatest Gift Ever Given

The Greatest Person Ever Born

The Greatest Story Ever Told

Who Do You Think You Are?

Respect

What Sacrifice? Or What a Sacrifice!

Why Doing Good is No Good and Not Good

Thinking About Thinking

Court is in Session

A Matter of Taste or a Matter of Fact?

More Good News About More Bad News