People will not remember how you began in ministry, but they will remember how you ended.

If there is one lesson we should never forget it is this: a person can be gifted, called and even anointed, but lack the character to support that calling. Consider the many pastors and Christian leaders who had to leave the ministry because of moral, spiritual or ethical lapses. Or, they might have abused their authority and mistreated those around them. How they ended will be remembered.

This year’s conference may be our most important conference yet. The title of this year’s conference is “City of God, City of Man,” which comes from Augustine’s extensive treatise The City of God, a lengthy work that explains how we live in two realms—heavenly and earthly. It was written in the early 5th century AD at a time when Christianity was being blamed for the decline of Rome and misrepresented by its pagan foes. (Not a lot has changed in 16+ centuries!)

Is it ever morally right to tell someone something that is not the truth? Is it ever right to give misinformation? These questions arise when considering the biblical commandments against lying and deception (Ps. 34:13; 119:163; Prov 12:22; Mk 7:22, Eph 4:22; Col 3:9; 1 Pet 3:10), juxtaposed with certain instances where deceptive strategies were employed (Josh 8:2, 6; Ex 3:8, 18; 1 Sam 16:2). To arrive at a conclusion that aligns with the entirety of Scripture, we must delve into the complexities of lying, deception, and dishonesty. In this brief article, we will explore various scenarios, biblical principles, and ethical considerations to shed light on the moral obligations we have in matters of communication.

Some time ago I was sitting across the lunch table with two graduates of the school of theology where I teach (Talbot School of Theology, Biola University) who were on the pastoral staff of a church in the area. They had brought a couple from their church to lunch that day—the couple wanted to discuss their ongoing problem with infertility. They had been trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant for the past 2 years. As they had their problem checked out by their physician, they came to understand that the reason for their infertility was that the man was sterile, producing no sperm. It turned out that he had had the mumps as a child and it was not treated properly, and sterility resulted. This turned the lunchtime into quite a counseling opportunity since his wife blamed him for their inability to become pregnant. As she put it, “We can’t have children and it’s his fault!”

The Economist is one of the most influential periodicals in the world, and each year they come out with a special volume titled: “The Year Ahead.” Looking into 2022, they highlighted an article titled: The Church of England’s God is becoming more liberal. An on-line version of the article is titled, “Nearer my God to me.” The author of the article is Catherine Nixey, a British correspondent.

The purpose of ethics is godward—to obey, honor, and glorify God. Indeed, even in a secular world, that which is ethical must point to what is good, beautiful, and true. The problem facing the secularist, however, is an unclear starting point: Where do ethics begin? What defines truth? How do we know if something is good or if something is wicked?

Though I’ll be addressing the question of Canaanite warfare at the next Shepherds 360 Conference in October and in my book Is God a Vindictive Bully (Baker Academic, Oct. 2022)—which also addresses this and many other Old Testament difficulties—I thought I would give a foretaste of things to come in this blog post.

Mark Driscoll, James MacDonald, Bill Hybels, Ravi Zacharias, Catholic priests, numerous well-known Southern Baptist pastors. Never has more attention been given to the lack of integrity and virtue in those who are supposed to be spiritual protectors and nurturers. And the disqualifying sins run the gamut of sexual immorality to abuse of power to financial indiscretions.

Have you ever seen someone say online or heard someone say in person, “She’s a false teacher,” or “He’s a heretic?”

I’ve seen the claim made on social media about Christian leaders and Bible teachers more times than I can count over the last few years. I’ve always just chalked it up to evangelicalism’s “taking all sorts.” But occasionally, when I see a friend or acquaintance echo an accusation, I lean in.

Yes, Christians have their differences, but we also have greater differences between us and the world. Among the many differences, here is one we should not overlook: that is, we speak the truth of God’s Word and “We have renounced disgraceful and underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s Word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God” (II Corinthians 4:2).