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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

  Lessons from the Melbourne Revival (1902)

  An Interview with Rob Nyhuis

  Kenneth Berding — March 17, 2025

  Ken Berding (KB): Thanks for being willing to be interviewed about your recent book, Global Revival: How a City’s Mission Catalysed a Worldwide...

• The Good Book Blog

  The Unimportance of Cool

  Kenneth Berding — March 10, 2025

  I’m not cool. Even the title of this post is uncool. At least I could have used a strong noun in my title like insignificance, or triviality or ...

• The Good Book Blog

  Luke was a Doctor, Barnabas had a Cousin: Nine Things We Wouldn’t Know without Colossians 4

  Kenneth Berding — February 17, 2025

  Here are nine things we wouldn’t know about Paul and his missionary team if Colossians 4 wasn’t in our Bibles. I’ll list them in the order they...

• The Good Book Blog

  Praying Big Prayers

  Kenneth Berding — February 12, 2025

  A few months ago I wrote about the value of praying small prayers. I’ve received significant spiritual encouragement thinking about and praying...

• The Good Book Blog

  Sharing Christ’s Sufferings

  Kenneth Berding — January 22, 2025

  There is a line in a well-known story of Jesus (Matt. 20:20-28) that often gets overlooked. James and John have just allowed their mommy to ask...

• The Good Book Blog

  Seven Favorite Christian Books of 2024

  Kenneth Berding — January 14, 2025

  Happy New Year to each of you! I hope that 2025 is a wonderful year for you, full of many moments when you experience God’s multifaceted grace. I...

• The Good Book Blog

  Misunderstanding Genre in Biblical Studies: A Summary of Recent Developments

  Kenneth Berding — December 27, 2024

  I just finished reading Andrew Judd’s new book, Modern Genre Theory: An Introduction for Biblical Studies. Judd’s goal was to introduce advanced...

• The Good Book Blog

  Joy to the World Isn’t a Christmas Song? Questioning an Urban Legend

  Kenneth Berding — December 24, 2024

  It has become trendy in recent years to publicly proclaim that Joy to the World was not originally written as a song about Christ’s First Coming,...

• The Good Book Blog

  Eleven Hindrances to Answered Prayer

  Kenneth Berding — December 11, 2024

  What are some of the most common hindrances to answered prayer? Not Asking for Anything: James 4:2b says, “You do not have, because you do not ask....

• The Good Book Blog

  What Would Happen if You Became a Christian? A Thought Experiment

  Kenneth Berding — December 04, 2024

  Let me invite you into a thought experiment. What if you became a Christian? What would change? I’m talking about an actual disciple of Jesus, not...

• The Good Book Blog

  Longings

  Kenneth Berding — November 25, 2024

  Yesterday (that is, on the day I’m writing this), I was walking alone in a lush forest, breathing in pristine air, listening only to the crunch of...

• The Good Book Blog

  Understanding Paul’s Veil Imagery in 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3

  Kenneth Berding — October 18, 2024

  What does the apostle Paul mean when he uses the word “veil” in 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3? For years I didn’t really understand 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:3...

• The Good Book Blog

  What are the Four Most Important Spiritual Disciplines?

  Kenneth Berding — October 02, 2024

  The four most important spiritual disciplines are: 1) scripture, 2) prayer, 3) church and 4) mission. No other spiritual disciplines rise to the...

• The Good Book Blog

  What was David’s Sin in Ordering a Census? A Possible Resolution of a Biblical Difficulty

  Kenneth Berding — September 18, 2024

  This morning I was reading in Exodus 30:11-16. (Yes, a passage that is sandwiched between instructions for the construction of the incense altar...

• The Good Book Blog

  Rekindling Passion for Prayer: Lessons from John Brainerd’s 1759 Journal

  Kenneth Berding — September 11, 2024

  Sometime during my upper teen years, I read the journal of David Brainerd (1718-1747), and like so many people before me was deeply influenced by...

• The Good Book Blog

  Writing Prayers for Others

  Kenneth Berding — September 09, 2024

  I recently turned 60. (I know, I don’t look a day over 65!) Trudi wanted to craft a special gift for my birthday. What a wonderful gift she...

• The Good Book Blog

  Six Biblical Emphases That Also Happen To Be Political

  Kenneth Berding — August 28, 2024

  Certain biblical themes are increasingly becoming political — at least in many people’s minds. But keep in mind that all six of the biblical themes...

• The Good Book Blog

  How Can I Become a Christian? Here’s a 1900-Year-Old Answer

  Kenneth Berding — August 21, 2024

  One of my favorite documents from the early church is “To Diognetus,” written sometime in the second century. We don’t know the identity of the...

• The Good Book Blog

  Prayer Postures in the Bible

  Kenneth Berding — July 31, 2024

  When I first started to learn how to pray on my own, I thought that I had to kneel when I prayed. Most of the people I had read about who were...

• The Good Book Blog

  Three Paragraphs I Wrote That Seemed to Offend a Lot of People

  Kenneth Berding — July 12, 2024

  Of all the things I have ever written, there are three consecutive paragraphs I once wrote that seem to have offended more people than anything...

• The Good Book Blog

  Extended Fasting: An Interview with Bill MacLeod

  Kenneth Berding — July 01, 2024

  Have you ever wondered about fasting for an extended period of time? Jesus, after all, fasted for 40 days in the Judean wilderness. I wrote a short...

• The Good Book Blog

  Was Paul’s Second Mother the Wife of the Man who Carried Jesus’ Cross? (Romans 16:13; Mark 15:21)

  Kenneth Berding — June 28, 2024

  If you connect a few historical dots, you may (as I did) find yourself thinking that Paul was friends with the son of Simon of Cyrene, the man who...

• The Good Book Blog

  Teenagers and Parental Hypocrisy: Seven Suggestions

  Kenneth Berding — June 25, 2024

  I raised four daughters. That is to say, together with my highly-committed and sensible wife, Trudi, I raised four daughters. I must admit, though,...

• The Good Book Blog

  Is New Testament Prophecy the Same as Preaching and Teaching?

  Kenneth Berding — June 12, 2024

  No. In the New Testament, prophecy is described as a revelation for a particular moment (1 Cor. 14:30). Preaching and teaching[1] is an exposition...

• The Good Book Blog

  Living a D’Vine Life in Christ (John 15:1-5)

  Kenneth Berding — May 22, 2024

  Yes, my title has a double meaning: The vine in John 15 is Christ, who is Divine, and we live life connection to the Vine. So one way to refer to...