Matt Perman

Matt Perman is the director of career navigation at The King’s College NYC, a blogger, and an author.

Here's What's Often Missing When We Speak of the Final Judgment As Being According to Works

I agree that the final judgment is according to works. We are justified—made right with God and given a title to heaven—by faith alone apart from works. This faith, though, always and necessarily leads to good works, such that at…

Why Sound Doctrine Leads to Effective Action for Good

Why Sound Doctrine Leads to Effective Action for Good

I talked this morning at our Friday morning chapel on why sound doctrine grounds and leads to effective action for good. I asked six questions in my message: First, does the Bible teach this—that is, does the Bible teach that…

Christians Are to Be Proactive in Doing Good

As I prepare for my seminar Friday at our National Conference on “Rethinking Productivity in Light of Justification by Faith Alone,” I'm realizing that a lot of things in my preparation probably won't make it into the actual seminar. Here's…

The Problem with "Give in Order to Get"

Prosperity teachers sometimes teach that if we give, God will in turn give back more to us than we have given. This, then, becomes an incentive to give and a subtle way of advocating the idea that "God wants you…

Why I Pray for the Economy

I pray for the economy at all times, not just times of crisis, because as Christians we are to wish for and seek the welfare of others. There are few things that have more impact on the welfare of large…

Objections to Making It Free

There has been a good discussion on my article “Make It Free.” It inspired me to address some of the main objections I often hear against my perspective that media ministries should post everything online, for free, without…

Make It Free

Improving Online Effectiveness by Removing All Barriers to Accessing and Sharing Content

If you are a Christian media ministry, I commend to you the following vision for maximizing your effectiveness online: Post all of your content online, for free, without requiring registration, in a maximally usable interface.

Historical Evidence for the Resurrection

The historical evidence for the resurrection of Christ is very good. Scholars such as William Lane Craig, J.P. Moreland, Gary Habermas, and others have done an especially good job of detailing that evidence.1 It is the aim of this…

God Is Happy

So often we think of God as non-enthusiastic or even gloomy. The exact opposite is true: He loves to be God, He takes great pleasure in all that He does, and He is enthusiastic about serving His people and working…

Does 2 Peter 2:1 Deny Effectual Atonement?

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves While this is a…

How Can Jesus Be God and Man?

Jesus Christ is both fully divine and fully human, yet one person.

Does God Choose Who Will Be Saved?

John Piper discusses the doctrine of election and the hope that it gives for missions and evangelism.

What Does Piper Mean When He Says He’s a Seven-Point Calvinist?

Historically, there are only five points of Calvinism, so what are the extra two?

What Approach Should I Take When Others Seem Opposed to Christian Hedonism?

With the presentation of almost any doctrine, there will usually be some people in whom the truths do not seem to take root Sometimes it may be because they are closed to learning something new in a particular area. Other…

Does DG Recommend Any Distance Education Programs?

Moving to another city for seminary and spending several years as a full-time student might not be feasible, or wise, for some. As a result, there are many good distance learning programs that have recently come into existence. We would…

What Is the Role of a Deacon?

The basic meaning of Greek word group behind the English translation "deacon" (diakon-) suggests the notion of service and servanthood (John 2:5; Romans 15:8; Matthew 20:26; Luke 10:40; Acts 11:29; 12:25), especially in regard to providing practical help…

What Is the Role of an Elder?

According to the New Testament, elders are responsible for the primary leadership and oversight of a church. The function and role of an elder is well summarized by Alexander Strauch in his book Biblical Eldership: “Elders lead the church…

Do You Believe a Church Should Be Governed by One Elder or Several?

We believe the New Testament teaches that there is to be a plurality of elders. This means that a church is not to have unitary leadership where only one man has ultimate authority Instead, a church is to have "shared…

What Happens at Death?

What Happens at Death?

Death ushers us directly into either heaven or hell, so let us look to Christ for salvation.

What Does John Piper Believe About Dispensationalism, Covenant Theology, and New Covenant Theology?

There are three main theological camps on the issues of law gospel, and the structuring of God’s redemptive relationship with humankind: dispensationalism, covenant theology, and new covenant theology. Many have written to us asking about the differences between these three…

Does the Bible Permit Birth Control?

Desiring God and Bethlehem Baptist Church have no formal position on birth control, but John Piper and most of the pastors on staff believe that non-abortive forms of birth control are permissible. The Bible nowhere forbids birth control, either explicitly…

What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

What Is the Doctrine of the Trinity?

What does the Bible teach about the Trinity? How is it not a contradiction for God to be both three and one?

What Does John Piper Think About the TNIV?

John Piper signed the Statement of Concern about the TNIV Bible. In a recent interview with World magazine, he stated many of his reasons In a nutshell, my view of the English language Bible translation enterprise is that the…

Did Jesus Teach Pacifism?

The attacks of September 11 and the resulting war against terrorism have brought to the front once again the question of the Christian view of war. The question is particularly complex because it is hard to see how war can…

What Is the Biblical Evidence for the Imputation of Adam’s Sin?

The doctrine of the imputation of Adam's sin means that when Adam first sinned, that sin (and its blame) was rightly regarded by God to be our sin as well. John Piper writes The problem with the human race is…

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