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
Prayer or Sleep? Which is More Important?
Kenneth Berding — April 22, 2025
Last night before going to bed I asked my wife an unusual question, “Should I get up at my normal 6am time and take my regular prayer walk followed...
The Good Book Blog
“And They Are Crucifying Him” (Mark 15:24)
Kenneth Berding — April 18, 2025
I opened my Greek Bible this morning (that is, the day I originally wrote this) simply to read God’s Word. I looked down at the first three words...
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,...