About Dr. Paul Ellis
As a pastor and a professor, I worked six days a week and preached on Sundays. Eventually I crashed and burned. Forced to rest, I learned something about grace and began writing a blog called Escape to Reality (E2R). Sharing grace treasures with people is now my passion and full-time occupation.
Why do I write?
I write so that you may know that there is no bad news in the good news, and that life without Jesus is like a frame without a picture.
Life isn’t about keeping the rules or pleasing the boss or paying the bills. Real life is the adventure of learning who you truly are – a dearly-loved child of God.
If you want to revel in the extravagant wastefulness of your Father’s love, you’ve come to the right place. If you want to learn how to walk in the freedom of God grace, I encourage you to become an email subscriber (it’s free).
What else?
I’m a born and bred Cantabrian (NZ) who grew up in the great state of Western Australia. I’ve lived in Asia and California and I now live in Auckland. If you’re interested, you can keep up with my news on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Goodreads. I’ve written briefly about my grace journey here.
Camilla is my first, best and last wife. We were married in 1999 and each year has been better than the last. We have four amazing kids.
If you would like to support my work, read this.
If you want to invite me to speak, preach, or do an interview, read this.
My books on grace have been published in a dozen languages and won awards. If you want to translate my books, read this. If you want to pick my brains on how to become a semi-successful self-publisher, I have compiled some notes and resources here.
These days I spend most of my time curating the Grace Commentary, unpacking words for the Grace Glossary, and occasionally releasing installments of The Grace Bible.
If you’re looking for a short bio or photo you can use in your newsletter or magazine, go here.
You can contact me here.
About Escape to Reality
E2R went live on 5 February, 2010. Published articles are indexed by scripture and subject. Check out the archives or use the search boxes in the sidebar and footer of this page.
E2R is a reader-funded website. If you like what you see and want more, I encourage you to sign up on Patreon. Not only will you help the good news of grace reach more people, you’ll also get exclusive access to bonus materials, study notes, ebooks, and forthcoming book chapters.
What am I working on now? Read the latest article to find out.
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26 Comments on About Dr. Paul Ellis
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Escape to Reality 
Hi Paul hope you are well 🙂 just wondered which fellowship you and your family are a part of locally?
I’m moving to the north island soon and wondered if there was maybe a network of new covenant churches you were involved in or across nz
Any help this way would be much appreciated
P.s. are there many Avondale spiders on the scene they look a bit boss !
All the best Luke
Which part of the North Island? If it’s not Auckland you might want to put your question on E2R’s FB page and see what comes back.
Were going to start off in Gisborne on the east coast but if that doesn’t work out with work ,it will be auckland or Christchurch. If I’m in Auckland for any significant time it would be great to meet up. This site was a go to for me when I was struggling with receiving the grace that was there all along and I’ve benefitted loads from it !
Enjoy reading your blog
Tonite I came across ur blog, if I ever needed grace as bad as I ever have, it’s tonight! I will share more later as I read your books. All I can say is I’ve been so depressed for 20+ years, with not feeling love from God but condemnation. Wouldn’t this be a blessing in disguise? I believe it may be! Satan loves to mess me up with hell bound issues, and have Christians and others (preachers) believe we can loose our salvation and I’m tired of feeling condemned! Help me Lord to know the truth! Eternally secure!!! Is where I want to be!
Not sure where to do this, but wanted to thank you for the free book to give. Have it to my neighbor who says he is an atheist and his significant other who says she is a Christian. The picures first caught his attention enough to look through it. Then I know he is reading it because I get question after question. A true door opener! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that, Patty.
Hi Paul, I did “the gospel in 20 questions” with my Bible study group of ladies. They loved it! Now I’m looking for one of your other books to share. Recommendation?
I’m delighted to hear that. Thanks Joyce. How about The Gospel in Ten Words?
I like your inturpritation of the good news the gospel of Jesus Christ. I believe it is a true interpretation. Vic
Hi paul, nice book..
Thank you..
I just want to ask as well, regarding the doctrine of “Once save always save”?
Do believe in that?
Cause as what Ive understood this book “the Gospel in ten words”
That our salvation is because of Jesus alone, and after we’ve become save we become sanctified already 100percent, because of Jesus’ account.
Second question paul is, sjnce Jesus already died for everyone, is automatic that everyone in this world has been save already, so as you said jn your book that Gospel should not threatening people about hell, and requiring them to do this and do that, so they’ll be save.
Is that mean that we don’t have do tell the people to Repent, surrender their lives to Jesus as their Lord and saviour, as you also said gospel is not about we accept God, but rather we are already accepted by God..?
Last question? Or if you don’t believe in once saved always save and automatic salivation for everyone..
Then that means people may still lose their salavation after being saved?
How’s that possible?
Thank you so much Paul.
Hope you can make this clear to me…
God bless you.
Hi Rolando. We all need to repent and put our faith in Jesus, as the Bible says. The Good News is we are already loved and accepted by God, but we need to respond to his love. This is the ministry of reconciliation that Paul preached. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them… We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Cor 5:19-20). Salvation comes when we call on the name of the Lord, so not everyone is saved. I have written extensively on the eternal security of the believer. You can find relevant articles in the Archives and a list of scriptures on the Resources page. I’m glad you enjoyed the book.
Just came across your blog? this morning while studying Heb. 12:6 about scourging, which lead me to reading more.
Thank you paul for your articles mostly about confession,i was searching about it and you are a blessing to me,am ken from kenya and i now understand well about Gods grace and forgiveness,am enlightened and countinue on and may God be with you,,shalom
I also loved the Narnia books. Lewis was a prophet.
Brother paul thank you! I could never have imagined the way you say God is all the time. Thank you for the A.D 70 book Im starting to read it with great hope. May Daddy continue to bless you!
what will happen to a non christian who takes communion
What happens to a none Christian who hears the gospel? The answer to my question is the answer to yours.
U say and explain the truth very simply.Keep on. I dont know if u heard of Dan Mohler. Look him up. He is a humble man who gives the truth of redemption and our ID like no other with great simplicity. Just to give example : offenses will come but we don’t have to get offended or be hurt. Instead we can hurt for offenders and interceed for them because obviously they don’t know who they r otherwise they would not be nasty. We r born again and we have Christ nature and back to image of God. We were not created with anger envy. These belong to fallen Adam. We desperate ourslfs from fallen man an Satan by acknowledging who we r in Christ on other words renewing our perspective to Gods. This is just one example of Dan teaching. He is from USA but I found on website from Czech republic as I was searching for the truth instead religion
Saludos y bendiciones desde Venezuela! 🙏🕊️
Gracias por tan bella y elevada misión, soy nuevo suscriptor estoy llenándome con toda la sabiduría que encuentro aquí, me edifica mucho.
Gracias, felicidades y bendiciones!
Aquí la traducción con Google translator espero se entienda:
Swap to Spanish
Here the translation with Google translator I hope you understand:
Greetings and blessings from Venezuela! 🙏🕊️
Thank you for such a beautiful and high mission, I am a new subscriber and I am filled with all the wisdom that I find here, it builds me up a lot.
Thank you, congratulations and blessings!
Hi Paul,
I’m already a subscriber. I work with refugees & find that I constantly need a good theology of suffering.
I recently was reading the story of Job & got stuck over verse 2:10…
Any chance you’d like to write something on that and the verses after it? It kind of reminds me of some of the teaching of Merlin R. Carothers, on Praising/thanking God for suffering…. not sure you can thank God for rape/torture etc!
I’m trying to de-tangle myself theologically and will keep reading your blog and delving into the bible personally… But just wondered if you had thoughts on those particular verses.
Many thanks brother!
Job 2:10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
This is a classic line from Job, and it’s much like what he said when he blamed God for robbing him and killing his kids in Job 1:21. Let us be clear: God is not the author of evil. I know there were some in the Old Testament who thought he was, but they were wrong. Jesus said so. “No one has seen the Father except the one he sent.”
One scripture says God incited David to number the Israelites, while another says Satan did it. God is not the devil, even if some people think he is. God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.
But what about the second part of that verse where it says, “Job did not sin in what he said.” By his own admission, Job spoke foolishly – like the foolish woman he mocked. “Therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes” (Job 42:6). Why would Job do that if he had not sinned?
The book of Job records the words of a man in great pain. He says some terrible but understandable things. So why does the Bible say he didn’t sin, before recording all the times that he did?
As I explain in this article, this apparently contradictory claim points to the grace of a good God who does not hold our sins against us and who speaks to our identity from the realm of eternity. Job was no more blameless than Gideon was a mighty warrior. Yet Job became blameless and Gideon became mighty because of a God who calls things that are not as though they are.
The story of Job is not about how God causes or employs suffering; it’s about how God’s grace can call us out of the depths.
I have been so blessed to not only read the content in your articles..but even the responses in you comment section.
Hi Paul, can you explain to me the parable of the sower and does it contradict eternal security
Hi Paul,
Today I Just finished read your book “Hyper Grace Gospel” and realized that this the book that I looking-for to answer my Question about The True Grace of Jesus. The way you answer Dr Brown missperception and missunderstanding really opened my eyes about what Grace is all about. thank you… GBU
John
Indonesia
Dear Dr Paul am part of a small group that believe in the grace of God and the finished work of the cross. I have been searching the net for an opportunity to study more the grace of God, thank God I found you. can I humbly learn more about grace.