Articles by Paul Ellis

Jesus – pioneer of women’s education

July 9, 2020 // 12 Comments

These days more women than men enrol in higher education, but it wasn’t always this way. Women did not begin studying at university in Britain until 1869. In the US, the first college to admit women was Oberlin College, in 1837. The University of Bologna in Italy was reputedly the first in the world to teach [...]

Are women more easily deceived?

July 1, 2020 // 34 Comments

Here’s a great question for your next Bible Study class: Why do female witches outnumber male witches twenty to one? Strange question? King James didn’t think so. When he wasn’t overseeing the production of the Bible that bears his name, James was torturing women he believed were witches. James was obsessed [...]

50 fictional fathers

June 20, 2020 // 39 Comments

For many people around the world, but not me, this Sunday is Fathers’ Day. This gives me an opportunity to do something I enjoy: make a list. Below is a list of 50 fictional fathers. It wasn’t an easy list to make. Initially I wanted to list 50 great dads, men like Atticus Finch and John Walton. But I [...]

“The Blessing” – 2020’s unofficial anthem

June 17, 2020 // 27 Comments

The Blessing Phenomenon may be the best thing that’s happened in a bad year. It has brought comfort to millions and unity to the church – just when we needed it. What is “The Blessing”? It’s a worship song with lyrics straight out of the Bible. You may have seen versions of this song on social [...]

Last chance to get “The Good Shepherd”

June 11, 2020 // 4 Comments

Hi friends, Just a gentle reminder that you have one day remaining to take advantage of our special offer. “What special offer?” Sign up as a patron before this weekend and you will receive my latest ebook, “Henry Moorhouse’s ‘The Good Shepherd’.” My book introduces the Victorian boy preacher, Henry [...]

How to be holy

June 9, 2020 // 24 Comments

Jesus is the only one of us who lived undamaged by sin. He walked among the wreckage of fallen humanity as a beacon of wholeness and health. Jesus knew no sin yet the writer of Hebrews tells us he “learned obedience” and was “made perfect” (Heb. 5:8–9). That sounds like a contradiction, as though Jesus [...]

The greatest grace preacher you’ve never heard of

June 4, 2020 // 15 Comments

D. L. Moody, the great American evangelist, told millions of people about the love of God. But who told him? It was this guy… Henry Moorhouse may be the most prolific grace preacher you’ve never heard of. Born in Manchester in the UK in 1840, the teenaged Moorhouse was a gang leader who battled depression. He [...]

What makes a great Christian movie?

May 27, 2020 // 71 Comments

I recently turned 50, and to mark the occasion I ranked my all time top 50 movies. Every guy has a list of his favorite five or ten movies. I wanted to go all the way to 50 baby! It turned out to be a worthy challenge because there are so many great movies. In the end, I listed 100 movies (my top 50 + 50 [...]

What does it mean to have an ear to hear?

May 20, 2020 // 19 Comments

At the end of the Bible we find letters from Jesus to seven churches. At the end of each letter, he says this: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (see Rev. 2:7a). We like to think that we have heard Jesus. But how do we know we have? How can we be sure? What does it mean to [...]

The sky is falling! Darkened suns and falling stars

May 14, 2020 // 34 Comments

Pamdemics. Economic collapse. Locust plagues. Murder hornets. Whenever the world goes through a crisis, it’s natural to wonder if we have reached the end of days. “This is it! We’re all going to die!” We turn to social media and YouTube for answers and encounter wacky end time predictions. Some involve [...]

Did Jesus say adultery is the only grounds for divorce?

May 6, 2020 // 105 Comments

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said this about divorce and remarriage: It has been said, “Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.” But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced [...]

Is the Bible sexist?

April 29, 2020 // 47 Comments

Some people reject the Bible because they believe it promotes a male-dominated worldview. “The Bible is oppressive to women. It reinforces patriarchal stereotypes that view women as inferior.” There is a measure of truth to this claim. Consider the laws of ancient Israel. Israel had laws that permitted the [...]