Three Treats for the Feast of Ascension
Forty days after Easter brings us to the Feast of Ascension. Which means that people all over the world are today celebrating the ascension of Jesus into heaven. I’ve been [...]
Articles by Paul Ellis
Four People You Should Never Listen To
On the day Jesus died, he encountered opposition from four powerful men. These authority figures represent the types of people who will seek to frustrate God’s plan for [...]
What Burdens Does Jesus Place On Us?
Thyatira is considered one of the bad churches in the Bible. You may recall they had allowed a woman called Jezebel to preach and she led some of the believers astray. So [...]
Good Friday Timeline
Every Easter people debate whether Jesus was crucified on a Friday or Thursday or Wednesday and whether he was raised on the third day or the fourth day and whether there was [...]
Introducing The Grace Commentary
No guilt, no condemnation, just grace! Check out my free and easy-to-use grace-based Bible commentary at: www.thegracecommentary.com [...]
How Sexist is your Bible?
In my research for The Silent Queen, I was often amazed at how a single word in the Bible could be translated different ways leading to radically different conclusions. [...]
What does the Bible say about Women Pastors?
Can women pastor? Feed this question into Google, and you’ll be led to a bunch of websites that say no, women cannot pastor or lead churches. Which goes to show you that [...]
What a Difference a Word Can Make
We Christians are very good at drawing bad conclusions from good scriptures. This happens when we read a verse out of context. Sometimes it can happen because we miss one [...]
Equality is not the Goal
You probably know that I have written a book about women. You may be wondering about my agenda. “What are Paul’s views on gender roles? Is he a complementarian or an [...]
It’s E2R’s 11th Birthday – Here’s Your Gift!
To celebrate Escape to Reality’s 11th anniversary and Chinese New Year and the invention of a vaccine and whatever else is worth celebrating in this wonderful days of [...]
What is the Baptism that Saves?
If you wish to start an argument among a group of Christians, all you need to do is ask this question: “Is water baptism essential for salvation?” Baptism has [...]
Why do Good People fall for Bad Teaching?
We live in an age of conspiracy theories and fake news. We all know rational, reasonable people who seem to be duped by the dumbest ideas, even in the church. How does this [...]
Do you have a Biblical View of Women?
In the church, you will encounter two views about women. There is the traditional view (women should be meek, stay-at-home-mothers) and the so-called progressive view (women [...]
Who is Alive but Dead?
If you want Christians to work harder, there are two scriptures you can trot out to boost productivity. The first is the one about being lukewarm; the second is this one from [...]
The Three Nights of Christmas
Pohutukawa by Tepora Watene It’s that time of the year where we gather with friends and family to celebrate Christmas and to tie a bow on the year that was. 2020 has been [...]
The Silent Queen – out today!
My new book, The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to Find their Voice, comes out today! In The Silent Queen, I reveal God’s original plan for men and women to rule [...]
Why the Woman of Proverbs 31 May Not Be Your Ideal Wife
Many men and women have a mental list describing their ideal partner. “She’s got to be a good cook, enjoy watching sports, and not be a nag.” “He’s got to have a [...]
Giving Tuesday Giveaway
You Americans. One minute, you’re tearing yourselves apart over politics. The next, you’re joining hands in a national day of thanksgiving. You’re an enigma wrapped in [...]
Why the Church is Wrong about Women
How would you rate the most influential people in history? This question is behind an ongoing study run by MIT’s Media Lab. A while back the folks at MIT reported that [...]
50 Phrases to Say to our Kids
One of the most important things you can do is speak words of life to a child. This is true whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a caregiver, a teacher, a babysitter, a [...]
Jesus Listened to Women; Why Don’t We?
This one is going out to all those who’ve told me they would never listen to a woman or follow a woman because it’s unbiblical, unseemly, or because women’s [...]
What is the Purpose of the Law?
Watchman Nee tells a wonderful story about a clumsy servant. As long as the servant sits still and does nothing, his clumsiness is not apparent. But the moment you ask him to [...]
Last chance to get your name in Paul’s book
Next week. That’s when you could be reading a copy of my new book, The Silent Queen. But that can only happen if you are signed up as a patron by the end of this week. What [...]
Is the Church too Feminine?
I have been blown away by the positive response to my forthcoming book, The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to find their Voice. Although the book doesn’t come out [...]
First look at Paul’s new book (and how to get your name in it!)
Here is the world’s first glimpse of the cover of my new book: Like it? The Silent Queen: Why the Church Needs Women to Find their Voice, is my first proper book in two [...]
Submission doesn’t Mean what you Think it Means
Bad theology hurts women. Sometimes it even kills them. In his book Ten Lies the Church Tells Women, Lee Grady tells the story of a woman called Doris who suffered through an [...]
Who Submits in Marriage?
When Camilla and I were writing our wedding vows, my future wife told me that she had a problem with the word submit. We had dug up some traditional vows based on Ephesians [...]
6 Awesome Things that will Happen when Christ Returns
From time to time a wave of paranoia sweeps over social media regarding the imminent end of the world and the physical return of King Jesus. Y2K. Mayan calendars. Planets [...]
If a Woman Can’t be a Husband, She Can’t be a Pastor, Right?
Aimee Semple McPherson, founder of the Foursquare Gospel Church What sort of person makes a good pastor? In his letters Paul lists sixteen desirable qualities (see 1 Tim. [...]
Is the King James Bible (KJV) sexist?
Recently I asked the question, “Is the Bible sexist?” It is and it isn’t. It is in the sense that it records the sexist stories and laws of patriarchal societies. But [...]
Women Pastors in the Bible
What is a pastor? A pastor is a shepherd. That’s what the word literally means (see Eph. 4:11). A pastor is someone who tends and guides spiritual sheep. That’s it. [...]
What’s so Special about Christ’s Right Hand?
While writing my book Letters from Jesus, I discovered a lot of gems in scripture. Some of these were hidden in the introductions Jesus gives his letters to the seven [...]
How to Rule and Reign Here and Now
Do you know that in Christ you are royal? Most Christians do not know they are kings. They think that are going to be kings – one day, maybe, after Jesus returns – but [...]
Are We Entering the Great Tribulation?
This has been one of the toughest years in living memory. At the time of writing close to 700,000 people have died from a disease nobody knew about nine months ago. (2022 [...]
Jesus at the Door
Jesus knows us better than anybody. He speaks our language. He talks to us about things that nobody else cares about. He listens. And he does all this because he loves us. [...]
Faithful unto Death?! What if I’m Not?
Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. (Revelation 2:10c) But what if I’m not faithful until death? Jesus remains faithful; you still get a crown. [...]
Jesus – Pioneer of Women’s Education
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 [...]
Are Women More Easily Deceived?
Here’s a question for your next Bible Study class: Why do female witches outnumber male witches twenty to one? Odd question? King James didn’t think so. When he wasn’t [...]
50 Fictional Fathers
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 [...]
“The Blessing” – 2020’s unofficial anthem
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. [...]
Last chance to get “The Good Shepherd”
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 [...]
How to be Holy
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 [...]
The Greatest Grace Preacher You’ve Never Heard of
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 [...]
What Makes a Great Christian Movie?
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, [...]
What does it Mean to have an Ear to Hear?
At the end of the Bible we find letters from Jesus to seven churches. At the end of each letter, Jesus says this: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the [...]
The Sky is Falling! Darkened Suns and Falling Stars
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 [...]
Did Jesus say Adultery is the only Grounds for Divorce?
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 [...]
Is the Bible Sexist?
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 [...]
Seven Zeroes
On its first day, Escape to Reality was viewed 20 times and I was stoked. Three years later it reached a million page views, and I was astonished. A few days ago, we passed [...]
Why is this an Excellent Time to get Water Baptized?
A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I baptized our two daughters in the sea behind our house. We had an informal service in front of a small group of friends. And by small [...]
How D. L. Moody endured his most frightening crisis
The world is in lockdown, which makes it a great time to read. We may not have jobs, movies, sport, and takeout food, but we still have books. Thank you, Jesus. I’ve been [...]
Your ten point COVID-19 survival plan
How the world has changed! A month ago we were wondering how Harry and Meghan were going to pay their bodyguards; now we are facing the greatest crisis of our lifetimes. A [...]
A free study guide and a sweet treat!
Hi friends, I have TWO exciting book announcements to share with you. 1. The Chocolate Gospel ebook is now on sale My latest book, The Chocolate Gospel, has just gone live on [...]
How the Church can shine during COVID-19
Last Sunday in New Zealand, we set a record for the lowest church attendance in living memory. Next Sunday will smash that record because we have just begun a four week [...]
How to Talk like a King
You are a king so you should talk like one. If you would reign in life, you will need to exercise authority from time to time. You will need to “king down” upon your [...]
Who Will Jesus Spit Out?
“I will spit you out of my mouth.” So said Jesus to the Laodiceans (Rev. 3:16), but apparently he was talking to you. This spitting out passage, is sometimes used to [...]
Who Invented the Word Hypergrace?
Who was the first person to coin the word hypergrace? It wasn’t the Apostle Paul. Sure, he described God’s grace as hyper-super-abounding, but he was writing in Greek. [...]
How to Share the Good News if you’re an Introvert
I have a problem. I want to tell people the good news, but I have trouble talking to strangers. Heck, I have trouble talking to friends. (Just ask my friends how often I call [...]
The Chocolate Gospel is on Kickstarter!
The Chocolate Gospel is here! For the next two weeks, you can order my latest book on Kickstarter. And then it’s gone forever. You cannot get The Chocolate Gospel on [...]
Should we close the Church for the Coronavirus?
“Please don’t come to Mongolia.” I have been asked to visit many countries, but Mongolia’s the only place I’ve been asked to avoid. In 2003 I was heading to [...]
E2R turns ten, and a free book for you!
Ten years ago today I wrote an article called “Whose medicine are you taking? The dangers of taking scripture out of context.” I used this article to launch a brand new [...]
Ten Birthday Candles: E2R’s Most Inflammatory Articles
Escape to Reality is turning ten next week! To mark the occasion I could list the ten most popular articles, but that would be boring. I’d rather list the ten most [...]
The Whole Meaning of Holiness
One of the reasons why we don’t walk in the freedom that the gospel brings, is that we have changed the meaning of words. We have made beautiful words ugly and turned truth [...]
Jesus, the Champion of women
In the church we have a good appreciation of what Jesus did for us, but we don’t really understand all he did for women. If we did, you can be sure we would treat them [...]
Why did Jesus send Letters to Angels?
People sometimes dismiss the letters to the Seven Churches because they were addressed to angels. “To the angel of the church in Ephesus; to the angel of the church in [...]
Merry Christmas from the Shaky Isles
As you may have heard, one of New Zealand’s many volcanoes erupted last week killing more than a dozen tourists plus a couple of local tour guides. It was a tragedy and a [...]
How did Jesus Empower Women?
When Jesus walked the earth, gender inequality was so entrenched in Jewish society that an adulteress could be stoned without trial and men could divorce their wives for just [...]
Let’s get Hypergrace into the Dictionary
The English language has about 200,000 words, yet one word is missing from the dictionary. That word is hypergrace. Why don’t we change that? Why don’t we put [...]
The Test of a King
In recent articles I have explained how every believer is called to be a king – to exercise kingly authority and live from the abundant provision of God’s supply. Paul [...]
Walk like a King, Talk like a King
True kings rule. They draw lines in the sand and say, “This far and no further.” They protect and bless those around them and take ownership of other people’s problems. [...]
You are a King (so act like one)
Did you know that you are called to be a king? It’s true. God told Abraham he would be “the father of many nations and kings will come from you.” Abraham’s [...]
Last chance to get The Chocolate Gospel! (For now)
Hi friends, This is just a gentle reminder that you have 24 hours to grab your copy of The Chocolate Gospel. This book is not available anywhere in the world. You won’t [...]
The Chocolate Gospel – limited edition available now
During WWII, Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch Christian, was imprisoned in Ravensbrück concentration camp. After the war, she visited a prison which housed Nazi female guards from [...]
The old has gone, gone, gone
If there’s one thing I have learned from the movies, it’s that there is no problem that can’t be solved by faking your own death and fleeing to South America. Think of [...]
Three Things People Get Wrong About the Laodiceans
The Laodicean church is probably the most infamous church in history. Preachers use it as an example of how Jesus deals with slack Christians. “Jesus is angry with these [...]
Sneak peek: Paul’s next book (And how to get your name in it!)
Confession time: I sometimes struggle to tell people the good news. As a classic introvert, the thought of walking up to a stranger and starting a conversation about [...]
How to Read the Bible
The actor Charlie Chaplin once entered a Charlie Chaplin lookalike contest and lost. True story. Why did Charlie Chaplin go unrecognized? Surely it was because we see what we [...]
How to be Content
Are you a contented Christian? Or do you have a nagging sense that God is displeased with you and unhappy with your performance? Are you resting in his righteousness? Or are [...]
Is my Brother Going to Hell?
I get a lot of mail, much more than I can respond to. But occasionally when reading something I sense the Lord saying to me, “Hit reply and start typing.” This happened [...]
Who are the Nicolaitans among us?
The Nicolaitans are the boogeymen of the Bible. Since the scriptures say almost nothing about them – except that they were false teachers whose deeds Jesus hated (see [...]
The Secret to Christian Living
There is a secret to living this Christian life, and it’s a secret most Christians don’t know. If you knew this secret, it would set you free from dead works and [...]
Good News for Small Churches
In his seven letters to the churches, Jesus had a special message for the Philadelphians. He said they were doing well… …because you have a little power, have [...]
The Accepting Church
Freedom is found in knowing that God loves and accepts you. When you know beyond all doubt that you are your Daddy’s delight, you will be free from the need to please [...]
The High Cost of Free Grace
The gospel of grace is not a philosophy to debate or a lifestyle to adopt. Grace is the power of God that saves those who receive it. Grace is God blessing us for no other [...]
Why did Jesus send letters from heaven?
The letters from Jesus found in Revelation 2 and 3 contain two things everyone of us needs to navigate life’s trials: a picture of Jesus and a promise from Jesus. When [...]
Readers’ Survey
I have been writing articles for people like you for a decade, yet I hardly know you. Would you take a few minutes to complete E2R’s first ever Readers’ Survey? Your [...]
Last chance to grab special offer
Hi friends, Just a gentle reminder that you have less than 24 hours to take advantage of our special offer. “What special offer?” Sign up as a patron before this weekend [...]
Special Offer for Escape to Reality Readers
I’ve got a special offer for you. A real gem. Why? Because this week marks the third anniversary of me being on Patreon. For those who’ve wondered why everything on [...]
Paul vs the Communists
Do you remember what you were doing in 1989? Not to brag or anything, but I was smuggling Bibles into Communist China. I don’t know if anyone still smuggles Bibles, but 30 [...]
The Soviet Empire and my part in its downfall
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. What are you doing to celebrate? For those too young to remember, 1989 was a remarkable year. [...]
Agent Romanoff and the Furious Love of God
One of the greatest mistakes we can make, is we undervalue the love of Almighty God. We put his wild, reckless love in a box of undersized belief and we bury it under [...]
Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord’? (Luke 6:46)
“Paul, I’m a Christian. I’m worried about that Jesus might reject me even though I call him Lord. Am I doing enough to be saved?” Are you referring to this scripture: [...]
The Gospel in Avengers: Endgame?
I love the gospel and I enjoy watching movies. I love it when movies hint at the gospel, and there were some big hints in the latest Marvel film. Did you notice? SPOILER [...]
The Gospel in the Seven Letters
You probably know that my book Letters from Jesus came out in paperback last week. I hope you don’t mind me banging this drum but I feel strongly about this one. Why? [...]
Last day to get your free book
UPDATE: This offer has now closed. Thanks to all who participated. Missed out? Become a subscriber (it’s free) and be the first to hear next time. This week I was [...]
Letters from Jesus: now in paperback + Easter Treat!
Ten years ago I started writing about the letters from Jesus, and two good things came out of that exercise: (1) a website call Escape to Reality and (2) my new book, Letters [...]
How Do We Become Lukewarm?
Many Christians are lukewarm, but not for the reasons they think. “I don’t go to church enough, I don’t pray enough, I don’t witness enough.” Let me stop you right [...]
Who are the Pillars in the Church?
As a young man, I was told I was a pillar in the church. It made me feel good to hear the pastor say this, and I could hardly disagree. Of course I was a pillar. I was a good [...]
Why does Jesus wish we were cold?
“You gotta be hot, hot, hot for Jesus! You gotta get enthusiastic in evangelizing the lost. You gotta get on fire with passion for the Lord.” This is a message I used to [...]
What does it Mean to Remove a Church’s Lampstand?
If you wanted to control people using fear and threats, you could become a Sith Lord, or you could take the good promises of Jesus, turn them inside out, and use them to [...]
Escape to Reality 