Mike Wittmer

What I think. What I know. What I think I know.

  • as we worship so we believe

    Here in Grand Rapids we are snowed in today, just as we were on Friday and expect to be again on Tuesday.  The stores were busy yesterday as Christmas shoppers used a break from the storms to get out while they could.  Nearly every church in Grand Rapids cancelled services today, except the one that…

  • student funnies

    I was grading my way through 35 papers on baptism when I came across a paper that began with this truism:  “The issue of baptism is as old as itself.”  That reminded me of the numerous funny quotes that I have collected over the years from my students’ papers.  Here are the best quotes, with…

  • possibly the worst essay you will ever read

    I have been swamped with end of semester grading this week (which is what happens when you spend exam week in Liberia), and I only have a couple days of it left before I can start my Christmas break.  But I did want to mention the Newsweek cover story on gay marriage which I saw…

  • home from liberia

    I just returned from teaching an early church history class to 25 pastors in Liberia, and, knowing that most people aren’t that interested in hearing about someone else’s trip, I’ll limit my report to a few observations. I just spent more than a week without access to email, the Internet, CNN, and any news from…

  • liberia

    I’m on my way to Monrovia, Liberia, to teach a class on early church theology to about 30 pastors and Bible college teachers.  It’s a special privilege to teach this class to Africans, as most of the leading figures in this period–Augustine, Cyprian, Tertullian, Clement, and Origen–were Africans.  So I get to give back to them…

  • “as much” or “more than”?

    This week I had a conversation with a friend who is somewhere in the Emergent field.  At one point in our discussion he said, “You probably aren’t going to like this, but I value the conversation more than being right.” What troubles me about his comment is the phrase “more than.”  If “conversation” reflects the…

  • the charity of clarity

    My class on the Reformation wrapped up today with a look at the Baptist denomination, which arose from within the Puritanism of 17th century England.  Near the end of the class we peeked ahead to the GARBC split from the Northern Baptists in 1932.  As I prepared for the class, I was struck again by…

  • let’s get physical

    I thought I’d take a break today from the postmodern innovators discussion and share another subject that is important to me:  a Christian view of creation.   This post will appear in Our Daily Journey, a new devotional from Radio Bible Class aimed at thirty somethings that will begin publishing in March.  I have the privilege…

  • bottom line again

    There is an interesting article in today’s newspaper which supports my last post concerning the unpopular doctrine of original sin (I’m using dial up at the moment, so I don’t have time to locate the article online).  The Josephson Institute of Los Angeles surveyed 29,760 students at 100 randomly selected high schools nationwide, and found…

  • the bottom line

    My new book, Don’t Stop Believing: Why Living Like Jesus Is Not Enough, examines the most hotly contested issues of our day:  Is it possible to know anything?; Does the kingdom of God include non-Christians?; Is hell for real and forever?; Must you believe something to be saved?; Can you belong before you believe?; Is…