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Does the Bible forbid women from preaching, teaching, or leading in the church? In Part 2 of my conversation with Preston Sprinkle about From Genesis to Junia, we tackle some of the most debated New Testament passages on women in church leadership: Phoebe in Romans 16, Paul’s command for women to remain silent in 1 Corinthians 14, and the prohibition on teaching and authority in 1 Timothy 2. What does authentein mean? Why does Paul appeal to Adam and Eve? And do these passages actually prohibit women from preaching or serving as pastors? Join us for a close look at what the Bible really says about women in ministry, women pastors, and church leadership. Buy From Genesis to Junia by Preston Sprinkle on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting Theology Project through the Amazon links in this post. Listen to part 1 of this conversation. Take the next step If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: * Subscribe to receive new free articles. * Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. * Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Should women lead churches? What does the Bible actually say about women in positions of church leadership—and are we asking the right questions when we approach the debate? In Part 1 of my conversation with Preston Sprinkle, we discuss his new book From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says About Women in Leadership. Preston shares what led him to take up this controversial question, the interpretive approach that shaped his investigation, and some of the places where studying the evidence challenged his own assumptions. ---------- Theology Project is sponsored by Wesley Biblical Seminary. ➡️ Apply now for your Doctor of Ministry ➡️ Check out other degree and certificate programs ---------- We also step back from the handful of passages that usually dominate the debate and ask what the larger biblical story contributes to the conversation. We discuss men and women in Genesis 1–3, the significance of ezer (“helper” or “ally”), authority and mutuality, women in the ancient world, and Jesus’ radical reframing of leadership around service rather than status or power. Preston Sprinkle is a biblical scholar, author, speaker, and host of the Theology in the Raw podcast. His brand new book "From Genesis to Junia" is his attempt to work through the biblical evidence surrounding one of the most contested questions in the contemporary church. In Part 2, we dig into the specific New Testament texts at the center of the debate, including Romans 16, 1 Corinthians 11 and 14, and 1 Timothy 2. Subscribe now so you don't miss it. Click here to buy From Genesis to Junia on Amazon Subscribe to Theology Project on Substack --------- Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. ---------- As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting Theology Project through the Amazon links in this post. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Can Christians be perfect? John Wesley believed they could. But he didn’t mean sinless perfection. In this episode of Theology Project, Dr. Chris Lohrstorfer joins me to discuss John Wesley’s Sermon 40, “Christian Perfection,” and one of the most distinctive—and often misunderstood—doctrines of the Wesleyan tradition. What did Wesley actually mean by Christian perfection? Can Christians be free from sin in this life? What is the difference between Christian perfection and sinless perfection? And how does Wesley’s understanding of holiness shape the way Christians think about salvation, spiritual growth, and the Christian life? We dig into Wesley’s sermon, clarify some common misconceptions, and explore why Christian perfection remains central to Wesleyan theology today. Visit our Sponsor - https://wbs.edu Click Here to Read "Christian Perfection" by John Wesley Visit Theology Project on Substack If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: * Subscribe on Substack to receive new free articles. * Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. * Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Is John Wesley enough to sustain the tradition he started? What's the difference between studying John Wesley's theology and doing theology as a Wesleyan? How much must Wesleyan theology agree with John Wesley? Those are the questions up for discussion in this episode of Theology Project. Thomas McCall and Jason Vickers join Matt O'Reilly to discuss how these questions and others are worked out in their new book Love Divine: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology. Along the way, we'll explore what makes theology distinctly Wesleyan, why the tradition needs constructive theology rather than simply the study of Wesley, and how holy love provides a framework for understanding the Christian faith as a whole. Love Divine offers a beautiful vision of the Christian faith that builds on the Great Tradition that formed John and Charles Wesley, the Wesley brothers own works, and the major theologians that inherited the Wesleyan tradition. Visit our sponsor - Wesley Biblical Seminary - and apply for your Doctor Ministry degree now: https://wbs.edu/dmin Get Love Divine:A Wesleyan Systematic Theology on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting Theology Project through the Amazon links in this post. Take the next step If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: >Subscribe to receive new free articles. >Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. >Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. v Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

In this clip, Jason Vickers and I consider the everyday example of road rage in order to explore a much bigger question: How should Christians think about demonic influence and human responsibility? If the devil or demonic forces can tempt, influence, or provoke us, does that lessen our responsibility for how we respond? Drawing on John Wesley and the categories of captivity and complicity, they discuss why taking spiritual warfare seriously doesn’t mean surrendering human agency—or excusing sin. Check out the whole conversation If you enjoyed this clip, listen to the full conversation on Theology Project | The Podcast or watch it on YouTube. Dr. Jason Vickers serves as professor of Christian theology and the Wesley Endowed Chair of Christian Theology. A popular teacher, prolific author, and ordained elder in the Global Methodist Church, Vickers holds a PhD from Southern Methodist University. Prior to joining Truett Seminary, Vickers taught at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He also has taught at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, North Carolina, and United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Professor Vickers is a past president of the Wesleyan Theological Society and current member of the Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry Commission of the Global Methodist Church. Vickers is editor of the Wesleyan Theological Journal, and co-author with Thomas H. McCall of Love Divine: A Wesleyan Systematic Theology. An Invitation I’m interviewing Preston Sprinkle on an upcoming episode of Theology Project. Our conversation will focus on his new book From Genesis to Junia: An Honest Search for What the Bible Really Says about Women in Leadership, and I want to hear what you think I should ask him. Take the next step If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: * Subscribe to receive new free articles. * Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. * Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Why does Christianity sometimes seem to have so little effect on the lives of Christians? Why hasn’t it had a greater effect on the world? John Wesley asked that question more than two centuries ago. In his sermon “Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity,” Wesley wrestled with a troubling reality: if Christianity is true and the gospel has the power to transform people, why do so many Christians seem largely unchanged? In this episode of Theology Project, I’m joined by Dr. Chris Bounds to explore Wesley’s answer. We discuss what Wesley believed was keeping Christianity from having its intended effect, the role of Christian doctrine and discipline, the importance of holiness, and number one problem that minimizes the effectiveness of the church. Along the way, we consider whether Wesley’s diagnosis still applies to the church today, and what he might say needs to change if Christianity is going to produce the kind of people the Bible envisions. Visit our Sponsor - Wesley Biblical Seminary Want to engage even more? * Read the sermon: “Causes of the Inefficacy of Christianity” * Get Holiness: A Biblical, Historical, and Systematic Theology co-authored by Chris Bounds As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting Theology Project through the Amazon links in this post. If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: * Subscribe to receive new free articles. * Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. * Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

What role do doctrinal standards play in the life of the church? In this episode, Dr. Joel Chopp explains why confessions matter, how the proposed Articles of Faith would function in the Global Methodist Church, and what faithful Wesleyan confessionalism looks like. The discussion develops from Joel’s brand new article “Wesleyan Confessionalism and Theological Education,” which was just published in the most recent edition of the Asbury Herald. We discuss: * What doctrinal standards are * Who doctrinal standards are for * Why some Methodists reject confessionalism * Why other Methodists are committed to normative doctrines * What we can learn about confessions from other Protestants * Why not all the articles in the proposed Articles of faith should not be distinctly Wesleyan * The guardrail function of doctrine * How we know what Scripture affirms * And more! At the end of our conversation, Joel recommended two books for anyone who wants to dig in deeper to the way doctrine functions in the church. Here they are: * Doctrine, Spirit, and Discipline: A History of the Wesleyan Tradition in the United States by Kevin Watson * Doctrinal Standards in the Wesleyan Tradition by Thomas Oden As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks for supporting Theology Project through the Amazon links in this post. If Theology Project has been helpful to you, here are a few ways you can support the work: * Subscribe to receive new free articles on Substack. * Share an article with a friend or post it on social media. * Become a paid subscriber to help sustain and expand this ministry while gaining access to exclusive content. * Buy me a coffee to drink while I’m writing my next article (use this link). Every subscription, share, and recommendation helps more people rediscover the Bible they didn’t know they had. Theme music: “Steps” by Anno Domini Beats. Used with permission. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

The Global Methodist Church is considering adopting a new doctrinal statement called the Articles of Faith. In this conversation, Dr. David Watson sits down with Dr. Matt O'Reilly to discuss WHY we're looking at this, how we got to this point, and where things go from here. We answer some of the questions that have come up in the last few weeks and reflect on the purpose of this confessional statement. Jason Vickers compares the EUB Confession with the Articles of Religion: https://archives.gcah.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/d695ad25-f74a-4934-a569-04b4163e6e6f/content Dr. David Watson is President of Asbury Theological Seminary and Chair of the Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry Commission. He is the author of Scripture and the Life of God (https://amzn.to/48XaRE4) and Faith and Fire (https://amzn.to/488gAH2) coauthored with Kevin Watson. GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) GET THE VIDEOS https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/ Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS MATT'S OTHER BOOKS Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF SOCIAL https://www.instagram.com/mattoreillyauthor/ https://www.facebook.com/mattoreillyauthor https://www.facebook.com/theologyprojectonline https://twitter.com/mporeilly VISIT https://www.theologyproject.online https://christchurchbham.com Music: "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats - Used with permission. This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.   Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

In this clip, Dr. Matt O'Reilly explains the difference between "going to heaven when you die" and the biblical teaching of future bodily resurrection. If you've ever wondered what the Bible says about life after death, this episode is for you.    MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)   Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS   MATT'S OTHER BOOKS Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe       This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.       Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Is Christianity True? In a world filled with questions, doubts, and competing truth claims, many people wonder whether Christianity can still be trusted. In this sermon, Matt O’Reilly explores one of the most common and pressing questions people ask about faith: Is Christianity true? Along the way, he names the real objections people raise—about science, suffering, hypocrisy in the church, the reliability of the Bible, and the fear that faith requires blind belief. Rather than dismissing these questions or offering quick intellectual fixes, this message invites listeners to step back and consider a deeper question that the Gospel itself raises: Can Jesus be trusted? Drawing from the scene of Jesus’ trial—where Pilate famously asks, “What is truth?”—this sermon shows that Christianity does not ultimately present truth as a mere argument or proposition, but as a person. And that person reveals the truth not by coercion or force, but through self-giving love. You don’t have to have all the answers to experience love. You can trust someone who is willing to bleed for you. This message is especially for: Those who are skeptical, curious, or questioning Christianity Those who feel torn between faith and doubt Those who have been hurt or disillusioned by the church Christians who want a more humble, patient, and loving way to engage hard questions If you’ve ever wondered whether Jesus can be trusted, this sermon invites you to consider the truth revealed in love, and to explore your questions within a community shaped by grace. GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN     This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.   Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

A lot of people assume Romans 9 obviously teaches the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election. They think it means that God selected a set and unchangeable number of people to save and passed over the rest. If you're among the chosen, congratulations. If you're not, well... In this episode, Dr. Matt O'Reilly explains why Romans 9 does not, in fact, teach unconditional individual election. Rather, the apostle Paul sets forth in Romans 9 a vision of corporate election (the group as a whole is chosen) in which individuals may move into and out of the elect group. MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)   Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS   MATT'S OTHER BOOKS Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe   Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats   This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.       Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

Who is Jesus—and what did he come to do? Luke 2 doesn’t answer those questions with abstract theology or lofty claims. It answers them with a story. In this episode, we slow down and listen carefully to Luke’s Christmas narrative—not as sentimental background music for the season, but as a bold theological proclamation. In a world ordered by emperors, censuses, power, and prestige, Luke introduces Jesus in a radically different key: born in obscurity, laid in a manger, announced not to elites but to shepherds on the margins. So who is Jesus, really? And what kind of mission begins this way? Drawing on the Jesus' birth narrative in the Gospel of Luke, we explore how Luke presents Jesus as the true Lord whose identity stands in quiet but profound contrast to the rulers of his age. And we ask what Jesus came to do—not merely to offer private comfort or future escape, but to inaugurate God’s saving reign through humility, peace, and faithfulness. This episode invites you to hear Luke 2 with fresh ears and deeper attention—to see how the identity and mission of Jesus are woven together from the very beginning, and why that still matters for how we understand the gospel today.   Merry Christmas!   MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) GET THE VIDEOS https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/ GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats   Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

People frequently wonder whether they should be rebaptized. Usually, it's for one of two reasons. Either they were baptized as an infant, and they ask if they should be baptized as part of their profession of faith. Or they were baptized before they got serious about following Jesus and, having later committed to serious discipleship, wonder if they should rebatized In this video, Dr. Jonathan Powers (Asbury Seminary) and Dr. Matt O'Reilly explain WHY pastors should not rebaptize people and HOW to shepherd people through the questions   MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) GET THE VIDEOS https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/ GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.   Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

In Scripture, holiness is never just about rule-keeping — it’s about participating in the character of God, living love perfected in Christ, and flourishing as a whole person in relationship with God and neighbor. Too often in the wider church, though, holiness gets misunderstood as legalistic rule observance. That understanding leads to burdens, shame, and a distorted picture of the gospel. In this video, I unpack how the Bible, and the Wesleyan tradition in particular, reframes holiness not as legalism but as human flourishing. We walk through how holiness: reflects God’s character toward us calls us into life-giving love for God and neighbor aligns with deep, true happiness as envisioned in Scripture Whether you grew up hearing holiness taught as legalistic rule-keeping or you’re seeking a richer, more biblical vision of discipleship, this conversation will help you think differently about what it means to be holy. 📖 Holiness isn’t about following a checklist — it’s about becoming like Jesus and flourishing as his people.   READ "The New Birth" by John Wesley https://wesley.nnu.edu/john-wesley/the-sermons-of-john-wesley-1872-edition/sermon-45-the-new-birth/ MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) GET THE VIDEOS https://my.seedbed.com/product/free-to-be-holy/ GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.   Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe

In this episode of Theology Project, Dr. Matt O’Reilly sits down with Dr. Andy Miller III, President of Wesley Biblical Seminary, for an honest and forward-looking conversation about pastoral education in the Global Methodist Church. We explore the value of the MDiv, options for the future of the Course of Study, and how robust theological training shapes healthier leaders, stronger churches, and more faithful ministry. Dr. Miller brings clarity to current debates around seminary education, offers practical wisdom for pastors considering further study, and shares WBS’s vision for forming leaders who can preach the gospel, shepherd the church, and engage culture with confidence and conviction. If you care about clergy preparation, the future of Methodist ministry, or the theological integrity of the church, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. Help pastors finish seminary DEBT-FREE: Check out the Global Methodist Foundation of North Alabama: https://www.gmfna.org Hear more from Andy Miller - Check out his podcast: More to the Story - https://www.youtube.com/@andymilleriii Here's a link to the BRAND NEW BOOK from the WBS faculty - Sanctitas et Scriptura: https://amzn.to/3MpBrxz Apply to STUDY at WBS: https://www.wbs.edu GET UPDATES FROM THEOLOGY PROJECT https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOK Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN(print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle)   📬 Subscribe to Theology Project for more: https://www.theologyproject.online/subscribe   MATT'S BRAND NEW BOOKS Free to Be Holy: A Biblical Theology of Sanctification https://amzn.to/4gOn4gN (print) https://amzn.to/47pttuz (Kindle) Reconstructing Methodism: Crucial Issues Facing the Global Methodist Church https://amzn.to/3TnkYKS MATT'S OTHER BOOKS Paul and the Resurrected Body: Social Identity and Ethical Practice https://amzn.to/2xOJmyj The Letters to the Thessalonians (w/ videos) https://amzn.to/3B0m6su Bless the Nations https://amzn.to/3eEpiiF   Music used with permission - "Steps" by Anno Domini Beats   This page contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. Get full access to Theology Project at theologyprojectonline.substack.com/subscribe