God Commanding Violence?
At Christmas, we remember the birth of one described as the ‘prince of peace’. We read in the gospels how he taught us to turn the other cheek and love our enemies, before demonstrating this in an amazing display of love by dying on the cross. Elsewhere in the Bible, however, we come across passages that portray God in a rather different way: either commanding or carrying out acts of violence. How do we read and understand these passages as part of the revelation of the God of love?
Christ Revealed
This reflection explores Christmas by tracing the life of Christ through the glimpses of Old Testament prophecy. All the devotions look at an OT passage from Isaiah or the Psalms which is quoted in the NT. The passages are treated ‘chronologically’, beginning with the Incarnation, and then looking at Jesus’s public ministry, the cross, the resurrection and his exaltation. To get the full picture, it is best to read the OT passage together with the NT refere
CALLED TO...STAY AND SEND
Jesus calls us to make disciples. All of us, without exception, can follow Jesus’ command right where we live, in the context of our immediate surroundings. This could be in school, in the workplace, with our friends, or even in the privacy of our own home! Every church member can ask, “Where I am, and with what I’ve been given, how can I honour Christ in seeking to make disciples right here, right now? Local mission is necessary and is the most natural manifestation of Chri
Jesus in The Lord of the Rings
Jesus as the prophet can be seen in the character of Gandalf. Gandalf paints an applicable picture of both the biblical prophet and of Jesus the ultimate prophet. The wizard’s death, resurrection and transfiguration all point to Christ. Like Jesus, Gandalf comes with a message which calls others to respond, to live in hope for truth and goodness. Gandalf is seen as a fulfilment of a work that only he could bring to completion, echoing the unique role of Christ as the ultimate prophet.
Graduate Internships
We are excited to offer a range of internships at Belfast Bible College to give graduates an opportunity to gain skills and experience to help with their vocational development. Student Worker Communications & Media Hostel Supervisor Operations About the Programme Apply What type of internship could you apply for? Here are a few options… Student Worker Internship The Community Life Intern/Student Worker works alongside the Community Life Faci
Jobs 2019
The College are currently seeking to recruit new members of staff to enhance our team. We are a Christian community with a focus on resourcing the Church for the Mission of God. Are you passionate about seeing people trained and equipped to serve locally and globally? Both for Christian Ministry and for serving in communities, churches and workplaces? To apply for any current Jobs at Belfast Bible College please click here. Academic Administration Manager [AAM
Seeds.
Seeds. is a weekly series of stories about the interesting and diverse people who study, work & visit the College. These stories of growth are created with the hope of sharing the work of God through personal testimonies of real people. Jordan "I'm preparing and I'm studying and I'm doing things to hopefully help people I haven't even met yet." Excitement about future possibilities can distract us from what God is doing now. Jordan, a se
Look Past the Headline
Dr. Cindy Brown urges us to listen to and love the world as God loves the world. As we interact with the news, let us look past the headlines to where the Spirit wants to bring the Gospel to meet the needs of the world and move past ‘hashtag’ trends to a deeper understanding as people of the Kingdom of God.
Context is Everything - lessons from Nepal
Peter McDowell is our new Lecturer in Missiology, so he took a moment out of his preparing for teaching for us to ask him a few questions. So how are you? I'm good, it’s good to be here. It feels like my wife and I have done a lot of different things in a lot of different places, but at each point we look at what’s coming next. For me, teaching has always been a vocation. I like sharing with groups, and helping people (and myself) learn, grow and develop. So this feels
Chapel Tuesday
One of the ways the ways the College aims to create community, encourage worship, and introduce speakers with a variety of backgrounds in ministry and mission work is through Chapel each Tuesday. Chapel Tuesday is a series to give a glimpse into this special time each week. Passover Celebration Come Let us Adore Him Mission for God's Glory What is the Reward of Prayer? Is It Really God Leading?
Announcing our new Principal
Belfast Bible College are delighted to announce the appointment of our new Principal, Helen Warnock. Helen has been the General Director of Scripture Union Northern Ireland since 2003 and worked in Christian ministry in Northern Ireland for the last 20 years. Our Board of Directors carried out a comprehensive search to find the right person to lead the College forward, to continue our strong links with the local Church, Missions and Ministries as we seek to offer quality, relevant Theo
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Our Annual Appeal Letter
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Dear Friends,
Since starting as Principal last August, I have been inspired and challenged by the faculty and students here, in their passion for ‘the knowledge of God’s glory [filling] the earth.’(Habakkuk 2:14) I am convinced that Belfast Bible College has a crucial role to play in training and resourcing the Church, locally and globally.
Our heart at Belfast Bible College is to equip and send disciples; we want to
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The Merciful God of the Conquest?
Keep Reading
The story of the conquest of Canaan in Joshua is a central part of the biblical story of God’s salvation. However for many Christians, the portrayal of God in the conquest is one of the most difficult issues in understanding and using the Bible in the modern world. How can the picture of God commanding Israel to slaughter the Canaanites and show no mercy (Deut. 7:2; cf. 20:15-18) be reconciled with the picture of God in Christ who loved the