Posts by Klaus Issler

Klaus Issler

The Good Book Blog
Recommended Reading on Virtue Ethics
Part four of a four-part blog series — "Let’s Talk about Christian Character, Virtue Ethics and Sanctification"
Klaus Issler — August 09, 2023
The following is the fourth of a four-part series on the significance of Godly character in Christian living. Read part one of this series, “...
The Good Book Blog
Christian Scholars Commend Character Formation in the 2000s to 2010s
Part three of a four-part blog series — "Let’s Talk about Christian Character, Virtue Ethics and Sanctification"
Klaus Issler — August 02, 2023
The following is the third of a four-part series on the significance of Godly character in Christian living. Read part one of this series, “...
The Good Book Blog
Christian Scholars Commend Character Formation from the 1970s to 1990s
Part two of a four-part blog series — "Let’s Talk about Christian Character, Virtue Ethics and Sanctification"
Klaus Issler — July 26, 2023
The following is the second of a four-part series on the significance of Godly character in Christian living. Read part one of this series, “...
The Good Book Blog
Let’s Talk About Christian Character, Virtue Ethics and Sanctification
Klaus Issler — July 18, 2023
Christian living embraces God’s commands and godly character — part one of a four-part blog series
The Good Book Blog
What does the Old Testament say about Loans and Interest? Part 5: Implications for Low-Income Working Poor and Global Poverty
Klaus Issler — June 14, 2018
This is the final article in a five part series, "What does the Old Testament say about Loans and Interest? " You may want to review Part 1, Part...
The Good Book Blog
What does the Old Testament say about Loans and Interest? Part 4
Klaus Issler — May 16, 2018
Three main Old Testament (OT) passages in the Torah or Pentateuch address the topic of lending and interest:Exod. 22:25: “If you lend money to any...
The Good Book Blog
What does the Old Testament say about Loans and Interest? Part 3
Klaus Issler — January 02, 2018
Does the Old Testament (OT) teach that charging interest on a loan is sinful? Until about the 1500s, most Church leaders agreed that it was sinful,...
The Good Book Blog
What Does the Old Testament Say about Loans and Interest? Part 2
Klaus Issler — November 29, 2017
For most of the history of the church, church leaders understood that the Old Testament taught a complete ban on any interest on loans. As noted in Part 1, the subject of this study is the matter of loans to fellow Israelites who had the potential for paying the loan back, not the topic of charity to the poor. Three important passages in the Pentateuch or Torah guide the main teaching on loans and interest in the Old Testament ...
The Good Book Blog
What does the Old Testament say about Loans and Interest? Part 1
Klaus Issler — November 22, 2017
For much of church history, pastoral leaders believed the Old Testament taught that no interest should be charged on any loans. The care and protection for the Israelite working poor was the main rationale for such a prohibition that no interest should be charged on such loans. “If you lend money to any of my people with you who is poor, you shall not be like a moneylender to him, and you shall not exact interest from him” (Exod 22:25). Before we go too much further, let me state the obvious. What we are discussing here is the matter of loans that were offered to fellow Israelites who had the potential for paying the loan back. One doesn’t offer a loan to someone who has no means of paying it back; in that case one offers charity. The subject of charity is a different one with which the Old Testament makes provision through other means (e.g., gleaning [Lev. 19:9-10], sabbatical year [Exod 23:10-11], and triennial tithes [Deut 14:28-29]). The topic of this blog series is about lending, not charity ...
The Good Book Blog
Learning from Jesus’ Example About Our Emotions and a Way to Resolve Conflict
Klaus Issler — July 20, 2015
One early evening at six, my wife Beth’s brief comment—"Remember, I'll be needing the car at seven tonight"—suddenly stirred up my inner parts and brought about an energized outburst. I yelled, "You didn't bring this up when we were coordinating our schedules last Saturday!" Where is all that unexpected display of energy and irritation coming from? Why would I react so strongly to that comment? Various factors contributed to this surprising flare-up. I would have to rearrange my schedule and thus not make progress on an important project I was working on. Coupled with a few other similar setbacks earlier in the week unrelated to Beth's involvement, this schedule change had finally set me off ...
The Good Book Blog
An Orientation to Four Pervading Themes of the Christian Life from Dallas Willard
Klaus Issler — March 09, 2015
Dallas Willard (1936-2013) has been one of the key evangelical interpreters and provocateurs regarding the important doctrine of formation into Christlikeness. Willard was professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California and a former Southern Baptist pastor. Sometimes due to Willard's spearheading the importance of spiritual practices among Protestants, he is viewed as having said little else on the topic of Christian formation (Richard Foster claimed that Willard was his mentor on that particular subject, in the acknowledgement section of Foster’s classic book, Celebration of Discipline, HarperSan Francisco, 1978). But there is much more. ... Four pervading themes in Willard’s writings on Christian formation are briefly developed below, mainly with quotations from Willard.
The Good Book Blog
Closing the Sunday-Monday Gap: Recognizing the Importance of Our Work Life as Christians
Klaus Issler — February 26, 2014
Christians desire guidance for how to integrate their God life with their work life—especially those in the business sector. “Whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31, NIV). Listed below are three insightful perspectives on this issue. The first two frameworks overlap in some ways, but they also bring out distinctive contributions, and offer particular guidance to help close the Sunday-Monday gap. Some may tend to compartmentalize work life as a second class necessity, and that the real action of Christian living takes place within the church facilities. We want to bring our whole life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, on Sunday and the rest of the week.
The Good Book Blog
The Christmas Story that Didn’t Happen
Klaus Issler — December 19, 2012
The Christmas story is about Jesus being born into the family of Mary and Joseph. Have you ever considered what other options there were for which type of family Jesus could have been born into? We could explore these possibilities by asking, “What early life experiences do we think could best prepare Jesus for his later public ministry?” Let me suggest a context for this kind of musing. Imagine you were invited to observe that special planning session in eternity past when the Godhead considered creating this world and mapping out a plan for our redemption. Of course this couldn’t happen, but pretend this divine session was like one of our committee meetings. The topic on “today’s” agenda is “What is the best early life experience preparation for Jesus to be formed for his distinctive divine-human role as Messiah and Savior of the world?”
Biola Magazine
Jesus at Work
Why 'Secular' Jobs Aren't for Second-Class Christians
Klaus Issler — June 18, 2012
Imagine you were invited to observe that special planning session in eternity past when the Godhead considered creating this world and mapping out...
The Good Book Blog
Six Favorite Movies About Jesus
Klaus Issler — February 28, 2012
Cinematic portrayals of Biblical stories can be a helpful means to encourage our Christian walk. Especially is this the case for me when I watch a movie about the life of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course, not everything in a film will be theologically accurate—but no film can accomplish that task. A movie is the director’s and actors’ interpretation of the Gospel events. I have appreciated the following six movies about Jesus. There are sections in each film that touch me deeply and nurture deeper appreciation and love for our Lord. Perhaps one or more of these films will benefit you in the same way.