February 24, 2022

How a Secular Podcast on Harry Potter Taught Me to Read the Bible

by Nabil Habibi In my Lebanese Evangelical tradition we treat the Bible as a sacred text. Here is the thing though: growing up in my local church and Evangelical community I was rarely taught any sacred reading practices! I have been consistently told to read my Bible daily – which […]
February 17, 2022

Yunan or Yūnus? Re-Considering the Relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an

By Emad Botros As I was reading my colleague Martin Accad’s ABTS Blog article from last year, “What’s in a Name?: A Case for Using ‘Isa in Arabic Translations of the Bible,” my mind continually turned to another Biblical figure, Jonah, who appears in the Arabic Bible under the name […]
February 10, 2022

Re-examining Mission

By Mike Kuhn The missionary odyssey of Marcus and Narcissa Whitman has aroused much historical interest. The couple was commissioned in the 1830’s by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) to evangelize native tribes of the American Pacific Northwest—the Cayuse, Nez Perce and Umatilla tribes. In many […]
February 3, 2022

Was Our Ministry Successful Last Year?

By Elie Haddad Another year has gone by. It has become a practice for many churches and ministries to publish an end-of-year report highlighting the activities and accomplishments of the previous year. This is mostly a sincere attempt to quantify impact and measure success. We even do this at ABTS. […]
January 27, 2022

Why is the Church Silent About the Gift of Singlehood?

By Rabih Hasbany “Aqbalak!” Single people in Lebanon probably hear this expression every time they attend a wedding. It means “we hope that you will marry soon.” As a single man, I have heard it so many times, and I’m really tired of it. But rather than getting frustrated I’d […]
January 20, 2022

Divinating Off Course

By Bassem Melki You might have read this title and wondered if there is really something called “divinating”. Keep reading! Every New Year’s Eve it is common for Lebanese TV stations to feature programs involving certain individuals with the “gift” of foreseeing the future. They excite viewers with predictions about […]
January 13, 2022

Between Broken Traffic Lights and Stolen Savings, Mustard Seeds of Faith Continue to be Sown in Lebanon

By Loulwa El Maalouf Sometimes we hope that change will come quickly and drastically, but most times, change comes slowly and in small increments. Many people wonder what it looks like to be living in Lebanon these days. Before we compare Lebanon now to Lebanon pre-2019, let’s keep in mind […]
January 6, 2022

Though Ashamed of My Country, I Am Not Ashamed of the Gospel

By Walid Zailaa “I’m ashamed of my country Lebanon.” This was my first thought in 2022. Born and raised in Lebanon, I always felt proud of being Lebanese, the land of the cedars. I am, nevertheless, feeling these days ashamed of my country. I’m not even willing to describe what […]