Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (Jn.12.24 NIV) The immediate previous context of this verse has Gentiles inquiring of Jesus’ Disciple Philip asking to speak with Jesus. No record exists that their request was fulfilled. Instead, Jesus indicates to Philip and … Continue reading Unless the Grain of Wheat Dies, it Remains Alone
Part 4 of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Part 4: Who Does the Servant Intercede For? Continue reading For Whom Does the Servant Intercede? (Isaiah 53.12c,d)
Four Reasons to Reject the Relative Insubstantiality of our Current World Why We Still Need Plato — Credo Magazine Continue reading Why We Still Need Plato
This article with its Hebrew Language analysis will be difficult for many laymen to follow. Here is the upshot: The earliest witness to Is. 53.9 comes from The Great Isaiah Scroll, the only virtually complete book of the bible found as part of The Dead Sea Scrolls. This text is between 950 and 1150 years older than our previous earliest record: the Leningrad Codex of … Continue reading Part 3: The Servant’s Burial according to the Scriptures
The Foolish and the Wiseby J. Caleb Jones, all rights reserved A man was despondent and down on his luck—He long had been hopeless and stupid and stuck.A neighborhood pub was his frequent abode,But this rainy evening, he somberly strodeIn the sorrow that comes when you see you’re a fool.He sat at the end of […] The Foolish and the Wise — The Spirited Nature Continue reading The Foolish and the Wise
Page from Codex H (015) at 1 Tim 2.2-6 (6th Century)I recently read an older article in the academic journal Vigiliae Christianae that argues for Polycarp’s belief that 1 and 2 Timothy were written by Paul. Kenneth Berding, “Polycarp of Smyrna’s View of the Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy,” Vigiliae Christianae 53.4 (Nov., 1999): 349-360.Here… Ignatius, Ploycarp, and the Pauline Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy … Continue reading Ignatius, Polycarp, and the Pauline Authorship of 1 and 2 Timothy
Part 2: Does Isaiah’s Servant Really Die for the People? Continue reading Part 2: Does Isaiah’s Servant Really Die for the People?
In this reblog post I only have a slight quibble of what Carson has written. Here is the section where I have a different understanding: It is vital to state that Jesus was not incarnate until the NT. He did not possess any kind of human (or angelic) body in the OT. He appeared in a human form in the former times of the OT, … Continue reading Why is the Angel of the LORD Important?
This world is as it is because it is a battlefield between Good and Evil. The Manichees were half right but wholly wrong. The battle is real, but they thought the two opposing forces were both eternal and equally ultimate. Milton teaches us better. Even Satan knows that God alone is Almighty. No creature can overcome his will. There may be two sides, but one … Continue reading Divine Providence and the Problem of Innocent Suffering
The Truth Will Set You Free – Credo Magazine Continue reading The Truth Will Set You Free
Who Really Killed Goliath? Continue reading Who Really Killed Goliath?
Here is an article by Sam Waldron with which I substantially agree. The early centuries of Christian development were mainly marked with fighting aberrant doctrines of the deity. However, some doctrines these Christians failed to appreciate. They, for lack of a better word, perverted the mode and meaning of baptism, along with The Lord’s Supper. From the scriptures, it is clear to see both Christian … Continue reading Do We Still Believe in Sola Scriptura?
By Peter J. Gentry Part 1: The Servant Sprinkles Many as Anointed Priest Continue reading Isaiah 52. 14-15-Anointed Priest Sprinkling Many
Peter’s house eventually became a meeting place for Christians. Capernaum’s House Church – Ritmeyer Archaeological Design Continue reading Capernaum’s House Church
We need to also help people see another perspective, God’s. Therefore, we need to get to know folks and their experiences and guide them to see themselves in God’s redemptive context. This is a better approach than being cold and distant. We cannot just say: repent or perish. This seems like a balanced approach to assisting people find God’s truth. You’re a Pastor, Not a … Continue reading You’re a Pastor, Not a Therapist
Christians today need to read their bible with the Church of yesteryears. Between the 2nd and 5th centuries there arose a number of Christological Heresies that were confronted by faithful Christians who grappled with these errors. These Christians exegeted the scriptures and developed an accurate understanding which has stood the test of time. While Historic Christian Theology is unlike O.T. prophetic revelation, the Church Fathers … Continue reading The Danger of Free-Floating Biblicism
Christopher Rollston (rollston@gwu.edu) George Washington University, Professor of Northwest Semitic Languages and Literatures, Chair of the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. _ Setting the Stage: Some sensational claims were made in a press conference on March 24,… The Mount Ebal Lead ‘Curse’ Inscription in Late Bronze Age Hebrew: Some Methodological Caveats — Rollston Epigraphy Continue reading The Mount Ebal Lead ‘Curse’ Inscription in Late Bronze Age Hebrew: Some Methodological Caveats
Paul was a tentmaker as well as a Rabbi both before and after his Christian conversion. These tents, most likely, were Jewish pilgrimage tents that Grecian and other Diaspora 1st century Jews used to “appear before the Lord” at one of the three yearly feasts at Jerusalem. Jerusalem’s population would swell during these festivals and yet little or no evidence remains today of these festival … Continue reading A Firestorm in the Desert
A few days ago, I wrote a review on Vern Poythress’ new book about how Christians should approach history. He has posted a nice summary of the contents which is far superior to my meager thoughts of his book. I recommend the book highly. This post however, doesn’t even mention this larger work. Hopefully, this synopsis will whet the appetite to more fully think about … Continue reading How Should Christians Think about History?
First Principles: No Plato, No Augustine — Credo Magazine Continue reading First Principles: No Plato, No Augustine
Interview with Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson (The Mind In Another Place) | Nijay Gupta Continue reading Interview with Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson
Bullinger: The Providence of God in a Nutshell | Zwinglius Redivivus Continue reading The Providence of God in a Nutshell
Why Christians Resist Transgender Speech-Codes — CBMW Continue reading Speaking the Truth in Real Love
If you’ve been around in church for any length of time, you may have heard that the Holy Spirit convicts Christians of their sin. After all, Jesus says this: Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not […] The Light of the World Explained — The Spirited Nature Continue reading The Light of the World Explained
Since the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump, the term “Christian nationalism” has gained wide exposure and claimed much attention in American culture. Christian nationalism has come to serve as a theory of everything for all that is wrong with America. And if we heed the voices emanating from progressives, any form of religious nationalism… Religious Nationalism is a Problem for the Right and Left — … Continue reading Religious Nationalism is a Problem for the Right and Left
beliefspeak2 