For the Law was given by Moses, grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (Jn. 1.17) There was grace also during the time of Moses but it looked a bit different, clearly pointed to Christ: The Temple with its sacrifices. For sins against God, there was no restitution. Instead, a clean animal was offered with the offender placing his hands upon the animal’s head and … Continue reading Law and Grace
Trevin Wax surveys how cultures teach individuals to live their lives. Historically, cultures have focused on the good of the community so individuals were taught to “look around” for their cues to purpose their existence. The western world with its Enlightenment (sic) says to “look inside.” However, God reveals in scripture not only how to live but why with help along the way. Why You … Continue reading How Should Humans Approach Life?
My theological understanding, from from the beginning, of the issue of what Jesus meant when describing the Kingdom in Lk. 17.21, has been to take His phrase as referring to Himself as King in their midst. I no longer believe this view is viable. Some commentators make much of the fact that Jesus was being questioned by the Pharisees, and therefore, He cannot refer to … Continue reading The Kingdom of God is within You – Lk.17.21
Abraham Kuyper used to inspired me as he inspires many idealistic Christians today. Kuyper was a Neo-Calvinist who wanted to redeem society. However, the history of the church and Jean Calvin held to the Two Kingdom view where believers were in the Redemptive Kingdom and society, along with the redeemed, formed the Common Kingdom. The redeemed operate in two realms and belong to both while … Continue reading Abandoning Triumphalist Christianity
By Lydia Jaeger Abstract: The concept of personhood is crucial for our understanding of what it is to be human. This article considers the ways that Christological debates in the early Church contributed to the emergence of the concept of person. It then suggests that neglect of the theological roots of this concept is the reason why modern definitions of person are unsatisfactory. The latter … Continue reading Christ and the Concept of Person
Make no mistake. There is only one body (Eph. 4.4). This one body is invisible to us since it comprises those whom God knows intimately and personally. It includes those who have died in the Lord the 2000 years previous and those who are chosen, but, who have not yet turned to the Lord. This is the church that Jesus is building (Mt. 16.18 – … Continue reading The True Church is the Invisible Church
You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the LORD. (ESV) The question that prompted The Parable of the Good Samaritan was a follow-up to the original question posed by a Teacher of the Mosaic Law (lawyer in ESV). The original question is found in Lk. 10.25: And behold, a lawyer stood up … Continue reading Lev. 18.5 Refers to Eternal Life
This is a follow – up post to “Don’t Go to Church During a Pandemic” I didn’t mean to sound as if I was against Christian Music. Music has its place but Evangelical Christians should rethink their worship service. I grew up in the 1950s and most non-Pentecostal Protestant Churches all had traditional services. In the mid-1970s churches were more and more adopting an entertaining … Continue reading Wonderful Christian Music
Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison. (NIV) This verse, I believe, has been mangled by many, including John Piper, over the years. I heard his take … Continue reading The Bitter Root (Dt. 29.18)
Folks today, generally speaking, do not adequately understand the primary aspects of the weekly gathering of Christians. The evidence of this is the almost universal adoption of The Willow Creek Model by Evangelicals. The service resembles a concert and people are encouraged to express themselves by singing and movement. This is a departure from the biblical practice. By employing entertainment methods to generate growth they … Continue reading Don’t Go to Church During a Pandemic
Written by Dr. Thomas Howe I was recently asked by a student about the book by Michael S. Heiser, The Unseen Realm. I was not familiar with either the author or the book, so I got the Kindle edition. It did not take very long to discover a critical problem at the foundation of his approach that undermines his whole system. He says, Was my loyalty … Continue reading The Circularity of Michael S. Heiser
So that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. (Eph. 3.10) Growing up in Fundamentalism I was always instructed to view the Incarnation as merely (and it seemed imply exclusively) a necessity for Christ to redeem fallen humanity. The Incarnation was for much more than that narrow scope according to … Continue reading Jesus Erases the Creator/Creature Distinction
Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States, in the case Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia, ruled in a 6-3 decision that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against their employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The Court’s opinion was written by Justice Gorsuch… via Botching Bostock — Analogical Thoughts Continue reading Botching Bostock — Analogical Thoughts
Heb. 11 is a passage that answers or defines what faith is and has been used by inquirers for centuries. Overall, the bible is the best source to illustrate faith and explain it. The New Covenant Jesus summarized what the New Covenant will look like in Jn. 6.45: It is written in the prophets: They will all be taught by God. Everyone who has heard … Continue reading What is Faith?
I’m going to talk about two kinds of leaders in Mark 10:42-45, but the discussion will make fullest sense if I spend some time in the rest of Mark’s Gospel setting the stage for this. Jesus throughout Mark’s Gospel displays one kind of leadership. Some scholars like to play Jesus’s “Messianic secret” (his invoking silence… via Two kinds of leaders—Mark 10:42-45 — Bible BackgroundBible Background Continue reading Two kinds of leaders—Mark 10:42-45
N.T. Wright (some call him N.T. Wrong) claims that scholarly focus should be on the literature of Jesus’ time. I counter because Jesus appealed consistently to promises found in the text of scripture long ago written (at His time) and not to the faulty ideas circulating during His time. Jesus, instead, refuted many of the popular notions such as: 1. Wealth indicating divine favor. 2. … Continue reading Scholar Folly
In a succinct manner, Kevin DeYoung distills the bible’s account of the Ascension to make it relevant for Christians. He didn’t mention Christ’s Priesthood directly which is what He just accomplished in His death before he ascended. Heb. 5.1-2 tells us the representative nature of a priest that he needs to mediate ignorant and straying people before God. A human High Priest knows this inherently … Continue reading The Importance of the Ascension
Earlier this week a friend asked where he should start in reading Calvin’s Institutes. I suggested, as I often do, beginning with Calvin’s A Little Book on the Christian Life which is an excerpt of the larger work, and one focused largely on Christian living. Here’s a wonderful and timely extract from the new edition… via Stuck in the Mire of Our Love for this World … Continue reading Stuck in the Mire of Our Love for this World — Tim Challies
In our series of bioarchaeographies, we’ve alternated between Old Testament people, such as Tiglath-Pileser III, Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus, Shishak, King David, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Omri, and New Testament figures, like Caesar Augustus, Quirinius, Herod Agrippa I and II, Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate, Gallio, and Sergius Paulus. In this article, we’ll explore the life of one of […] via King Ahab: An Archaeological Biography — Bible Archaeology Report Continue reading King Ahab: An Archaeological Biography — Bible Archaeology Report
Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord. (Lev. 18.5 NIV) Paul, as a Pharisee, recognized the promise of eternal life in Lev. 18.5. Before he was a Christian, Paul, in his conception of this verse, would probably sacrifice as needed to keep his slate clean in anticipation of the resurrection. Thus Heb. 2.15 … Continue reading The Devil’s Armor
At least on a metaphorical level. After the Fall in Eden, the man, woman, and the serpent all stand judged at God’s tribunal. At this judgment scene the curse upon the serpent features two prophecies: 1. The Seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head (This is future since Heb. 9.28 says a second appearance for salvation). 2. The serpent would pierce the heal … Continue reading Exact Biblical Fulfillment
For most Christians (and others reading the bible) the book of Job is enigmatic. However, by meditating (reflecting on what the text says), readers can gain some insights about Job’s struggles and their own as well. Craig Keener offers one of the better summaries of the book of Job. Not always, or even often, does God explain all of His workings to us. He has, … Continue reading The Book of Job’s Storyline
The Forger Among Us: The Museum of the Bible Dead Sea Scrolls and the Recent History of Epigraphic Forgeries Prof. Christopher Rollston (Ph.D. Johns Hopkins University) rollston@gwu.edu Dept. of Classical and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations George Washington University On March 13, 2020, the Museum of the Bible held a symposium in Washington, D.C. … via The Forger Among Us: The Museum of the Bible Dead … Continue reading Fake Artifacts
Over at his award winning blog (it’s true), Ian Paul has interviewed me about Myths & Mistakes, why skepticism sells, and whether textual criticism is the geekiest of the NT subdisciplines. Thanks to Ian for having me. via Interview at Ian Paul’s Blog — Evangelical Textual Criticism Continue reading Interview at Ian Paul’s Blog — Evangelical Textual Criticism
During the period in Jewish history known as the Divided Monarchy, the formerly united Hebrew nation split into to two kingdoms: the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south. In our series of bioarchaeographies, we explored the lives of King Ahaz and King Hezekiah of Judah; we now […] via King Omri: An Archaeological Biography — Bible Archaeology Report Continue reading King Omri: An Archaeological Biography — Bible Archaeology Report
