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Deuteronomy

Torah as Testimony (Part 2)

Cornelius Van Til offered a revolutionary exposition of the Christian worldview through the lens of Reformed theology. He argued and, I believe demonstrated, that Biblical metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics mutually presuppose and include one another. Every ethical statement of the Bible — commands about righteousness — presuppose the existence and…

by Ralph Allan SmithJune 21, 2022
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Deuteronomy

Torah as Testimony (Part 1)

In the introductory portion of Deuteronomy, Moses’ last sermons to the people of Israel — people that he regarded as his own beloved children — there is a statement that may seem paradoxical to a modern reader. It invites questions and maybe even creates problems in our understanding. Here are…

by Ralph Allan SmithJune 14, 2022
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Biblical Studies

The View from Gerar: Looking Back to Moriah (and Forward to Sinai)

In his discussion of the biblical type scene, Robert Alter speaks of the “patterns of repetition, symmetry, [and] contrast” which characterize the narratives of Scripture, patterns that give pleasure to the reader while also building up a web of meaningful connections between texts. 1 But if readers are to notice…

by Josh JensenJune 7, 2022
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Genesis

Did Eve Ruin Female Ordination?

In 1 Timothy 2, Paul writes: “I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression” (1 Timothy 2:12-14). This…

by Adam McIntoshMay 31, 2022
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Matthew

Warhorse Meek

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Matthew 5:5 When the above verse is read during a Lord’s Day service, no doubt, every extrovert in the room thinks to himself, “Well, that rules out me.” After all, the meek folks in the room are the ones you…

by Garrett SoucyMay 24, 2022
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Biblical Studies

Earth and Fire

The flames of the altar tell a mysterious story beyond mere atonement. The altar was a place of union, glory, worship, love and forgiveness, laughter and tears, renewal and hope. The altar is where Israel would feast with God, sacrifice to God, worship God, confess, and receive forgiveness from God.…

by Kyle LammottMay 23, 2022

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In a Beehive Far, Far Away

Max Gladstone doesn’t think that the human-looking creatures in Star Wars can be humans. After all, they inhabit a galaxy far, far away in a distant time. Humans evolved on earth, and fairly recently. He assembles the clues to their species identity. There are few women, yet the ones who…

May 12, 2014

Cold Warrior?

It’s popular to deride Putin as a throwback, a Cold Warrior out of his time. Peter Pomerantsev thinks this underestimates Putin’s grasp of contemporary geopolitical realities. A short story by one of Vladislav Surkov, an advisor to Putin, offers a clue to Putin’s strategy. Surkov’s story is about the fifth…

May 12, 2014

Reformational Catholicism Now

Pastor Tom Clark tells some stories of local catholicity at the Trinity House page this morning.

May 12, 2014

Tragedy of Disorder

King Lear is a tragedy of disorder, or so I argue at the Colson Center web site .

May 12, 2014

Ceaseless worship

When John enters heaven, he stumbles into a worship service. Four living creatures offer praise “day and night without cease” ( anapausis ), like the saints in 7:15 (like the temple servants in Leviticus 8:35; 1 Chronicles 9:33). The Lord exacts ceaseless day-and-night worship later on in the book: Those…

May 10, 2014

Ox, Lion, Eagle, Man

In Ezekiel and Revelation, the cherubim-living creatures are ox, lion, eagle, and man. If they represent the whole of living creation as worshipers, why are there no fish? Why two land creatures - ox and lion? Isn’t that discriminatory? Why not ox, crab, eagle, man? Other biblical lists of creatures,…

May 10, 2014

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