Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
From time to time, when I’ve lectured on how to read the Bible, I’ve used art-music as one example thereof. When we listen to a simple folk song, we hear the same melody over and over again, but this is not how composers write "high" music. Let me amplify. A…
Sermons are rarely more tiresome than when they strive for relevance. Drawing from the latest headlines transforms the preacher into a one-man MacLaughlin Group, a Crossfire without the cross though perhaps with some of the fire, and leave the congregation thinking, "If I wanted Meet the Press, I could have…
Part One: The Old Testament “Drink is in itself a good creature of God, and to be received with thankfulness, but the abuse of drink is from Satan, the wine is from God, but the drunkard is from the Devil” Increase Mather in Wo to Drunkards (1673). 1. The “wine”…
28. These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away into exile: in the 7th year 3023 Jews. 29. In the 18th year of Nebuchadnezzar 832 persons from Jerusalem. 30. In the 23rd year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried into exile 745 Jewish people; there were 4600…
Revelation 21:24 says, concerning the light shining from the New Jerusalem, "and the nations will walk by her light, and the kings of the land will bring their glory into her." Similarly, Revelation 22:2 says, concerning the Tree of Life, that "the leaves of the tree were for the healing…
Jeremiah and the Beginning of Jehoiakim’s Reign Now comes Jeremiah, at the beginning of Jehoiakim’s reign, with similar words (Jeremiah 26). Harken to God’s law, he said, or else God will destroy the Temple the same way He sent the Philistines to tear down the Tabernacle at Shiloh (Jeremiah 26:6;…
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J ohn 8:1-11 is a difficult, controversial passage in all sorts of ways. There are strong text-critical arguments for claiming it's not part of the original text of John. It would be a convenient absence, because if it's genuine, the passage raises all sorts of puzzles. The Pharisees who bring…
F ollowing Varro, Augustine distinguished three forms of ancient religion: The fabulous religion of the myths, the sophisticated religion of philosophers, and the public religion of the polis. These three categories of ancient religion are evident in Luke’s account of the early church’s missionary encounters. In Philippi (Acts 16) and…
C hrist is strictly catholic,” writes Herman Hoeksema ( Reformed Dogmatics , 608). He is “rich unto all that call upon him,” whether Jew or gentile. Christ is the “Lord, rich with salvation for all the nations of the earth.” He is not merely the universal Lord of humanity, but…
T .H. Breen reviews recent books on Ben Franklin at the TLS . Along the way, he summarizes the argument of Carla Mulford's Benjamin Franklin and the Ends of Empire : “Franklin developed a coherent theory of colonial sovereignty well before the final revolutionary crisis. . . . Franklin concluded…
P aul delivered a sermon in Athens (Acts 17). It's addressed to philosophers and pagan priests. It also expresses a theological vision. What is the theology of the Mars Hill sermon? God . Christianity is a message about God. He is the maker of the world, not merely the world…
A t the beginning of his account of The Origins of Criticism , Andrew Ford offers an initial definition of criticism: “To begin this study, criticism will be any public act of praise or blame upon a performance of song.” That definition brings out several features of early criticism. First,…
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