Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
This essay is adapted from my articles in Theopolis’s In Medias Res as a series of Holy Week meditations. Like many celebrities such as Kanye or Beyoncé or Adele, Josquin des Prez (d. 1521) was often known only by his first name, in his own time as now. “Josquin” is…
Sight is a major theme in the scriptures. The church has long identified sight’s relationship to the future fulfillment of the eschaton. As Paul says, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face” (1 Cor 13.12). Sight is associated with…
What is the chief end of man? —yes, to glorify God and enjoy him forever. But how ought man–and all creation–so glorify him? I propose a Theopolitan addition to the catechism, question and answer number 1.5, begun in the last question and answered as follows: Earth’s inhabitants were created to…
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. Genesis 49:21 Frederick Buechner once said, “We move into the extraordinary by way of the ordinary.” In poetry, this happens by way of a compressed code of analogs; often, two or more very ordinary things begin to reveal something that…
The evangelical milieu of America has often lost a vision of the fruit of repentance. We tend to simplify repentance by asking for forgiveness. After all, Jesus tells Peter to forgive 70 times 7. This verse must be paired with Paul’s scoffing at the question: why not sin more so…
I. The hemorrhaging woman. En route to Jairus’ house, Jesus is touched by a woman with a hemorrhage of blood (Matt 9:18–26; Mk 5:21–34; Lk 8:40–48). The story is one that many of us know very well. She has been yoked to her illness for twelve years, all of her…
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Paul’s discussion of Adam and Christ (Romans 5) is chiastically arranged: A. Sin enters the world and death through sin, vv 12 B. Sin before Law, but sin not imputed where there is no law, v 13 C. Transgression of Adam v free gift vv 14-16 D. Death reigned/reign in…
Romans 4 has been a central text in historic debates about justification. Naturally so, since here Abraham is presented as the model believer, who is reckoned righteous because he believes God’s promises. That’s accurate. Despite some denials from New Perspective commentators, Romans 4 does speak of Abraham as a model…
In a brief discussion of Genesis 1 in his Reading Genesis Well , C. John Collins summarizes the "illocution or rhetorical force" of the passage. What's the author trying to persuade his readers about? The narrative, he says, "shapes for Israel their vision of the good human life, as participating…
Alessandra Bocchi writes about the fate of Hong Kong's Christians at FirstThings.com . The freedom struggle there is about Hong Kong's independence. It's also a struggle for the freedom of the churches. Bocchi writes that "Hong Kong citizens fear that this extradition bill would give the Chinese government power to…
In Romans 3:21-22, Paul writes, "But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe." Paul has already mentioned the righteousness of God. It's…
David French writes that the civil rights movement should give beleaguered Evangelicals hope in the current cultural malaise. He's partly right, partly wrong. He's right that white Christians have much to learn from the history of African American Christianity. Once Protestants formed the American elite. Nowadays, though theologically conservative Protestants…
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