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Writing

Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Biblical Horizons

An Older Essay on the Gospel Order

I thought it might be good to put this up here, since it is 14 years old, and itself reflects earlier discussion. From this you can see that we at BH have been considering this notion for quite some time. Clearly, the last word has not been said. — James…

by James B. JordanFebruary 14, 2008
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Biblical Horizons

Chiasms in James

Hopefully, my commentary on James will be out later this year. But here are a few chiasms for your consideration. I think the James 5 chiasm orginally came from Doug Jordan. The entire book of James is focused on how the pastors and leaders (“brothers”) of the church use their…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 14, 2008
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Job

Parables | (Part 2)

In my first post I noted that the parables of Jesus were not simply illustrative stories. They are really nothing like the kind of simple, homely illustrations that preachers often use to explain difficult concepts to their congregations. Just to be clear: there’s nothing wrong with illustrating one’s sermonic statements.…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 14, 2008
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Ephesians

The Praise Precedes the Indicative

Ephesians is often treated as a pure type example of the Pauline method that “the indicative preceds the imperative.” But what Paul does first is pray . Simply reading verse 3 and following involves readers in a prayer of thanksgiving to God–and much more so for those listening to the…

by Mark HorneFebruary 14, 2008
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Luke

"I Came Not to Call the Righteous, but Sinners"

Yesterday, I took part with my oldest son in a church-sponsored city outreach project (not because I’m especially prone to such behavior but because my son has a Boy Scout requirement that this would help him meet). Before we were sent out on our various jobs, the leader gave a…

by Mark HorneFebruary 11, 2008
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Biblical Studies

The Sequence of the Four Gospels

There is a scene in Prince Caspian , the second in C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia that helps explain why it is we have four Gospels, that is four accounts of the Good News of Jesus Christ—Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. It is the account of Lucy’s longed-for experience…

by Jeff MeyersFebruary 9, 2008

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Politics

Socialists against Collectivism

John W. De Gruchy points out in his Christianity and Democracy that nineteenth-century Anglican socialists were concerned equally for the possessive individualism of capitalism and liberal democracy, and the deletion of the individual in collectivism. De Gruchy summarizes the views of William Temple: “respect for individual personality is the root…

June 22, 2009
Politics

Bailout State

In the same issue of the Weekly Standard , Matthew Continetti analyzes the “bailout state.” The point of government management of the auto, banking, and other industries is not merely to save jobs (and votes) and support organized labor. More, in the bailout state, the government can “transform once-private companies…

June 22, 2009
Literature

George Steiner

James Gardner captures the eccentricity, flaws, and brilliance of George Steiner in a short piece in the June 15 issue of the Weekly Standard . His weaknesses are manifest - Steiner is “an unapologetic know-it-all and acrobatic show-off” given to “incessant posturings in print.” Gardner describes his usual modus as…

June 22, 2009

Sermon notes

INTRODUCTION God is a God of music. The Spirit-breath glorifies the Word of the Father, and is the music of the Triune life. Made in the image of this God, we are musical instruments, created for praise. Jesus speaks with a voice like the sound of many waters (Revelation 1:16…

June 22, 2009

Eucharistic meditation

Job 19:25-26: I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth, even after my skin which they have cut off, yet from my flesh I shall see God; whom I myself shall behold, and whom my eyes shall see and not…

June 21, 2009

Exhortation

At one point in his debate with Job, Eliphaz says that “the heavens are not pure in God’s sight.” That may have been true when he spoke it. Blood from bulls, goats, and sheep never cleansed the heavens. But it’s not true anymore. Jesus purified heaven with better blood, His…

June 21, 2009

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