Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
That there is something wrong with the world is obvious. It does not take much time or brilliance to notice it. Once we get the feeling that we could imagine a better world, we are tempted to fix it or, if we cannot, to escape it. For both the world-fixers…
“Our Father in heaven,” what is man that we should be called your sons and daughters, beloved children of God Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, Yahweh of Hosts, the Ancient of Days. You are not a father preoccupied with work or engrossed in your smartphone; you are a present…
The Son of God took on human flesh and entered into the sin and suffering of our world. His life and teaching and suffering from His conception to His suffering on the cross teaches us a lot about how the good news enters into the world. Recently, I was teaching…
There is an unspoken rule about typology that permeates Evangelical thinking. It goes something like this: “If the New Testament authors don’t use an Old Testament character as a type, we don’t either.” There is a soundness in this reasoning, at least in a preliminary sense. There is no better…
In The world of Silence, Max Picard writes, “There does not seem to be any space left where there could possibly have been anything but noise. We take it for granted much as we take the air itself for granted. Everything begins and ends with noise.” Is it fair to…
God is Not There God is not in the book of Esther. Do a word search and you will get 0 results. Also try Lord, Yahweh, Prayer, Temple, or Sacrifice. Even names with God’s name in them, like Elijah, Jeremiah, or Daniel are missing. The fool says in his heart,…
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Paul uses the verb politeuo in Philippians 1:27, urging his readers to “conduct yourselves as citizens worthy of the gospel.” Doble points out that this same verb occurs in Acts 23:1, where Paul defends himself before the Sanhedrin by saying that he has “conducted himself with a perfectly good conscience…
A stimulating 2002 article from JSNT by Peter Doble argues that Philippians 3:21 is not talking about “vile bodies” that are going to be transformed, but about “our body, now discipline to humility” that will be conformed to the exalted, glorious body of the Lord and Savior awaited from heaven.…
In a 1985 article in Novum Testamentum , David Garland notes that Paul’s insults toward Jews and Judaizers in Philippians 3:2 are chiastically balanced by his commendation of the Philippians in verse 3. Thus: A. Dogs B. Evil workers C. Mutilation contrasts to C’. Circumcision B’. Spirit of God A’.…
Marilynne Robinson notes, “When crops failed in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1743, Jonathan Edwards of course told his congregation that they had thier own wickedness to blame for it. They had failed to do justice (his word) to the poor. He said, ‘Christian people are to give to others not only…
The 1648 Peace of Westphalia was, David Hart argues, not so much the conclusion of the wars of religion as the cause; that is, it was the victory of nationalism over imperialism and Christendom. Henri Daniel-Rops says, “The Treaties of Westphalia finally sealed the relinquishment by statesmen of a noble…
Several times in his stimulating Contours of Pauline Theology , Tom Holland claims that Paul’s references to displayed blood must refer to sacrifice becuase “there is only one sacrifice in the entire Old Testament that was given public display. It was the Paschal victim whose blood was daubed on the…
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