Theopolis Logo

Writing

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

See all
screen-shot-2019-09-03-at-7-00-44-am-2
Biblical Studies

Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 2)

Summary : The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analyzed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyze Gen. 38 in a range of different ways,…

by James BejonOctober 22, 2019
screen-shot-2019-09-03-at-7-00-44-am-2
Hermeneutics

Genesis 38 from Multiple Angles (Part 1)

Summary: The Bible is a multi-faceted text. As a result, it can fruitfully be analysed in many ways. Pace, context, flow, imagery: all of these aspects of the Biblical text are significant and instructive. Here, by way of illustration, I analyse Gen. 38 in a range of different ways, and…

by James BejonOctober 15, 2019
eco-warrior-princess-tsoeguwwzwo-unsplash
Biblical Theology

Church Planting as Garden Growing

The closing chapters of the Bible bring to fulfillment the mission inaugurated in the opening chapters of the Bible: the dwelling place of God expands to fill the entire new creation. The story of Scripture concludes having achieved God’s original intent for His people in the Garden of Eden, and…

by Drew KnowlesOctober 8, 2019
annie-spratt-rx1ij59jryu-unsplash
Economics

Gift Economies Aren't So Giving

Oddly, the nature of pre -modern economies plays a central role in today’s policy debate over economic globalization and neo-liberalism. Analysts take ancient non-market economies as the standard against which to measure the economic and social effects of the market system. Scholars compare the distribution of economic goods and services…

by James R. RogersOctober 1, 2019
20121120_1642723459__76354-1391444640-1280-1280-1014x487
Luke

Zacchaeus, (Part 2)

In part one of this essay, I mentioned that the story of Zacchaeus includes not only many details that point to other passages in Luke, but also details that point to the Old Testament, though we might not initially think of them. The first detail I have in mind is…

by Ralph Allan SmithSeptember 24, 2019
20121120_1642723459__76354-1391444640-1280-1280-1014x487
Luke

Zacchaeus (Part 1)

The story of Zacchaeus includes numerous interesting details that link this story with others in the Gospel of Luke. There are also details that tie the story of Zacchaeus to the Old Testament in ways that we might not initially take note of. In the Gospel of Luke, the story…

by Ralph Allan SmithSeptember 17, 2019

Showing page 74 of 309

See all
See all

Paedocommunion and the FV

My previous couple of posts highlight the fact that paedocommunion lurks behind the whole Federal Vision debate. Paedocommunion disambiguates the ambiguous “God is/isn’t your God” that paedobaptism without paedocommunion declares to our children.

June 15, 2007

Infant Baptism and the FV

The Federal Vision has been about a lot of things, but one of the central pastoral issues has to do with the status of our children, what we say to them, and how we say it. From one perspective, the Federal Vision is an effort to articulate a consistent paedobaptist…

June 15, 2007

Infant baptism and saving benefits

The PCA Federal Vision report condemns the notion that some receive saving benefits of Christ and later lose them. But this runs contrary to the PCA’s own covenant understanding of infant baptism and the statements of its own Constitution. Consider: Children of believers, all Presbyterians confess, are covenant children. At…

June 15, 2007
Theology

Letter to the Stated Clerk

This is a copy of a letter I sent to the stated clerk of my Presbytery this morning. To the Stated Clerk: I don’t know if I’m technically required to send this letter, but following the GA’s vote on the Federal Vision study committee yesterday, I thought it would be…

June 14, 2007
Theology

Theological debate in the PCA

It’s long been a frustration that there are few fora for theological discussion and debate in the PCA. Presbyteries sometimes devote time to such discussion, but that’s too rare. And GA is simply not a place where theological debate can be expected to happen. Yesterday’s debate on the Federal Vision…

June 14, 2007
Theology

Dubious innovators

During the PCA debate on the Federal Vision, PCA minister David Coffin dismissed NT Wright’s supposed claims to have discovered the gospel that had been hidden for centuries. Coffin found the claim dubious. I am dubious that Wright actually makes the claims that Coffin attributes to him. He claims to…

June 14, 2007

Showing page 1670 of 2212

Browse by Category

In Medias Res

Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.

Donate

Theopolis is nearly 100% donor-supported. Consider joining us on our mission.