Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
When might the Gospel according to Matthew have been written? Of course, any answer can only be speculation, but that does not mean we are reduced to groundless opinion. In this series of articles I point the way to an approach different from the general consensus among scholars today which…
In my first essay on “synopticity” I offered a rather rough definition of the phenomenon and important, though not exhaustive examples. In this essay, I want to introduce broader aspects of the phenomenon of “synopticity.” The first example that I have in mind is conventional stories, stories of different historical…
Since the judgment of Babel was followed by the initiation of the circumcision, the impending end of the circumcision in AD70 explains the significance of the first century miracle of foreign tongues. Except for a few Aramaic “teasers” in the book of Daniel, the Word of God was monolingual and…
To the best of my knowledge “synopticity” is not a word used in theology or Biblical studies, but it seems an appropriate word to describe the kind of phenomena associated with the Synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These three Gospels tell essentially the same story with significant — sometimes…
Humor is a funny thing. It is altogether familiar yet also mysterious. What makes us laugh? Why do we find things funny? There are academic fields of study dedicated to discovering what makes things humorous. These academicians even have a journal entitled International Journal of Humor Research . No joke.…
Out of all the characters in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales , the Pardoner has been called the “one lost soul.” The pious Parson, who closes out the collection of tales with a sermon on the seven deadly sins and how a sinner can absolve himself of them, connects the…
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Daniel Albright ( Panaesthetics ) emphasizes the learned codes by which we discern musical meanings: “Today most of the codes that cue us to feel come from quotation, either direct quotation of musical phrases or indirect quotation of certain gestures we have learned to associate with certain emotions.” Learned where?…
The following remarks were given to introduce the first annual Nevin Lectures, February 7, 2014. Trinity House [now Theopolis] was founded in 2012 to promote the reformation of the church by training pastors, future pastors, and lay people in Scripture and liturgical theology. We believe the church exists for the…
Michael Allen and Scott Swain argue in their Reformed Catholicity (which I review here ) that the “rule of faith” that encapsulates the main thrust of Scripture provides a key that unlocks the treasures of Scripture. The rule arises from Scripture, but then becomes a pre-understanding of the whole Bible…
Revelation uses the word “sign” ( semeion ) seven times, all between chapters 12 and 20. This is John’s second book of signs, matching the early part of his gospel. Through these seven signs, new creation arrives. There are three overlapping variations in the passages that deal with signs -…
Goliath is dressed in metal: Bronze helmet, bronze scale armor, bronze greaves. His javelin is bronze, the head of his spear is iron. The original metal outfit in the Bible is the breastplate of the high priest, with its gold thread woven with other threads. With his scale armor, Goliath…
W ith Their Rock Is Not Like Our Rock , Daniel Strange has written a superb book on the theology of religions. The book is careful, patient, methodologically conscious and conscientious, combining biblical and systematic theology with missiological interest. Strange makes extensive use of the Dutch Reformed tradition of Herman…
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