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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 3: Reunion of Man and Beast in Christ

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 27, 2025
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Matthew

Authority that Heals: Unpacking Matthew 4:18 – 10:4

Many years ago, while perusing Janice Anderson’s revised doctoral dissertation, Matthew’s Narrative Web: Over, and Over, and Over again , I was impressed by her attention to literary structures of repetition within and across Matthew’s Gospel. 1 Her research, in part, nudged me closer toward my present conviction that Matthew…

by Jonathan SedlakOctober 21, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 2: The Animalistic Dehumanization of Sin

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 20, 2025
screen-shot-2025-10-14-at-7-34-36-am
Song of Songs

Like a Lily Among Thorns: Hailing the Suffering Christ in Canticles

“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the maidens… My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures among the lilies.” Song 2:2, 16 In chapter two of the Song of Solomon, the Beloved compares his Love to a lily among thorns. The language of…

by Mark BriansOctober 14, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 1: The Shared Spirit of Men and Beasts

Introduction From the very beginning, angels and animals have played mediating roles between God and Man. Just as the World was made three-tiered (Heaven, Earth, Deep), so the creatures were made (Angels, Men, Animals). Before Christ came to build the permanent bridge across the chasm between God and Man, various…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 13, 2025
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Matthew

Parables of Land and Sea in Matthew 13

Matthew 13, the third major discourse of the apostle’s gospel, is comprised almost entirely of parables. While it may seem that all the parables serve the same purpose in fulfilling the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), the parables found in verses 44–52, at the very least, function outside that purpose. This…

by David TownsendOctober 9, 2025
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Introduction to Christology

Below are some notes for an introductory lecture on Christology. INTRODUCTION Christology is frequently divided into two sections, the first dealing with the person of Christ and the second dealing with the work of Christ. That division is far from sharp; Jesus?Ework depends on Jesus?Eidentity. But I will accept this…

January 25, 2005
Literature

“Plague All”: Timon of Athens

INTRODUCTION In style and form, Timon of Athens more resembles a medieval morality play than a Shakespearean tragedy. Timon is mentioned briefly in Plutarch?s life of Marc Antony and was the subject of a drama by Lucian, and by Shakespeare?s time was already a proverbial misanthrope. Shakespeare?s depiction of him…

January 25, 2005
Literature

“Plague All”: Timon of Athens

INTRODUCTION In style and form, Timon of Athens more resembles a medieval morality play than a Shakespearean tragedy. Timon is mentioned briefly in Plutarch?s life of Marc Antony and was the subject of a drama by Lucian, and by Shakespeare?s time was already a proverbial misanthrope. Shakespeare?s depiction of him…

January 25, 2005

Cross and Culture: Sacrifice and the Redemption of Society

This is based on a lecture delivered at NSA several years ago. I have not been able to prepare this for publication, though I hope to do so someday. My title is ?Cross and Culture,?Ebut that needs to be made more specific. The cross is described in the New Testament…

January 25, 2005
Literature

Thoughts on Midsummer Night’s Dream

These comments reflect and build upon some private correspondence from James B. Jordan, August 2004. 1) Like many of Shakespeare plays, MSND works on an opposition between city and country, between the civilized world and a natural ?green world?E(Northrop Frye). Within the city, law rules, even thought it inhibits desire,…

January 25, 2005
Literature

Thoughts on Midsummer Night’s Dream

These comments reflect and build upon some private correspondence from James B. Jordan, August 2004. 1) Like many of Shakespeare plays, MSND works on an opposition between city and country, between the civilized world and a natural ?green world?E(Northrop Frye). Within the city, law rules, even thought it inhibits desire,…

January 25, 2005

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