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Writing

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

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Masculinity

Ringing the Brothel Door

Bruce Marshall once wrote that every young man who rings the bell at a brothel is unconsciously looking for God. While it is not necessarily true that the inward desire of every man is ultimately a thirst for righteousness, it is true that every sin is the disordering of a…

by Garrett SoucyOctober 31, 2023
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Ruth

Work and Gratitude in Ruth

In a previous essay , I argued that the story which begins with Lot and culminates in Ruth’s great-grandson David follows God’s five-fold pattern of creative work as laid out by Jim Jordan: taking something in hand (in this case, the Abrahamic family), restructuring it, distributing the product of labor,…

by Josh JensenOctober 27, 2023
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Books

Men, Marriage, and the Feminine Imperative: A Review of "Men and Marriage"

Gilder, George. Men and Marriage. Moscow, ID: Canon Press, 2023. 1 By 1973, the hightide of second-wave feminism had flooded the beaches of American culture. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique eroded the shores of traditional female roles by naming and stirring up further domestic discontentment. Kate Millet wrote her dissertation-turned-book,…

by Bill SmithOctober 17, 2023
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Galatians

Get Behind Me, Eliphaz!

The Book of Job is a very tortuous book. The arguments of Job and his friends are shot through with truth and error hopelessly mixed together. Every line of contentious poetry stands locked in deadly battle with every other line. As maddening as this can be for a reader who…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 10, 2023
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Apostle Paul

Before His Conversion, Paul Knew Jesus

More than once in the last 50 years it has occurred to me that Paul might have known Jesus before He appeared to Paul on the Damascus road, but I had never taken up the notion in earnest until recently when I ran into a book by Stanley Porter titled…

by Ralph Allan SmithOctober 4, 2023
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Acts

Did Peter Found the Church in Rome?

The question in the title is genuine, not polemic. I could be perfectly happy to follow an ancient — and what is regarded as a well-attested — tradition. But I do not feel compelled to follow it simply because it is tradition. I would like to have arguments that Peter…

by Ralph Allan SmithSeptember 26, 2023

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LukeMatthew

Deuteronomy 8:3 in Luke

Like Matthew, Luke records Jesus’ quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3 in response to the devil’s temptation. But the quotations differ: Matthew 4:4: “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” Luke 4:4: “Man shall not live on bread alone.” What’s…

August 25, 2003
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LukeNumerology

Numerical Patterns in Luke

A couple of interesting numerical patterns in Luke: First, in Luke 18:31-34, Jesus predicts His coming suffering and death in this way: [The Son of Man] will be 1) delivered to the Gentiles 2) mocked 3) mistreated 4) spit upon 5) scourged 6) killed But when the Gentiles have done…

August 25, 2003
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ExhortationHow to Worship

Exhortation, August 24

Exhortation for August 24, 2003. Worship is God’s work on us. We assemble in the presence of the Triune God not only to offer our praise and worship to the Father in the Son by the Spirit. We also assemble in His presence so that the Spirit can work on…

August 24, 2003
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AbortionScience

Abortion and Technology

There’s an important article on the abortion issue in the August 18/25 issue of The New Republic . Though written from a pro-choice perspective, it shows how advances in technology are likely to undermine Roe v. Wade. The main breakthrough has to do with the development of ectogenesis, an external…

August 24, 2003
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RomansTheology

The Structure of Romans

Below are some notes on the structure of Romans. Thanks to my student, John Lewis, who has done some interesting structural work on Romans, and shared his overall outline of the book with me. These notes are all tentative. First, the general overview, and then some discussion of the linkages…

August 23, 2003
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CultureCulture Wars

Alabama & Ten Commandments

Alabama’s struggle over the Ten Commandment monument is important and intriguing on a number of fronts. One fascinating aspect is the behavior of Alabama Attorney General Bill Pryor. Pryor has been nominated for a federal judicial seat, and when he appeared in DC in June for hearings on the nomination…

August 22, 2003

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