Theopolis Logo

Writing

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

See all
screen-shot-2022-03-31-at-8-39-54-am
Acts

Journeys of the Prophets in Luke-Acts

In an earlier paper 1 I argued that the story of Jonah belongs in the book of KINGS. Jonah and the unnamed Judean prophet in 1K13 are paired by the author through literary links. The Judean prophet travels longitudinally to confront national paganism and is killed but not swallowed by…

by Scott FairbanksNovember 15, 2022
attach246769_20220724_213227-1
Biblical Theology

The Liturgical Day and the Eschatological Day

The Scriptures have much to say about “the day.” “This is the day that the Lord has made,” sings the Psalmist (Psalm 118:24). But what exactly is the day ? Or, more broadly, what even is a day? Days make up human life like water, light, and air. There’s no…

by Jackson ShepardNovember 8, 2022
screen-shot-2021-08-12-at-2-57-54-pm
John

Worship in Spirit and Truth

According to the Westminster Confession of Faith 21:5, “God is to be worshipped everywhere, in spirit and truth, …” A similar phrase is found in the OPC’s Directory for Public Worship (II.6). In my experience in the OPC and other Reformed churches, the phrase is often interpreted to mean that…

by Brian NolderNovember 1, 2022
adam-and-eve-in-the-garden-of-eden-wenzel-peter
Genesis

Through New Eyes: Eve's Desire and Adam's Rule

Introduction In Genesis 3:16, after the fall, God said that Eve would “desire” her husband and that her husband would “rule” over her. It is popular for Christians to interpret Eve's desire as sinful, that she would try to usurp her husband's authority. Likewise, some interpret Adam's rule as sinful,…

by Adam McIntoshOctober 25, 2022
tingey-injury-law-firm-dzpc4uy8zty-unsplash
American Culture

LGBTQ+ Is Not Enough! — TMPZ+

White Western/Christian society has long discriminated against lesbians and homosexuals — ever since the days of Moses — who was neither white nor Christian, but that is beside the point — who claimed that God gave him revelation about what a man or woman is and how they should relate…

by Ralph Allan SmithOctober 18, 2022
screen-shot-2022-10-11-at-8-04-08-am
Humor

A History of Quiet Times

They Found a Book in a Wall, You Won’t Believe What Happens Next The secret behind the history of quiet times will make your quiet times more effective than ever. One of the enduring mysteries of American Evangelicalism is the question of the source of Quiet Times: A Handbook ,…

by George EdemaOctober 11, 2022

Showing page 38 of 309

See all

Showing page 24 of 43

See all

Structure of Ezekiel 1-24

Thomas Renz ( Rhetorical Function of the Book of Ezekiel) argues that "The first twenty-four chapters of the book present a loosely structured movement in cycles with ever greater involvement of the readers." Each cycle is "marked by a narrative portion which includes either a date (1:1-3) or a notice…

June 18, 2018

Blasphemy in the Camp

Recent commentators on Leviticus have emphasized the “ mixed” character of the blasphemer in chapter 24. He's the son of an Israelite mother and an Egyptian father. While acknowledging the importance of that feature of the story, Leigh Trevaskis thinks that the emphasis should be placed on the location of…

June 15, 2018

Person v. Mode of Being

Barth and Rahner both rejected using "person" to describe the Father, Son, and Spirit, opting instead of a translation of the Cappadocian phrase tropoi hyparxeos , three "modes of being" or "manners of subsistence." William Hasker ( Metaphysics and the Tri-Personal God , 93-94)wonders what payoff they hope to gain,…

June 14, 2018

Machiavellian "Realism"

Pierre Manent offers a needed corrective to glib modern talk about Machiavelli's "realism" ( An Intellectual History of Liberalism ). He acknowledges that "in political 'reality' there are murders, conspiracies, coups d'etat." But that's not the whole story: "there are also periods and regimes without murders, or conspiracies, or coups…

June 13, 2018

Christ Our Hope

Christian hope has a Eucharistic shape, and Eucharistic hope is hope in Christ. Our hope is in Christ (1 Corinthians 15:19; Ephesians 1:12). Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Christ’s resurrection is the target of Abrahamic faith, he who hoped against hope for resurrection, for new…

June 12, 2018

Feast of Hope

The Eucharist is a feast of faith; it is a love feast. It also embodies the third theological virtue. Hope is inherent to the Eucharist. In Luke’s account of the Last Supper, Jesus calls attention to the future reality of which the Supper is a sign. He expresses his desire…

June 11, 2018

Showing page 68 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.