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Matthew

Fertile Toledots

The Book of Genesis contains eleven distinct markers readily acknowledged as the toledot formula. 1 Commentator Nahum Sarna counts the ’elleh toledot to be “…one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Book of Genesis”. 2 Among translations, the noun is variously translated as “generations” (ESV, KJV), “records of the generations”…

by Ben LoveladyDecember 20, 2022
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Romans

Who was Judah's Wickedest King? (Kings & Romans 1:18ff)

The answer that immediately comes to mind to the question in the title is Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah. He was conceived during the extension of life that God granted Hezekiah in response to his ardent prayer on his sick bed (2 Kings 20:1-11, 21:1). His reign is summarized in…

by Mark HorneDecember 13, 2022
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Ecclesiology

The End of Premium Mediocre Church

Back in 2019, on a whim, I sketched out a setting for a modern fantasy story: a single coffee shop that is simultaneously present in multiple cities throughout the world: “...you know the one. Books by local authors, brochures for a walking tour of the city’s outdoor sculpture, a poetry…

by Tim NicholsDecember 6, 2022
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Colossians

Colossians 4:2, “Watch"

Peter O’Brien’s translation of Colossians 4:2 surprised me: “Persevere in prayer as you watch for the Lord’s return, and be thankful.” 1 What is surprising about that? Well, none of my English translations mentioned “the Lord’s return” — nor does the Greek text! Translated literally, the verse just says: “In…

by Ralph Allan SmithNovember 29, 2022
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Books

The Laws and the Cosmos: A Brief Response to Stephen Wolfe on Cicero

I Natural Law This is a brief (well, briefer than it could be) first attempt at responding to a very small section of Stephen Wolfe’s recent book The Case for Christian Nationalism . It’s partial, deeply incomplete, and does not at all address the book as a whole; it is…

by Susannah Black RobertsNovember 24, 2022
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Formation

A Bad Man Speaking Well

The scuttlebutt of the last hundred years would tell us that Albert Einstein was a horrible husband, Winston Churchill was a racist, Mother Theresa was a hypocrite, and Caravaggio a murderer. From Benjamin Britten’s boys to Gandhi’s girls, it can be depressing and confusing to hear about people of great…

by Garrett SoucyNovember 22, 2022

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Tarantino

New York Press critic Armond White has offered the most incisive summary of Tarantino’s work and influence: “QT made sadism hip and sent it ‘round the world.” In another piece on Tarantino, White points (less convincingly, but still interestingly) to “QT’s” play with race: “Tarantino is the first white filmmaker…

November 16, 2004

Buttiglione and Europe

The European Parliament’s opposition to the nomination of philosopher Rocco Buttiglione for the position of justice minister on the European Commission is noteworthy for a number of reasons. As Christopher Caldwell points out in the Novemeber 15 issue of The Weekly Standard , this is the first time that the…

November 16, 2004

Eucharistic Meditation, November 14

Revelation 19:7 The beginning of Solomon?s sin was intermarriage, marriage to unbelieving, pagan, idolatrous wives and concubines. As I noted in the sermon, there are consistent warnings about this throughout the Scriptures, from Genesis to Deuteronomy to Kings to Ezra-Nehemiah to Corinthians. Everywhere Scripture warns that we must not cleave…

November 15, 2004

Exhortation, November 14

Scripture has a lot to say about the blessings of old age. ?The gray head,?Ethe Proverb says, ?is a crown of glory; it is found in the way of righteousness.?E According to another Proverb, the elderly have another crown: ?Grandchildren are the crown of old men.?E The Psalmist says that…

November 14, 2004

Sacrifice and Worship

INTRODUCTION Last week, we looked at some NT texts that used the ?ceremonial law?Eof the Levitical system as a guide for the life and worship of the church. It?s clear that the apostles did not believe that the ?ceremonial law?Eis ?merely typological,?Efulfilled in Jesus?Edeath and resurrection, but with no further…

November 14, 2004

Successful Disobedience

Jonah obeyed God’s commission, and preached successfully to Nineveh. They all repented in sackcloth. Earlier, though, Jonah DISOBEYED God’s commission, and preached successfully to the sailors on the ship. They all feared Yahweh and sacrificed and took vows. It appears that disobedient evangelism is as effective as obedient evangelism. Or,…

November 13, 2004

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