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

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John

Jesus, David, Adam: A Reading of John 18:1-11

John 18:1-11 appears on the surface to be a straightforward, if somewhat unusual, narrative of Jesus’ arrest by officers of the chief priests and Pharisees accompanied by an apparently large group of Roman soldiers, all of them led by the betrayer, Judas. But there is much more here than what…

by Ralph Allan SmithJuly 3, 2013
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American Politics

Not So Special

Why is the US embroiled in the Middle East? There are two primary answers: Oil and Israel. Both are fairly intractable problems, the latter in significant part because of the unique convergence of theology and politics that has forged American policy in the region. Dispensationalists insist that we must bless…

by Peter LeithartJuly 1, 2013
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Hermeneutics

Raven of the Gospel

There’s a common theme that arises in the study of theologians James B. Jordan and Peter Leithart. It is this: Context matters. Details matter. This is God’s Word. The details are not arbitrary “filler” hiding the kernel of truth in the husk of the text. The husk and the kernel…

by Troy GreeneJune 26, 2013
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Anxiety

Marriage and Betrayal

Perhaps the most fearful of all possibilities in the world is the possibility of betrayal on the part of someone who is in a “position of trust.” This, unfortunately, is the first block in what ought to be the foundation of every marriage in the world. Every woman has a…

by Richard BledsoeJune 24, 2013
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Theopolis News

One More Week

Only one more week to register to the Trinity Term class on "How to Read the Bible," taught by James Jordan and Peter Leithart. Sign up today!

by Peter LeithartJune 24, 2013
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Homosexuality

Reorienting our Sex Talk

The way we talk about the world matters. Our doctrine of creation tells us that words do not simply reflect reality. They also shape it and the way we inhabit it. Among the world’s many language groups, the Church is distinct. She is called to name things with Scriptural language,…

by Matthew MasonJune 19, 2013

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Baptismal meditation, October 23

Acts 9:15-19: But the Lord said to Ananias, Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake. And Ananias departed and entered the…

October 23, 2005

Aunt Jezebel

For those inclined to have some sympathy with Dido, Wiseman offers a jarring bit of genealogical information: “according to Josephus . . . , [Ethbaal] was priest of the gods Astarte and Melquart. He ruled [Tyre] for thirty-two years. His granddaughter Dido founded Carthage. His daughter Jezebel married Ahab early…

October 23, 2005

David the ark

Donald Wiseman points out that the word for the “coverings” over David in 1 Kings 1 is the same as the word for the coverings of the tabernacle. Perhaps David is being implicitly compared to the ark of the covenant; the Lord is “enthroned” above David, a notion that would…

October 23, 2005

Mary and Martha

Mary and Martha form a double Israel, two women living in the same house. One spends her time housekeeping, ignoring Jesus because she has too much to do in her little home temple and grumbling (like the older brother in the Prodigal Son) that she is not appreciated. Mary gives…

October 22, 2005

What the Law Can’t Do

Would Adam have escaped the curse if he had repented when the Lord confronted him in the garden? To answer with a question: Did Josiah’s repentance save Israel? The threat of the covenant is, “dying you shall die,” and that happens whenever the covenant is broken. As Gowan points out…

October 20, 2005

What the Law Can’t Do

Would Adam have escaped the curse if he had repented when the Lord confronted him in the garden? To answer with a question: Did Josiah’s repentance save Israel? The threat of the covenant is, “dying you shall die,” and that happens whenever the covenant is broken. As Gowan points out…

October 20, 2005

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