Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The doctrine of justification is precious among Protestants. And it should be. The fact that God has declared our sins forgiven and that we have a righteous standing in the sight of God united to Christ is comforting and brings great joy. Unfortunately, the biblical teaching on justification is, many…
The Old Testament priests were given a number of seemingly disparate duties. As everyone knows, the priests led the sacrificial worship of Israel; only the priests could sprinkle blood on the altar or within the tabernacle, and only they could approach the altar to turn sacrificial animals into smoke. But…
M issional ecclesiology is all the rage these days, but for many being “missional” means downplaying or even eliminating concern for the “internal” life of the church, particularly its liturgical life. Missional and liturgical, mission and communio , are locked in zero-sum combat. That cannot be right. The liturgy is…
An old friend of mine, now passed into Heaven, started to say this in relationship to his sometimes troubled family, in the last quarter of his life, "I just had to take responsibility for the whole thing..." That was the seed for a new reading of the Gospel for me,…
She departed the port, dressed in her best ceremonial regalia, with tassels and flags fluttering from her mast and rigging. She stood tall, robed in mist, crowned in white, and backlit by the rising sun. There she sat, shimmering and spotless; with a perfect ragtop, and a full tank of…
John the Baptist is presented in the gospels as the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise that God would send His messenger to prepare the way for the coming of the glory of the Lord (Is. 40), and the promise to send Elijah before Him to turn the people to…
Showing page 103 of 309
Showing page 34 of 43
Today is the centenary of the birth of Pope John Paul II , who was far and away the greatest Christian leader of the twentieth century. In honor of his birth, here are some notes on the first section of his monumental Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology…
Exodus 28 has a fairly clear surface structure: A.Garments of glory and beauty, 28:1-5 B. Ephod and onyx stones, 28:6-14 C. Breastpiece of judgment, 28:15-30 D. Robe of the ephod, 28:31-35 E. Golden crown, tunic, turban, 28:36-39 F. Tunics and caps for Aaron's sons, 28:40 G. Breeches to cover flesh,…
Much remains uncertain about the new coronavirus, including its infection rate and its fatality rate. As if the natural uncertainty of such things weren't confusing enough, we're battered with conflicting narratives about the numbers, accusations of "fake news" tossed in every direction. Thus far, it seems healthy people without any…
Jim Jordan likes to talk about the " Enoch Factor ." The phrase refers to the historical phenomenon laid out in Genesis 4. Cain fathers Enoch and builds a city by the same name. In the line of Enoch are Jabal, the first animal husbandman, and Jubal, father of music,…
Alabama's Governor Kay Ivey loosened the shutdown last week, allowing more businesses to operate and opening the Gulf coast beaches. I appreciate the complexity of the issues governors face. They must make life-or-death decisions, without the kind of information they need to be certain their decisions are right. Governors throughout…
Exodus 25-30:10 is a single speech of Yahweh (cf. 25:1; 30:11), the "First Day" section of the Seven-Day tabernacle description. The most obvious structuring principle of the first speech is spatial. In general, the speech begins in the Most Holy Place, moves out, then moves back in. 1. Contribution from…
Showing page 30 of 2212
Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.
