Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
What is below is fairly self-explanatory. This is an exchange I had with a local liberal clergyman on the subject of abortion. The circumstances of the debate are included in the text itself. I initially e-mailed this out to a list of clergy in our city after a local (and…
The seemingly humdrum parts of the Bible often hide overlooked wisdom. Take, for example, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. Their stories aren't exactly the most gripping or memorable. They are far less concrete than, say, the story of the Exodus. No one in Ezra is stricken blind or devoured…
For most of the past century, philosophical perspectives on life in the western world have been overtly grim and pessimistic. The optimism of the Enlightenment, generated by confidence in the scientific method and the potential of an increasingly civilized humanity to redress the evils of the world, was shattered by…
Chiastic structures are found all over the Bible, and in recent decades commentators have become more adept at spotting them. But identifying these literary structures is only part of the challenge. There remains the challenge of understanding what they mean. Part of the answer is found in the recognition that…
Part 1 can be found HERE . Clearly, more than just getting worship right is important in changing the world, but since worship is the central act of God’s people, performed on the first day of the week at the center of the world before the very face of God,…
“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed.” ( Luke 11:27 ) Arguing for Christian morality in a secular society is difficult. A culture which accepts evolutionary dogma has no intellectual place — or inherent desire — for absolute morality, since it believes morality…
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Jeffrey J. Niehaus’s Ancient Near Eastern Themes in Biblical Theology is a superb introduction to the subject. In a brief 180 pages, he examines the parallels between Israel and the surrounding Gentiles in their conceptions of God and kinship; their notions of covenant, law and conquest; their views on the…
Paul provides a key to understanding his life experience in 1 Timothy 1:16: Though a blasphemer and violent persecutor, he found mercy, so he could be a type ( hypotyposis , which includes the root typos ) for those who believe. Paul’s experience is a type. Of what? In his…
The University of Maryland reported recently that it’s cutting $292 million from its budget this year. Anyone making over $150,000 will take a pay cut. It’s not an isolated case. In their current form, universities are hugely expensive to run, and many were financially troubled even before the pandemic. This…
At the beginning, Cain and Abel both brought “tribute offerings” ( minchah ) to the gate of Eden (Genesis 4:3-4). After the flood, Noah offers the first “ascension offering” ( ‘olah ; Genesis 8:20). At Sinai, Israel offers “peace offerings” ( shelem ) for the first time (Exodus 20:24). At…
Exodus 29 gives instructions about how Aaron and his sons are to be consecrated ( qadash ) in order to “priest” ( kahan ) before Yahweh (29:1). Like the tabernacle and its furnishings, Aaron and his sons will be consecrated. They will become part of the holy house, so they…
"Without a concept of the covenant," writes Douglas Knight ( Covenant and Hope , 217-220), "we are left with man baffled by the world and by his neighbor, and unwilling to commit himself to the disciplines by which he could develop relationships with him." Every society requires two intra-human covenants,…
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