Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
My first title for this series of posts was “Evangelical Sacramental Ecumenism” – not exactly a clickbait title. But those three words, evangelical, sacramental, and ecumenical, say a lot: The centrality of the gospel; a focus on baptism, bread, and wine; and the quest for visible unity among diverse churches.…
I can imagine someone reading the title of this essay and saying to himself, "I have two questions. First, what in the world is “contextualization”?" Second, even before hearing the answer to the first question, he may wonder, "what does baptism have to do with such an awkward and vague…
Deuteronomy 21:18-21 My colleague Ralph Smith has recently written on this passage, here . I entirely agree with Ralph's thrust, which is typological, that the passage is ultimately aimed at the entire nation of Israel itself as the rebellious son. But what I am thinking is from another perspective, perhaps…
In the previous article in this series, I drew attention to the threefold meaning of the Spirit of God descending as a dove on Jesus at His baptism. On a related note, I also argued that 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and Titus 3:3-7 were parallel passages that addressed the same issues…
The National Anthem protest is misguided. So too the conservative backlash. The Church’s response has been disappointing. I address each in turn. The greatest triumph of the American Civil Rights Movement was its seizing of the moral high ground in American politics. It did so by insisting only on those…
Peter Leithart’s book, The Priesthood of the Plebs: A Theology of Baptism , argues that baptism is parallel to and the fulfillment of the old covenant rite of priestly ordination. But this is not something explicitly stated in the New Testament. Why, then, should we believe it? Leithart shows in…
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Call me Malvolio. I was lately the steward of the house of the great and famed Countess Olivia of Illyria. You may have heard of her. I had charge of my Lady’s household retinue, the maids and men who clean, cook, and care for the house. I do my work…
Exodus 26 describes the formation of the tabernacle - the layered curtains, the boards and bases, the bars that secure the boards. The chapter ends with a description of the paroket , the veil that separates the Holy Place from the Most Holy (Exodus 26:31-37; v. 33). The screen is…
We're forcibly separated from each other. Residents of many cities around the world are sheltered in place, permitted to leave home only for basic necessities. It's tempting to hunker down in our personal bunkers, avoid contact with others, and wait out the storm. The opposite is true. More than usual,…
The tabernacle has walls of gold-plated wood (Exodus 26:15-25). Those walls are held together by gold-plated bars (26:26-30). There are five bars on each of the long sides of the tabernacle (vv. 26-27), and five bars across the back wall (Exodus 26:27). The bars are held in place by gold…
In my First Things column last week, I examined the “apocalyptic” character of the coronavirus epidemic. “Apocalypse” doesn’t mean “end of the world,” but “uncovering” or “unveiling.” In the column, I focused on how the epidemic can unveil our sins, our decadence, our distorted values and desires. Plagues unveil what…
Virtually all the characters in Muriel Spark’s 1959 novel, Memento Mori , are over 70. They suffer the physical humiliations of aging and the pains of regret. Unexpectedly, hilariously, they’re as competitive and petty as schoolchildren. Well into his 80s, Godfrey Colston scorns the crippled critic Guy Leets for the…
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