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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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Word Made Militant

The figure on the white horse in Revelation 19:11-16 is identified as the “Word of God” (v. 13) and as King of kings and Lord of lords (v. 16). This is the eternal Word made flesh, now made warrior and king. This Word is no passive Word, but a militant,…

July 22, 2015

Jesus, Root and Seed of David

Jesus speaks His final words to John in Revelation 22:16: I Jesus sent my angel to witness to you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, the star, the dazzling one of morning. It's a beautifully composed verse. Jesus begins with an emphatic ego…

July 22, 2015

Return of the Gods

In case you missed Hannes Stein's 1999 First Things piece on the return of ancient gods: Don't. It's more relevant today than when it was published. A few highlights: After describing human sacrifice among the Aztecs, Stein points out: “The Aztecs were not exceptionally cruel; and only a fool would…

July 22, 2015

Sodomy and the Bible

John Rankin submitted an amicus brief in Obergefell v. Hodges , and posted a version online. It's a rare instance of an effort to give an overtly biblical argument against same-sex marriage, one that is simultaneously grounded in the founding documents of the American system. The argument, in a nutshell,…

July 22, 2015

Structure in Revelation 19-21

Revelation 19-21:8 functions as a literary unit, broken up into subunits by the phrase “and I heard” (19:1; 21:3) and “and I saw” (19:11, 17, 19; 20:1, 4, 11; 21:1, 2). There are ten sections in all. The two “hearing visions” frame the section. In 19:1, John hears the loud…

July 21, 2015

Pomo Pentecostalism

David Martin ( Tongues of Fire , 165) cites a study of Mexican Pentecostal healing that highlights the anti-modernity of the Pentecostal movement. Like black culture and partly because of it, Pentecostalism is characterized by “an emphasis on the spoken as much as the written; the ‘telling' of faith and…

July 21, 2015

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