Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
A Look at John 1.17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The above quotation is John 1.17 and comes from the New King James Version of the Bible. It is quite similar to the original translation in the old King James…
And the Child continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom; and the grace of God was upon Him. There is nothing faulty in this translation (New American Standard Bible); Jesus was the recipient of the grace of God His Father from whom He is eternally begotten and with…
When Paul wrote to Philemon asking him to forgive his runaway slave, Onesimus, he gave Philemon an interesting perspective on how God used Onesimus’ action to bring about his conversion: For perhaps he was for this reason parted from you for a while, that you should have him back forever,…
Adam’s good works were acceptable to God. He could do them and God would receive them. Our own “good” works, our very best works, require the forgiveness of God and the continual intercession of Jesus Christ due to their impurity. Thus, it is appropriate to describe God’s covenant with Adam…
In Mark’s Gospel we read: “And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, ‘He is possessed by Beelzebul,’ and ‘He casts out the demons by the ruler of the demons’” (3.22). Jesus replied in part, “Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of…
A Primer for Church Members on the Nature and Functions of the Body of Christ Introductory Note: I intend this paper to serve as something of a “user’s guide” for church members, though church leaders may also find it valuable in developing vision statements for their local bodies. I have…
Showing page 237 of 309
Showing page 42 of 43
Peter Turchin offers a sobering analysis of the state of America in 2020. He thinks we're in a potentially revolutionary moment. Revolutions are products of structural instabilities combined with triggering events. America's structural dislocations are serious: “increasing popular immiseration (declining incomes, falling life expectancies, growing social pessimism and despair), elite…
The description of the rite of ordination ends with a brief notice of what the priests are to do at the altar as a “continuous” ( tamiyd ) daily offering (Exodus 29:38, 42). Verses 38-42 are arranged in a simple chasm: A. Continuous offering each day, v. 38 B. Morning…
In a recent Theopolis podcast, Alastair Roberts called attention to the chameleon quality of the apostle Paul. When the magistrates of Philippi want to send him away quietly, Paul reveals he’s a Roman citizen – news both to the magistrates and to readers of Acts (Acts 16:35-40). In Jerusalem, his…
All Levitical sacrifices are food rites. Sometimes, Yahweh alone eats from His altar-table (the ‘olah , “ascension offering”). Sometimes, He shares His bread with the priests (certain forms of the hattat , “sin offering”). Sometimes, the food gets split three ways, among Yahweh, priests, and worshipers ( shelem , “peace…
Matthew Bates argues in The Birth of the Trinity that Trinitarian theology emerged from prosopological reading of the Old Testament. This isn't the same as typology. In a typological reading, David, say, is “regarded . . . as a type or pattern for the future Christ, while at the same…
In the midst of the COVID pandemic, many today put their hopes in a vaccine. It’s a vain hope. Our capacity to control the world of viruses is very limited. Microbes are the most common forms of life on our planet, with “5 x 10 30 bacteria” and ten times…
Showing page 24 of 2212
Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.
