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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 3: Reunion of Man and Beast in Christ

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 27, 2025
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Matthew

Authority that Heals: Unpacking Matthew 4:18 – 10:4

Many years ago, while perusing Janice Anderson’s revised doctoral dissertation, Matthew’s Narrative Web: Over, and Over, and Over again , I was impressed by her attention to literary structures of repetition within and across Matthew’s Gospel. 1 Her research, in part, nudged me closer toward my present conviction that Matthew…

by Jonathan SedlakOctober 21, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 2: The Animalistic Dehumanization of Sin

Abbreviated Introduction to the Series Scripture is absolutely dripping with animal metaphors. Animal traits, characteristics, and appearances are attributed to God, Man, Angels, Nations, Armies. Since animals are the lowest creature in the three-tiered hierarchy, they are useful to metaphorically focus on a single aspect of God (bold like a…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 20, 2025
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Song of Songs

Like a Lily Among Thorns: Hailing the Suffering Christ in Canticles

“Like a lily among the thorns, so is my love among the maidens… My beloved is mine and I am his; he pastures among the lilies.” Song 2:2, 16 In chapter two of the Song of Solomon, the Beloved compares his Love to a lily among thorns. The language of…

by Mark BriansOctober 14, 2025
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Biblical Theology

Biblical Bestiary and Covenant Creatures, Part 1: The Shared Spirit of Men and Beasts

Introduction From the very beginning, angels and animals have played mediating roles between God and Man. Just as the World was made three-tiered (Heaven, Earth, Deep), so the creatures were made (Angels, Men, Animals). Before Christ came to build the permanent bridge across the chasm between God and Man, various…

by Jonathan WhiteOctober 13, 2025
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Matthew

Parables of Land and Sea in Matthew 13

Matthew 13, the third major discourse of the apostle’s gospel, is comprised almost entirely of parables. While it may seem that all the parables serve the same purpose in fulfilling the prophet Isaiah (Matthew 13:14), the parables found in verses 44–52, at the very least, function outside that purpose. This…

by David TownsendOctober 9, 2025
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Sermon Outline, July 11

Covenant by Sacrifice, Leviticus 1:1-17 INTRODUCTION According to Psalm 50:5, Yahweh?s ?godly ones,?EIsrael, ?make a covenant with My by sacrifice.?E Through sacrificial rites, Yahweh both entered into covenant and renewed covenant with Israel. The New Testament also uses sacrificial language to describe the making and renewal of covenant: Jesus made…

July 8, 2004

Exodus to Goshen

Israel’s exodus involved a move from Goshen to the promised land. But the move into Goshen is curiously similar to the later exodus. Here are some of the similarities: 1) Israel sought to escape Egypt because of the oppression of Pharaoh; they left because of threats to their well-being. Israel…

July 6, 2004

The Rhetoric of Jacob’s Blessings

Here are a few observations on Jacob’s blessings in Gen 49. I don’t know what the implications are; these are simply observations on the imagery and rhetoric of the different blessings. 1) The contrast between the rhetoric of curse and the rhetoric of blessing is striking. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi…

July 6, 2004

The Rhetoric of Jacob’s Blessings

Here are a few observations on Jacob’s blessings in Gen 49. I don’t know what the implications are; these are simply observations on the imagery and rhetoric of the different blessings. 1) The contrast between the rhetoric of curse and the rhetoric of blessing is striking. Reuben, Simeon, and Levi…

July 6, 2004

Broken Windows Pastoral Practice

One of James Q. Wilson’s well-known contributions to public policy discussions is his “broken windows” policing policy (outlined in the March 1982 issue of The Atlantic ). He argued that allowing minor infractions ?Epublic pissing, jay-walking ?Eand minor public defacements of a neighborhood ?Egraffiti, broken windows ?Ecreated an atmosphere of…

July 4, 2004

Imputation of Sin

Paul’s argument in Romans 5:12-14 seems to be this: 1. Through one man, death entered the world, and death spread. 2. Yet, sin is not imputed where there is no law. That is, sin is not liable to punishment when there is no law. This is a basic principle of…

July 4, 2004

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