Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Mark Horne has done a good job elucidating how martyrdom paves the way for revival and success of Christ’s kingdom in the world, just as it also can bring more hardship and suffering. The diverging wheat and tares both growing up together, both benefitting from the watering of blood on…
For Part 1, click HERE . Anyone who has read James B. Jordan’s Through New Eyes: Developing a Biblical View of the World and appreciated it as a revelation of how God communicates in symbols and types—both in His Word and in the created order—understands what it is like to…
Abel was the first martyr in history. There is no evading this. Jesus pairs him with a murdered prophet (Matthew 23:35; 2 Chronicles 24:20-22). Abel’s blood was heard by God (Genesis 4:10), and God responded to the cry by driving out Cain, Abel’s killer, from the eastern borderland near Eden…
Adapted from The Shape of Isaiah: A Covenant-Literary Analysis The prophetic texts are the most difficult parts of the Bible to understand. And when it comes to baffling the reader, they are no respecter of persons, perplexing with their Delphic wiles even the studied scholars. It has been said that…
The subtitle for the 2004 film Dodgeball is “A True Underdog Story.” If the viewer lets the words pass by without a double-take, he or she will likely spend the rest of the movie, which applies the “unlikely teammates make the best teams” trope to the “sport” of dodgeball, asking,…
The book of Ezra gives an almost odd amount of attention to vessels. These holy vessels, whether cups, bowls, or flagons, are either dedicated as tribute or were used in temple service. The two Hebrew words translated as ‘vessel’ in most English translations are used a total of 14 times.…
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Matthew describes two sets of witnesses in the Sanhedrin trial of Jesus.  One is a set of false witnesses, but they fail to bring convincing testimony.  There is a second set of witnesses, two witnesses, who come “later” (v. 60).  These witnesses bring a united testimony, one that passes the…
The priests and elders are sticklers.  They want to convict Jesus and put Him to death.  That’s the goal of the trial.  But they also know that they have to operate according to the rules of justice given in their Torah.  They know they need testimony, and they know that…
On the first Passover, Israel was delivered from the angel of death and separated from Egypt.  In the narrative in Exodus 12-14, the night of Passover continues, narrativally, until the day after the crossing of the sea.  Chronologically, it is not the same night; but in the narrative there is…
The trial and death of Jesus looks like a tragedy, for Him.  It isn’t,  not in the least, and not just because He’s raised from the dead.  He’s no victim of circumstance or fate, but lays down His life for His sheep. But there is tragedy, the tragedy of Israel.…
The Sanhedrin condemns Jesus for claiming that He was able to destroy the temple and rebuild it.  To them, that was equivalent to claiming God’s power, and had to be blasphemy.  Surely Jesus didn’t have that kind of power - never mind that He had spent several years very publicly…
Athanasius argues: The Son assumed flesh, and its terrors, especially the terror of death.  The goal was to overcome death and terror, but the Son did this by suffering those terrors Himself. We will be delivered from death, and not just in the future.  Athanasius points to martyrs to demonstrate…
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