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Writing

Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.

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Apologetics

A Sabbath Conversation: How Old is the Earth?

As Adam and Eve walked to the center of the Garden of Eden to meet with the LORD on their first Sabbath they conversed about the origin and age of the earth. Adam: You know, honey, we spent a lot of time yesterday making preparations for our house, and we…

by Jeff MeyersOctober 3, 1997
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Biblical Horizons

Psalms for Exile: The Narrative Progression in the Fifth Book of the Psalter

Some of our forefathers believed in reading/singing the psalms in order. Today, when the psalms are even used at all, they tend to be used randomly, though sometimes tied to a church calendar or to the pastor’s sermon. The Bible does not bind us to any particular practice, but there…

by James B. JordanSeptember 4, 1997
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Biblical Chronology

The Anthropomorphic Days of C. John Collins, Part 2

Dr. Collins begins his essay with a brief statement of the Day Age view and then a brief statement of the Six Day view, focussing on the challenge to that view posed by modern "science." He ends this discussion by writing: "Two crucial points are at stake here: first, the…

by James B. JordanSeptember 4, 1997
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Biblical Horizons

Paperweights and the Puzzles of Secularism

In his The Construction of Social Reality , Berkeley philosopher John Searle puzzles over the ontology of the products of human construction. Certain things – granite, platypi, weeping willows – occur naturally; while other realities – stone walls, zoos and parks, Chase Manhattan Bank – exist only as products of…

by Peter LeithartAugust 27, 1997
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Biblical Chronology

The Anthropomorphic Days of C. John Collins, Part 1

In the journal Presbyterion 20 (1994):109-130, published by Covenant Theological Seminary, Dr. C. John Collins sets forth a revision of the Day Age approach in his essay, "How Old Is the Earth? Anthropomorphic Days in Genesis 1:1–2:3." Dr. Collins’s essay has been widely accepted in evangelical Presbyterian circles as an…

by James B. JordanAugust 4, 1997
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Biblical Horizons

The Sin of Ham and the Curse of Canaan, Part 3 (An Exposition of Genesis 9:20-27)

The Righteousness of Shem and Japheth As noted above, the action of Shem and Japheth was purely symbolic. They did not need to cover Noah with a garment, for he was already covered by the tent. Their action was a symbolic affirmation of Noah’s authority, a symbolic rejection of Ham’s…

by James B. JordanAugust 4, 1997

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CultureEcclesiology

The Stranger

Below are some notes for a talk I’m giving at the University of Idaho campus tomorrow evening (September 17). Apologies for the formatting. There’s some material here that is relevant only to the local situation, but the general thrust would be relevant to any Christians in a university town or…

September 17, 2003
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LukeSermon Outline

Sermon Outline, September 21

A Great Prophet, Luke 7:1-50 INTRODUCTION The previous section of Luke’s gospel (5:1-6:11) began with a call to disciples and ended with the Pharisees seeking ways to destroy Jesus. This section (6:12-7:50) begins with the appointment of apostles and ends with all the people in the Pharisee’s house questioning Jesus’…

September 17, 2003
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CultureTheology

Supra/Infra

I have long considered the debate of infra and supralapsarianism a classic example of the excesses of Reformed orthodoxy and scholasticism. I still like Bavinck’s even-handed treatment of the issues in his Doctrine of God . But I have to confess I’ve been thinking lately more as a supralapsarian than…

September 16, 2003
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History

Thought Experiment

Here’s a fun thought experiment from David Wootton’s review of J.C.D. Clark’s book, Our Shadowed Present . Clark puts forward this theory in earnest. In 1688, James II fled England to escape the advancing army of William of Orange; had he stood his ground, he would never, Clark believes, have…

September 15, 2003
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Luke

The “Sinful Woman” (Luke 7)

I’m wondering about the sexual imagery in the incident with the “sinful woman” in Luke 7:36-50. Her attention is devoted completely to Jesus’ “feet,” which is often euphemistic for sexual organs. When the text says that she kissed Jesus’ feet, it means she kissed his feet, but the sexual imagery…

September 15, 2003
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BooksHistory

Gleanings

Here are some gleanings from a Sunday evening of periodical catching-up: 1) Christopher Hitchens offers a blistering assessment of JFK in his TLS review of Robert Dallek’s biography, An Unfinished Life . Hitchens focuses especially on JFK’s medical history, summarizing this way: anyone scanning this or several other similar accounts…

September 15, 2003

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