Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, who was declared the Son of God…
With the surprising discovery of the Nelda Boswell scroll historians have deciphered its contents and concluded that the apostle Paul returned to the region of Galatia shortly after he wrote the letter that we call Galatians. The evidence suggests that a number of local pastors, elders, and deacons, along with…
Second Temple Judaism was a form of covenantal nomism, according to E. P. Sanders’ terminology. This means that Torah-observance was a way of expressing loyalty to the Lord of the covenant who had graciously elected Israel. I think Sanders’ view (taken up in bits and pieces and with some modifications…
We often hear that the key to Christian obedience is thankfulness for what God has done. But the Bible stresses faith and hope much more than gratitude. The Baptist pastor and author John Piper has written, “Nowhere in the Bible is gratitude connected explicitly with obedience as a motivation. We…
One of the questions that is commonly asked about Tom Wright regards his teaching about how Paul uses the term “the righteousness of God.” Since Wright’s interpretation of the term in Paul’s epistles is commonly mentioned in passing but rarely analyzed, it seems like a good idea to explicitly spell…
If God promised a certain land to the seed of Abraham, saying that it would be theirs “forever” (Gen. 13:15), why do Reformed churches teach that the Jews permanently lost their right to the land? What about all these Old Testament “forever” promises and prophesies made to the Jews? How…
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During 324-5, Constantine, in Timothy Barnes’s summary, “outlawed the performance of animal sacrifice, ordered that no new cult statues of the traditional gods be dedicated, and forbade magistrates and governors to begin official business with the traditional act of casting incense or some other similar offering on an altar standing…
One of the delicious results of McCain’s Palin pick is that it exposes Obama as just another politician, willing to get down and dirty with the rest of them. No more Obama the transcendent, Obama the supra-partisan, Obama the inventor of a new politics. Of course, nothing wrong with being…
David Garland notes that the transfiguration narrative in Matthew is chiastically structured: A. Narrative introduction, 17:1 B. Transfiguration of Jesus, 17:2-3 C. Peter’s response, 17:4 D. Divine Voice, 17:5 C’. Disciples’ response, 17:6 B’. Jesus speaks, 17:7 A’. Narrative conclusion, 17:8 Garland also notes that the transfiguration shares a number…
INTRODUCTION Death shadowed Jesus from His infancy, when Herod slaughtered the children of Bethlehem. After Peter’s confession, though, Jesus begins to talk openly about the cross that awaits Him (16:21). Predictions of the cross replace Matthew’s summary statements of Jesus ministry (17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:1-2; cf. 4:23-25). Jesus doesn’t withdraw anymore,…
Revelation 19:6-7: And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude and as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to…
Americans always want a formula. We want 12 steps to serenity and 12 to sobriety and 12 to fitness and 12 to happiness. And we want a step-by-step process to ensure success in courtship and marriage. It’s true that many lives have been transformed by the original 12-step program created…
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