Explore our collection of theological essays, biblical studies, and reflections on faith and culture.
The Book of Genesis contains eleven distinct markers readily acknowledged as the toledot formula. 1 Commentator Nahum Sarna counts the ’elleh toledot to be “…one of the distinguishing characteristics of the Book of Genesis”. 2 Among translations, the noun is variously translated as “generations” (ESV, KJV), “records of the generations”…
The answer that immediately comes to mind to the question in the title is Manasseh, the son of Hezekiah. He was conceived during the extension of life that God granted Hezekiah in response to his ardent prayer on his sick bed (2 Kings 20:1-11, 21:1). His reign is summarized in…
Back in 2019, on a whim, I sketched out a setting for a modern fantasy story: a single coffee shop that is simultaneously present in multiple cities throughout the world: “...you know the one. Books by local authors, brochures for a walking tour of the city’s outdoor sculpture, a poetry…
Peter O’Brien’s translation of Colossians 4:2 surprised me: “Persevere in prayer as you watch for the Lord’s return, and be thankful.” 1 What is surprising about that? Well, none of my English translations mentioned “the Lord’s return” — nor does the Greek text! Translated literally, the verse just says: “In…
I Natural Law This is a brief (well, briefer than it could be) first attempt at responding to a very small section of Stephen Wolfe’s recent book The Case for Christian Nationalism . It’s partial, deeply incomplete, and does not at all address the book as a whole; it is…
The scuttlebutt of the last hundred years would tell us that Albert Einstein was a horrible husband, Winston Churchill was a racist, Mother Theresa was a hypocrite, and Caravaggio a murderer. From Benjamin Britten’s boys to Gandhi’s girls, it can be depressing and confusing to hear about people of great…
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Austin Farrer said, “The datings of all these books are like a line of tipsy revellers walking home arm in arm . . . The whole series can lurch five years this way or that without colliding with a solid obstacle.”
The people of Nazareth find Jesus too familiar to take seriously. How can this son-of-a-carpenter make these kinds of demands on us? It’s a perennial temptation. The more familiar Jesus becomes, the more we’re apt to blunt the force of His radical demands: The Jesus I know wouldn’t ask me…
Jesus’ parables seem to apply neatly to His own ministry. They also seem to apply neatly to the history of Israel. Which is it? No need to choose, of course. It’s fundamental to Matthew’s gospel story that Jesus is the true Israel, reliving Israel’s history. We should expect the shape…
Matthew 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field. In the two brief parables in our sermon text, Jesus emphasizes the surpassing value of the kingdom. It is of such value that we must give up everything – abandon all other plans and aspirations and…
When He visited His hometown, Jesus didn’t do many acts of power. Matthew tells us He didn’t do much “because of their unbelief.” We Reformed Christians have a hard time taking this seriously. Matthew doesn’t sound truly Reformed. Isn’t God’s grace irresistible? Isn’t God sovereign? Does He have to wait…
When Jesus visit Nazareth, the people ask “where did this man get this wisdom, and these powers?” and “where did this man get all these things?” Though not as overt, this is the same question raised earlier by the Pharisees, who charged that Jesus cast out demons through Satan’s power.…
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