Theopolis Logo

Writing

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

See all
aaron-burden-1ebsmyrau-s-unsplash
Biblical Horizons

The Sin of Ham and the Curse of Canaan, Part 1

The history of the sin of Ham and the curse of Canaan comes in the middle of the Generations of Noah, a section of Genesis that begins at Genesis 6:9 and extends to the closing notice, Genesis 11:9. To understand the story better, it is necessary to get in mind…

by James B. JordanJune 3, 1997
david-weber-f_nj26i9wyo-unsplash-1
Eucharist

You and Your Son and Daughter: Christ’s Communion with Young Children

This paper was written to persuade people who were members of the Presbyterian Church in America. It should be accessible to anyone who believes in baptizing infants–especially to those who consider themselves a part of the Reformation Tradition. References to “our Confession” or “our standards” invoke the Westmeinster Confession of…

by Mark HorneJune 3, 1997
screenshot-2023-07-27-at-10-25-35-am
Baptism

The Westminster Standards & Sacramental Efficacy

Version 1.2 I write this brief essay in order to address a problem I have encountered. I keep reading explanations of doctrine of the sacraments fundamentally empty of the content which was once held by virtually all Reformed confessions and formulations. Furthermore, I read explanations and commentaries on the Westminster…

by Mark HorneJune 3, 1997
aaron-burden-h8s0pf2rcqs-unsplash
Biblical Chronology

John Sailhamer Weighs In, Part 2

We continue our analysis of John Sailhamer’s book *Genesis Unbound: A Provocative New Look at the Creation Account* (Multnomah Books, 1996), which argues that Genesis 1:2ff. is not about the creation of the whole world, but about the preparation of the Land of Eden, which is also the Promised Land.…

by James B. JordanMay 31, 1997
screenshot-2023-08-30-at-11-50-23-am
Matthew

Toward a Chiastic Understanding of the Gospel According to Matthew, Part 2

III. Death of God’s Firstborn in the real Egypt: This huge chiasm has as its center the betrayal of Peter, as the leader of the disciples himself rejects Jesus. Peter holds an oficial position as high priest among the disciples of the incarnate Lord. His rejection of Jesus is the…

by James B. JordanMay 31, 1997
aaron-burden-qjdzyt_k8xg-unsplash
Eucharist

A Response to Rev. Bacon’s Argument that Manna was not a Sacrament

I wrote a response to Rev. Richard Bacon’s tract, What Mean Ye by This Service , a copy of which I borrowed from the library at Covenant Theological Seminary. However, I recently discovered that a new appendix was added to the version available on the Blue Banner’s web page. This…

by Mark HorneMay 29, 1997

Showing page 257 of 309

See all
See all

Justification and purity

In his challenging revisionist treatment of justification ( Judgment & Justification in Early Judaism and the Apostle Paul , Hendrickson), Chris VanLandingham examines various meanings of the verb DIKAIOO in both the Old Testament and intertestamental Jewish literature. He finds a close connection between the DIKAI- root and purity concerns,…

May 16, 2007

Justification and Community

NT Wright has become famous, or notorious, for suggesting that justification is a declaration concerning one’s membership in the community of God. In his 2006 book Justified before God (Abingdon), Methodist theologian Walter Klaiber describes the Hebrew court situation in a way that makes sense of Wright’s claims: In declaring…

May 16, 2007
Uncategorized

Sean Lucas and Me

A while back, Covenant Seminary’s Sean Lucas reviewed my book Against Christianity . I read the review at the time, not carefully, and quickly found other things to do. Few things are more boring than defending what I’ve written. With the recent release PCA statement on the Federal Vision, and…

May 15, 2007
Theology

Theological imagination

One of my recurring frustrations with recent debates in the Reformed world is a widespread failure of theological imagination. Too many seem to operate on the assumption that we have everything already figured out; we have all possible categories and positions ready to hand. All we need do is deploy…

May 15, 2007
Theology

The RCUS and me

Like several other Reformed denominations, the RCUS has a study committee examining the Federal Vision theology, particularly as it pertains to justification, and part of that report focuses on my article, “Judge Me, O God.” I have a few comments on the report’s representation of my argument in that article.…

May 15, 2007

NYC Water

Nathaniel Altman writes in his book Sacred Water : “underground aqueducts have brought water from the Croton Reservoir to New York City since the early 1840s. The water flowed originally into a reservoir located in Central Park that could hold 180 million gallons. Soon realizing that even such a large…

May 14, 2007

Showing page 1679 of 2212

Browse by Category

In Medias Res

Your weekly digest for all things Theopolis.

Donate

Theopolis is nearly 100% donor-supported. Consider joining us on our mission.