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Writing

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

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Baptism

And He Gave Some To Be Parents

Standing in the narthex at the font, parents joyfully approach with their newborn child. The pastor asks the parents a series of questions that may include their renunciation of the devil and all his works, their faith in God the Father, Son, and Spirit as explained in the Apostles’ Creed,…

by Bill SmithFebruary 17, 2015
christ-presentation-in-temple
Luke

Anna of Asher

And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. She did not depart from the temple, with…

by Dave ShawFebruary 12, 2015
emmanuel-phaeton-1bwmfmvybi8-unsplash
Psalms

Psalm 30

Get the Psalm 30 Translation here Psalm 30 is a song for the dedication of "the house." Since it is by David, the house would seem to be his palace in Jerusalem. The psalm has an ABA structure, with the B structure being an exhortation to the saints, and the…

by James B. JordanFebruary 11, 2015
boat-rough-water
Same-Sex Marriage

Love Makes the World Go Round

I once asked a ferryboat captain if steering a ferry was any different than driving, say, a big semi truck. He looked at me like I had just asked whether a bowling ball fell when you dropped it. “It’s completely different,” he said. “On the river, you never stay pointing…

by Christian LeithartFebruary 10, 2015
romeo-juliet
Literature

Where A Man Belongs: Courtship Advice from Shakespeare

The key scene in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing comes just after the first wedding scene when Claudio tosses Hero aside as a "rotten orange." He has been tricked into thinking that Hero is unfaithful, and that is an affront to his honor. He won't put her away quietly. He…

by Peter LeithartFebruary 7, 2015
cloister
History

What You Learned About the Middle Ages Was Wrong

Medieval Christianity is in the news. That’s exciting for me as I have a PhD in medieval theology and I teach Ancient and Medieval Church History at Covenant Seminary. Thus I have a little “skin in the game,” as the saying goes. Earlier this week our President made some comments…

by Timothy LeCroyFebruary 6, 2015

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Creation and Justification

Oswald Bayer has a typically provocative essay in the Forde Festschrift , in which he explores the cosmic dimensions of justification by faith. A few highlights: 1) He points out that Luther’s explanation of the First Article of the creed already employs the language of justification: The Father provides for…

February 10, 2005

A Doozy from Forde

“The assertion of ‘justification by faith’ in the sixteenth-century Reformation can be understood only if it is clearly seen as a complete break with ‘justification by grace.’” So says Gerhard Forde. Marc Kolden begins a brief essay in By Faith Alone , a Festschrift for Forde, with this quotation. He…

February 10, 2005
Literature

Garber on Coriolanus

Some of the highlights of Marjorie Garber’s discussion of Coriolanus . 1) With many critics, she emphasizes the emotional immaturity of the title hero: “Volumnia has refused to ever treat her son like a child, sending him out to war at an early age, and she emphasizes her own values…

February 10, 2005

Translation, 1 Kings 17

And said ?Eliyyahu the Settler from the Settlers of Gil?ad to Achav, ?Life of Yahweh, Elohim of Yisrael Which I stand before Him If (surely not) there will be these years dew or rain Except to my mouth, my word.?E And it was the word of Yahweh to him, saying,…

February 9, 2005

Death and Resurrection

Some notes on the death and resurrection of the widow’s son in 1 Kings 17. 1) This is not the first time we’ve seen a sick son in Kings. In chapter 14, Jeroboam sends his wife to a prophet to request a prognosis for Abijah. Here, there is no husband,…

February 9, 2005

Water to a Prophet

Elijah listened to the word of Yahweh and obeyed, and the ravens provided him with food. The widow of Zarephath gives water to Elijah, and also follows the word of Yahweh that comes through Elijah, and the very same thing happens to her: She receives a miraculous provision of food.…

February 9, 2005

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